The Last Dinner Party at the Salt Shed
The Salt Shed in Chicago, IL Coverage by @hannahdigitals
I’ll start with the end - The Last Dinner Party unleashed the most stubborn cheers for an encore that I have ever seen. The Chicago sold out crowd clapped, whooped, and stood at ovation in the packed Salt Shed, for at least ten minutes - a wall of unwavering noise and admiration. The impact of The Last Dinner Party on their fans is undeniable.
Forming in London, the band played their first show together in late 2021, releasing their debut album “Prelude to Ectasy” in 2023, and is now on a world tour following the recent release of their second album “From the Pyre”. For a band that has been performing shows together for under 5 years, they are talented far beyond their years. Their stage presence, chemistry, and song discography is so well developed, with a common narrative weaving together the lyricism, wardrobe, and set design. The strong visual identity of the band allows fans a chance to interact with the show, many dressed up as if to go to a fancy dinner party too.
A great performance inspires their audience to dance, move, feel joy or sadness. The Last Dinner Party inspires me to stoke my own creative spirit, to learn an instrument, explore my emotions through writing, and take up modern dance. While there are many powerful female fronted bands, (Paramore, Florence + the Machine, The Cranberries), the female singer is often surrounded on stage by male musicians on guitar, drums, bass. There was something deeply moving about seeing a femme-fronted band. The members Emily Roberts, Lizzie Mayland, Aurora Nishevci, and Abigal Morris often switch between instruments or took turns leading the vocals, showing themselves as musical powerhouses.
The bassist Georgia Davies was notably missing after a back injury at the last show. In a bittersweet moment, Abigail held up signs that fans brought to support Georgia’s recovery and the band took a moment to express how important she is to them. Max Lilley, the bass tech stepped in to play while she recovers.
When Abigail Morris sings, she brings a stage persona that is entrancing to watch. Her expressiveness extends far beyond her voice and facial expressions, emotions extending into how she twirls and glides across the stage, reaching out towards fans or raising the mic stand in triumph. In moments in between songs, she speaks on behalf of the band. There is a genuine sense of appreciation that The Last Dinner Party has for their fans. As they perform, you can see how much they love their music and playing for an interactive crowd. It’s refreshing to watch people love what they do and do it incredibly well.
There is alot of care and intention that comes with creating a safe space at their show. During the introduction to Gjuha - a song written and sung by their keyboardist Aurora in Albanian, the language of her family. She shares her experience as a proud child of immigration, she and the other members reiterated how rich life is in the presence of other cultures and languages. A sentiment that was met with cheers of support from the crowd.
After Chicago, The Last Dinner Party is continuing on with their tour across North America for the next two months. Which means, if you haven’t seen them live yourself, you have plenty of opportunities to. I cannot recommend their concert enough.
