No Expectations 062: Wild Wind

Seeing Zach Bryan at Chicago’s United Center. Plus, a Katy Kirby gig recap and takes on ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Poor Things.’

Photo by Tools For Motivation on Unsplash

No Expectations hits inboxes on Thursdays at 9am cst. Mailbag email: Noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com. (Please, no PR pitches). Personal email: joshhowardterry@gmail.com. (Pitches, paid work, and job offers welcome).

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Headline song: lake j, “Wild Wind” 

This week’s newsletter was originally going to be a roundup of under-the-radar new albums that are worth your time. Because I had more thoughts than I expected after seeing Zach Bryan sell out Chicago’s United Center, I decided to push those recommendations to next week. That way, this edition of No Expectations hopefully won’t feel overstuffed and the independent acts I’ll highlight soon will get more of the deserved focus. 

Thanks for being here. If you dig what you read, consider upgrading your free subscription to a paid one. It keeps the lights on and pays some of the bills. 

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Here Is a Call For Mailbag Questions 

Running a weekly music newsletter is not a particularly tough gig but sometimes it’s difficult to figure out what to write about every Thursday. Life can get in the way and occasionally the only remaining thought I have sitting down to write is “new album good.” This is why I have a mailbag email for No Expectations. Some of my best blogs have been thanks to subscriber questions. 

Lately, I’ve been getting a lot of, “I’m in Chicago for the weekend: where should I go?” That’s by far the most popular ask there. While I love giving restaurant and bar recs, it’s not the best fodder for something to publish in a music and culture newsletter. Throw me a bone here! I always respond even if it’s not going to make it on the blog. Email your burning questions or air your grievances to noexpectationsnewsletter@gmail.com. 

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Gig report: Zach Bryan, The Middle East, Levi Turner at United Center (3/5)

Photo by Trevor Pavlik

For someone who makes earnest and relatable singer-songwriter fare, Zach Bryan is one of the most beguiling popular artists making music right now. It’s not his songs that mystify so much as it is his rocket-fueled ascension to country stardom. In 2023, his self-titled album hit number one on the Billboard charts, he won a Grammy for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for his Kacey Musgraves duet “I Remember Everything,” he’s already in the all-time top 300 artists streaming on Spotify, and his new arena tour finds him enlisting marquee artists like Sheryl Crow, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, and more to open for him. If you’ve never heard of Bryan, think of him as the Bruce Springsteen to Isbell’s (or Tyler Childers’) Bob Dylan. 

I included Bryan’s triple album American Heartbreak as one of the 60 best albums of 2022 in the first No Expectations newsletter. On paper, it felt like an LP I’d probably hate. Its bloated 34-song tracklist from a major label artist that seemed like a potential data dump to game streaming services. He was influenced by the stomp-and-clap twee folk of the 2010s (he later said The Lumineers, who guest on his new album, are his all-time favorite band), and it was a country album that only seemed to be hyped by critics who rarely write about country music. Despite all that, I loved the songs. I was disarmed by his earnestness, his effortlessness in crafting inviting hooks, and how you could hear him breathlessly grapple with his past and becoming a better person throughout. There are certainly artists who do this too and arguably do it better (I’ve written about several over the years!). While it’s a shame that many of those get tens of thousands of streams compared to Bryan’s billions, his surprising success has never felt unearned. 

By now, Bryan’s story is well-covered: he’s a 27-year-old Navy veteran from Oklahoma who went viral for YouTube video performances of original songs. Word-of-mouth buzz propelled him through two self-released albums in 2019’s DeAnn and 2020’s Elisabeth, both of which he recorded during his time off from active duty. In 2021, when he was honorably discharged from military service, he signed with Warner Brothers Records which resulted in American Heartbreak. That 3xLP debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200 and the single “Something In the Orange” became a semi-ubiquitous crossover pop hit—peaking at #10 on the Hot 100 and earning a Grammy nomination. He had a compelling backstory. He sang nostalgically of the good times and being back home with your friends. He looked like a charming and perceptive kid you grew up with. He tried to battle Ticketmaster and released a live LP called All My Homies Hate Ticketmaster. While I liked 2023’s Zach Bryan significantly less than American Heartbreak, there were a handful of excellent songs like “East Side of Sorrow,” “Hey Driver,” and “Tourniquet.” With a marquee guestlist including Musgraves, the Lumineers, War & Treaty, and Sierra Ferrell, the LP only raised his star power further into the stratosphere. 

Thanks to my brother-in-law and my sister who are big fans of the guy, I got the chance to see Bryan play at the United Center on Tuesday (he sold out three nights and this was the first). I usually hate arena shows. The tickets cost way too much, the sound usually sucks, water bottles are $8 for some reason, and you gotta deal with big crowds. I’m happiest in a 350-cap room: cheap drinks, a three-band bill, and an intimate setting. If you have $150, you could see one arena show or you can go to 10 gigs at the Empty Bottle. I’ve actively avoided these massive concerts for most of my adult life: the acts who can sell out stadiums are usually Not My Thing. (If they are my thing, I usually can’t afford to go). Though the 300-level tickets were slightly more than what I paid to see Bob Dylan (but less than Dead and Company at the Sphere), I knew it’d be worth it to spend time with my family, see a spectacle live production, and maybe hone my complicated but mostly positive thoughts on this guy’s music. 

Though I like Bryan’s music, which is pretty much universally acclaimed, I also tend to agree with what criticism he gets. Despite its palpable highs, American Heartbreak needed an editor at 34 songs (cut the maudlin “You Are My Sunshine” cover and a few of the dirgelike and plodding acoustic numbers). His lyrics can lean on cliche (“High Beams”), gaudy sentimentality, and occasionally fall into a set formula. In deep-dive listens his catalog can meander too much in a mid-tempo zone. Sometimes he relies too hard on creating intimate moments like including studio banter or recording sounds of crickets (or bullfrogs) chirping outside. Other times, they’re crudely constructed and rudimentary. That’s all true but I don’t care! When he’s really on it, like in the rocker “Heavy Eyes” or the soulful, sing-along “Hey Driver,” he soars. There are moments of surprise and catharsis in his catalog that are so undeniable they overpower whatever valid complaint I can come up with. It’s relentlessly disarming. 

At the United Center, I was struck by the audience. Given Bryan’s music, I expected far more dudes but women dominated the crowd two-to-one. At 32, I was also definitely on the older side of those there. He brought openers Levi Turner (who opened for him last year) as well as the recently reunited Australian indie pop outfit The Middle East, whose song “Blood” was ubiquitous in the early 2010s (Bryan is a huge fan). These weren’t conventional picks for a country arena tour, which is another kudos to Bryan. Turner’s set showcased that he’s a solid songwriter and the Middle East eventually won the crowd over by the time they played “Blood.” Both were good sets but the crowd seemed antsy for the headliner. Who cares though: It’s Bryan’s show and he chose these bands for a reason. 

The house lights dimmed and Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers, Guns, and Money” blared over the PA. At 9:15, Bryan’s eight-piece band took the in-the-round stage that looked like a Chevy logo. The show started with the high-energy “Overtime” and last year’s set opener “Open The Gate.” As blistering and high-intensity as these renditions were, they were almost drowned out by the fervently zealous crowd. He debuted new songs called “The Great American Bar Scene” and “Better Days,” which were highlights. He ripped through album standouts like “Tishomingo” and Boys of Faith EP cuts like “Deep Satin.” (During the latter, the guy behind me, a stranger, gave me a friendly punch on the shoulder after Bryan sang, “‘Friend of the Devil’ by the Dead’” because I was wearing a Grateful Dead hat).

Bryan’s band—longtime friends from Oklahoma and elsewhere—were all pros. The drummer Steve Clark was infectiously animated and the steel guitarist/banjo player Read Connolly wore a Stop Making Sense-sized suit and had a good bit where he pretended to pass out into a security guard. It’s the kind of spectacle you don’t get at a club show (besides Windy City Smokeout, Bryan has only played Park West in Chicago). Before the set, my brother-in-law asked if I thought any of the guests Bryan has collaborated with would show up to perform at the show. I said no—maybe the Wisconsin-based Bon Iver but I doubt it—and sure enough Kacey Musgraves hopped onstage to sing the hit “I Remember Everything” for the first time live. It rocked and so did fan favorites like “Something In The Orange” and “Hey Driver.” 

The real star of the show was Bryan’s audience. They offered ebullient screams and sang every word as loud as possible. It’s the kind of zealous fandom I’m not quite used to. Due to the cross-shaped setup in the middle of the arena, Bryan walked from mic-to-mic stationed around the stage so he could offer face time to each side of the crowd. For most songs, he’d make the full stage rotation. He was constantly vibe-checking the audience and thanking them for being there. He apologized for being rusty (he wasn't) and even said, “I’m so sorry if you were having a good evening and we ruined it.” Every break had some humble stage banter and during the songs, he’d say, “Chicago, I trust you” and let the crowd take over on the chorus vocals. Maybe it’s all the Grateful Dead I’ve been listening to (who were notoriously not chatty onstage) but the constant crowdpleasing, the lyrical switches to insert “Chicago” into the songs, and even the albeit very sick 96 Bulls T-shirt laid it on a little thick. 

If you spend enough time with Bryan’s discography, you’ll see a diaristic lyricist who is deeply concerned with doing the right thing. In his songs, he casts himself as imperfect but he instills the wisdom of his parents, his life, and his past to try to be better. It’s compelling stuff. With Bryan’s meteoric career arc, I’m impressed by his commitment to his fans, his shock at how far he’s skyrocketed, and how he’s trying to make sure he’s putting on the best possible show. He’s succeeding but from following him on social media and seeing him live, this sometimes verges on people-pleasing. It’s an understandable impulsive (I once apologized for a “short newsletter” that was over 3,000 words) but it’s also a cage. When you reach not just the upper echelons of success like Bryan—but any echelon—it is an impossible task to please everyone. If you approach your art from a defensive position, you sacrifice something of yourself. Authenticity is great marketing, especially in country music, but it’s a trap: a nebulous, truly unattainable thing that can border on self-parody.

When asked why he’s so prolific, he told The New York Times in 2022. “I can’t stop writing,” he said. “I have this weird fear of like, if I don’t put this music out, someone 20 years from now isn’t going to be able to hear it. If some kid needs this in 40 years and he’s 16, he’s sitting in his room, what if I didn’t put out ‘Quiet, Heavy Dreams’? What if that’s his favorite song of all time?” For someone who was just a normal guy who was plucked by viral fame to become a major-label powerhouse, it’s clear he understands the weight of his rise and the responsibility of it. That can be a suffocating realization. I hope that he allows space for himself to give himself a break and double down on his art not because he thinks the fans want it but because he needs to do it. 

Bryan’s a reluctant superstar (“I’m too writing-driven to be a big star,” he told The New York Times. “I’m not meant for it.”). He doesn’t fit into culture war-ready left/right boxes: he has a clear sense of justice but his political affiliations are inscrutable. He doesn’t even fit in the boxes I made to try and rationalize why I like his music so much despite the reasons I normally wouldn’t.  But I do know that alongside 23,000 people, I experienced one of the most galvanizing and cathartic arena shows I could see in 2024. When so much of my career has been trying to highlight under-the-radar artists hoping they can get a bigger platform, I can’t begrudge someone like Zach Bryan for ascending the mountain faster than anyone could’ve expected. He’s here for a while and I bet he’ll surprise even more than he already has. 

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What I listened to: 

The No Expectations 062 Playlist: Spotify // Apple Music 

1. lake j, “Wild Wind” 
2. Sonny Falls, “You Were Hoping” 
3. Sinai Vessel, “How” 
4. Margaux, “DNA” 
5. Zero Point Energy, “Over My Head” 
6. youbet, “Seeds of Evil” 
7. Worms ‘R’ Us, “Worms ‘R’ Us” 
8. Lou Hazel, “Country Clown” 
9. gglum, “Eating Rust” 
10. Kaycie Satterfield, “Jetsam” 
11. Bnny, “Crazy, Baby” 
12. Katy Kirby, “Blue Raspberry” 
13. Allegra Krieger, “Lingering” 
14. Wildflower, “Walking Weather” 
15. Hannah Frances, “Floodplain” 

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Gig report: Katy Kirby, Allegra Krieger, Case Oats at Lincoln Hall (3/3) 

Sometimes you look back at shows you saw years ago and think, “I can’t believe these acts were on the same bill at such a small venue.” While the 500-cap Lincoln Hall is not really a small venue, I couldn’t help but think both Katy Kirby and Allegra Krieger will soon be playing much bigger rooms next time around. Friend of the Substack Kirby just put out her sophomore album Blue Raspberry, which is already a lock as an Album of the Year contender. Seeing her new live show setup, which includes guitarist Logan Chung, multi-instrumentalist Lane Hodges, bassist Margaux, and drummer Austin Arnold, was such an immersive experience. Every time I see her, I’m struck by her vocal control and the way the songs transform live. I have to credit Chung—he’s a dynamic and tasteful guitarist who is unafraid to add searing noise and transform some of these quieter songs into club-ready rockers. I recommend a ton of albums here but not many are as good as what Katy and her band did on Blue Raspberry, 

Right before Katy was a stunning solo set from New York’s Allegra Krieger. Her 2023 LP I Keep My Feet on the Fragile Plane skyrocketed near the top of my AOTY roundup and I finally got to see her perform for the first time. I was floored. Her writing is miles beyond so many of her peers. You could hear a pin drop in the near-sold-out room. Local mainstays Case Oats were also great playing a stripped-down duo set as the first of three. 

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What I watched: 

Dune: Part Two (dir: Denis Villeneuve, in theaters) 

Like most of my friends and probably you too, I saw the second Dune movie in theaters this weekend. I’m happy to report that it’s Certified Movie Magic. There are few blockbuster films as artful, engaging, and smart as Denis Villeneuve’s take on Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel series, which I started in college but never finished.  I really wouldn’t wait for it to hit streaming to see this: the immersive sound design and immaculate set pieces need to be experienced on the biggest screen possible. Even if you’re skeptical of Timothee Chalamet and Austin Butler, their performances will win you over here. 

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Poor Things (dir: Yorgos Lanthimos, VOD) 

Thanks to needing to carve out space for a weekly “What I watched” section on this newsletter, I actually saw every film nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. That’s never happened—at least not before the awards show airs. I expected Poor Things, the last of the nominees still on my watchlist, to climb near the top of my personal rankings. According to my friends and peers, my Best of 2023 movie list is incomplete because I had yet to check out this Yorgos Lanthimos steampunk comedy. To my dismay, I thought it sucked. It’s on the bottom of my ranking of this year’s Oscar flicks—below Maestro, Barbie, and Past Lives which are all way better films. Except for The Lobster, Lanthimos’ movies are Not For Me. I can’t stand the guy’s purposefully stilted dialogue. For a director who ostensibly makes comedies, there have got to be actual jokes beyond self-satisfied cleverness. Sorry if you dug it (remember this is just my opinion). The only reason I’d rec this is for the inventive set design and the performances: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Ruffalo are all great given what they had to work with. 

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What I read: 

It’s Obviously The Phones (by Magdalene J. Taylor, Many Such Cases) 

The problem is obviously our phones.

In February, The Atlantic published a feature about the decline of hanging out. Within it was a particularly damning graph sharing the percentage of teens who report hanging out with friends two or more times per week since 1976. Rates were steady around 80 percent up until the mid-90s, when a subtle decrease began to occur. Then, in 2008 — one year after the release of the first iPhone — the decrease became much more dramatic. It has continued falling sharply since, hovering now at just under 60 percent of teens who spend ample time with friends each week.

Some of us really don’t like our screen time habits criticized. Others may think they appear smarter by highlighting other issues, that they can see above the fray and observe the macro trends that are really shaping our lives, not that stupid anti-phone rhetoric we hear from the Boomers. And some of these other trends do indeed apply. Correlation does not equal causation. Lots of things happened in 2008. Namely, a financial crisis the effects of which many argue we are still experiencing. When I shared the graph on Twitter/X saying phones are the obvious cause, this was one of the most common rebuttals. Another was the decline in third spaces. There are indeed few places for teenagers to hang out outside of the home. Skate parks are being turned into pickleball courts with “no loitering” signs, malls are shuttering and you can no longer spend $1 on a McChicken to justify hanging out in the McDonald’s dining area for hours. But as the Atlantic piece explains, the dwindling of places to be and experience community has a problem we’ve been lamenting since the 90s. And it’s not just teens — everyone is spending less time together than they used to. “In short, there is no statistical record of any other period in U.S. history when people have spent more time on their own,” the article states.

The fact remains that even with the financial crisis, even with the lack of third spaces, we could all still be experiencing the company of our friends and family at home for free, and we are choosing not to. The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Time Use survey shows that we’re even spending less time with our spouses and children in favor of being alone. It’s because we’re on our phones, instead. 

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The Weekly Chicago Show Calendar

Thursday, March 7: Zach Bryan, The Middle East, Levi Turner at United Center. Sold out. 

Thursday, March 7: Rat Tally, Midamerican Elevator, Frankie Master at Sleeping Village. Tickets. 

Friday, March 8: Hannah Frances, NIIKA at Constellation. Tickets. 

Friday, March 8: The Strokes, Beach Bunny, NNAMDÏ at Credit Union 1 Arena. Sold out. 

Friday, March 8: Black Eyes, Lifeguard, TALsounds at Empty Bottle. Tickets. 

Friday, March 8: Late Nite Laundry, Modern Nun, Joey Nebulous at Sleeping Village. Tickets. 

Friday, March 8: The Eagles, Steely Dan at United Center. Tickets. 

Saturday, March 9:  Black Eyes, Lifeguard, TALsounds at Empty Bottle. Tickets. 

Saturday, March 9: Cherry Glazerr, Wombo at Lincoln Hall. Tickets. 

Saturday, March 9: Alessandro Cortini, Lia Kohl + Whitney Johnson at Epiphany Center For the Arts. Tickets. 

Saturday, March 9: Omni, This Is Lorelei, Discus at Schubas. Tickets. 

Saturday, March 9: Otoboke Fever, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, Ovef Ow at Thalia Hall. Tickets. 

Sunday, March 10: Otoboke Fever, Drinking Boys and Girls Choir, Ganser at Thalia Hall. Tickets. 

Monday, March 11: Dry Cleaning, Patter at Empty Bottle. Sold out. 

Tuesday, March 12: Laetitia Sadier, Radio Outernational at Empty Bottle. Sold out. 

Wednesday, March 13: Horse Lords, Ka Baird, Honestly Same at Empty Bottle. Tickets.