chicago, illinois - march 15, 2024

Daisy the Great made sure to leave a solid first impression; from the first moment stepping on stage, the four-member indie pop-rock group left no room for the dull. Quickly setting up their instruments and with a quick nod of approval, they promptly opened with their iconic song “Glitter”. The vocalists Kelley Dugan (keyboard) and Mina Walker (guitar, bass) enchanted the crowd with the song's first seconds, letting the crowd preview what was yet to come. “I’m just rotten to the core Such a bore such a wannabe,” they harmoniously sang, portraying their powerfully cathartic energy through their lyrics and colorful melody.

Quickly following their first song, they started the first notes of their most known piece, “The Record Player Song.”The song, released in 2018 on their debut EP, gained attention on social media soon after its release, quickly growing Daisy the Great’s audience of listeners. The crowd immediately started cheering at the first moments of the iconic melody, adding to the quick rhythm and energy of the song. The lighting synchronously changed to a sharp yellow, pink, and blue to match the contrasting, yet harmonious melodies sung by both vocalists and the high energy given already by the song, a theme to be heard throughout the rest of their discography.

Leaving the crowd eager for more, the band stopped at the end of their fourth piece to ask if anyone in the crowd knew of good ice cream places in the city. “If so, DM us!” said Dugan as the crowd cheered in excitement for sharing their favorite city spots with the band.

Daisy the Great was nothing short of engaging. After a few more songs, they paused once again before starting their next piece to give the crowd a small but entertaining introduction. “How many of you have wanted your friend to be more than a friend?” The crowd laughed and cheered. “Is that friend next to you right now? Okay, maybe you’re shy about it, how about you all turn and look at me in the eyes and give me a wink if they’re with you right now!” teased Dugan. The audience laughed together in embarrassment at the fact that Dugan had probably called them out. “Well, if you have a crush on your friend, this next song is about that. It’s about having a crush on your friend but you can’t be with them,” clarified Dugan.

Drummer Matti Dunietz started off the powerful and deeply cathartic song “Liar” with four beats on the drum before the rest of the band joined in with guitar, bass, and vocals. Leaving the crowd with some food for thought from the previous interaction, they swayed along to the seemingly happy song feeling as if they were part of something personal and special; the lyrics were left up to personal interpretation.

Leaving a melancholic and emotional feeling with their audience, Dugan took advantage of the mood to introduce the members of the band and show their appreciation for one another. “This is Matti, he is from Evanston! We love Matti a lot!” said Dugan referring to their drummer. One by one, the rest of the band introduced one another, waving to the crowd in their own way showing their individual personalities and contributions to the group’s overall energy.

Right as the crowd thought the band had finished with their last song for the night, Dugan walked to the back of the stage and came back with a glimmering shiny red keyboard to close with their powerful ballad “Time Machine”. The lights slowly turned to a dark blue, revealing a swirling teal light pattern on the stage matching the soft sound of the melody. “Are you listening to the clocks in this house They are growling at me” belted Walker and Dugan in tune with each other. On the keyboard, Dugan started the mid-tempo piano melody, as if imitating the tempo and steady rhythm of a real clock’s ticking. The crowd lifted their hands making an illusion of a wave passing as they moved their arms from side to side to the slow sway of the song. Coming to the end of the piece, Walker and guitarist/bassist Nardo Ochoa danced together as they showed their passion and emotion for the song, letting their strings ring as they softly let go of the last notes.