Judah and the Lion - Photo credit: Mosie Hillis

Judah & the Lion – Happy Again Tour

With this being the penultimate show of Judah & the Lion’s Happy Again Tour, the hype for the evening was building. As the lights went up on the Riviera Theatre’s stage on Friday, October 21, the crowd was a sea of kelly green. The tour is celebrating the release of their fourth studio album, Revival. which was released on June 10th, 2022. Frontman Judah Aker and his bandmate Brian Macdonald instructed everyone in attendance on the tour to wear green. Like the album, the color green, for them, symbolized “a collection of songs that speaks to the band’s return to innocence and hope through reclamation.” With the bright colors in the audience and stage lighting inspired by Queen, the night was shaping up to be a party.

American Alternative/Folk band Judah & the Lion formed back in 2011 out of Nashville, Tennessee. The original members met when they were students at Belmont University. Since their formation, the group has become a musical sensation, putting out three other studio albums with 1.1+ billion radio impressions, over 600,000 albums sold, and almost 800 million career streams.

Opener: The National Parks

Before Judah & the Lion took the stage, The National Parks set out to help the party commence. Hailing from Provo, Utah, the American Folk/Pop band stepped onto the stage, garnished with vines and flowers and two neon cacti as a tribute to their love of nature. They even donated the first month of proceeds for their single “As We Ran” to the National Parks Conservation Association. Their set mainly consisted of their hits, such as “Wildflower” and “Wind and Anchor” as well as a cover of John William’s iconic song “Hedwig’s Theme” to add a touch of whimsy.

The Show: Judah & the Lion

Judah & the Lion started their set off playing songs from their latest two releases. The first song was “Take A Walk” off Revival, followed by “Quarter-Life Crisis” of their 2019 release Pep Talks. From the start, the audience sang along at the top of their lungs. The rest of the show followed suit, and the energy from the crowd and the band never faltered. One of the highlights of the show was their mashup of late nineties/early aughts songs, where The National Parks joined them while they sang “Since U Been Gone” by Kelly Clarkson, “Higher” by Creed, and “Snap Yo Fingers” by Lil Jon. Their coordinated dance moves as well as the fun lighting during the mash-up had the crowd cackling and cheering. Judah & the Lion was a powerhouse of a band and their show had kinetic energy.

Link

To stay up to date on the latest band news and to catch Judah & the Lion on tour, check out: www.judahandthelion.com

Judah & the Lion

The Riviera Theatre, Chicago, IL
October 21, 2022

Take a Walk
Quarter-Life Crisis
Over My Head
Scream!
HAPPY LIFE
Dance With Ya
Kickin’ Da Leaves
Since U Been Gone/Higher/Snap Yo Fingers
Why Did You Run?
Blue Eyes
Beautiful Anyway
Suit and Jacket
Be Here Now
Spirit
Alright (Frick It!)
Best Is Yet To Come
Take It All Back

Encore:
Landslide (Fleetwood Mac cover)
Revival
Sportz (with The National Parks)
Things Are Looking Up

Photo Gallery – Mosie Hillis