It has been 23 years since The Innocence Mission played Chicago but, as lead singer Karen Peris explained, the traffic was bad. Either way, you couldn’t be part of that sold out crowd and not feel grateful to see them play again and cherish every moment of it.
Truly, every audience member treasured each song and many had flown in from out of state to see this show and weren’t disappointed. The band played a great mix of songs throughout their career including both the well known “Bright as Yellow”along with gems like “Always on Your Side” but the audience especially loved singing along to “Lakes of Canada” with the encouragement of Karen Peris. Additionally, they made sure to play their song “Lake Shore Drive” for Chicago.
Playing as a four piece band, the songs still sounded quite intimate and the interplay between Karen and Don Peris was especially sweet. (Don also played a bit of acoustic guitar for the audience before the full band came out, which was quite lovely.) There were often shared looks that showed how close they still are and the way their guitar playing gently filled out the rich melodies was as lovely as on record. It was also a treat to hear them sing together for “I Was in the Air.”
Throughout their 75 minute set, including two encores, it was so evident what genuine humans they are and how their music reveals that time and time again. Karen Peris sang with such a delicate and tender nature and expressed thanks to the audience many times and we, in turn, were filled with gratitude for this shared experience.
Setlist:
