Big Wild @ Aragon Ballroom
CHICAGO September 30th 2022
Big Wild
In celebration of his newest album, The Efferusphere, Jackson Stell, publicly known as Big Wild, has been touring all over North America. On Friday, September 30th, Big Wild made his first return to a Chicago stage since Lollapalooza in 2021, at the Aragon Ballroom. The theater’s sparkling lights and iconic marquee welcomed fans in their appropriately wild outfits as they headed into the historic venue.
Photo: Gracie Silverstein
The night opened with vibrant pop music from Josh Fudge. Like Big Wild, Josh displays his talent as a multi-instrumentalist by using traditional music making techniques to produce a modern vibe, from the help of analog synths, keyboards, guitars, and alternative percussion. His curly, ginger hair could be seen bouncing from across the theater, illuminated by ambient blue light, putting the crowd in a groovy mood, prepared for Big Wild to appear.
About an hour later, Big Wild’s guitarist, Tracy Lambertucci, entered the stage in a sparkling jumpsuit, perfectly accompanying the glittering projections behind her. Anticipation filled the audience as each chord concluded with a flash of white light, and the introduction to Big Wild’s hit song “Awaken” faded in. “Find your way home,” the opening, and only, repeating lyric blasted through the Aragon’s speakers causing a roar from the crowd. A sea of phone flash lights erupted throughout the venue when Jackson Stell came from out of the shadows and onto the stage. Once on stage, he stepped onto a small platform only to turn a small groove into an explosion of movement as the bass kicked in. Near the end of the song, the white light faded into a blast of purple, washing over the entire venue as Big Wild jumped from the keyboard, drums, back to the platform throughout his song, “Purple Sand”.
Photo: Gracie Silverstein
Photo: Gracie Silverstein
Throughout his entire set, Big Wild refused to let the audience lose engagement. With energetic lights and projections, the occasional release into dance, and his ever present eye contact with individuals in the crowd, it was impossible to break focus from the stage. Before his performance of “Feel Good”, the first single released off of his sophomore album, Jackson quieted the music for a moment to lead the audience in deep breathing, then joining the band on the acoustic guitar for the song’s bridge, introducing a moment of peace into the otherwise fast paced progession of sound. However, this didn’t last long as Big Wild continued to play hit after psychedelic hit, concluding his intimate set with “6’s to 9’s”, an uplifting anthem about raw human connection and a perfect conclusion to a night full of just that.
Photos: Gracie Silverstein