Jukebox the Ghost - Photo credit: Mosie Hillis

Jukebox the Ghost Tour 2023

On April 7th, 2023, power pop trio Jukebox The Ghost arrived in Milwaukee for the seventh show of their 2023 tour. The tour is promoting their recent studio album, Cheers. Originally hailing from Washington DC, Ben Thornewill (piano), Tommy Siegel (guitar), and Jesse Kristin (drums) met while attending college in 2003. After operating as a band under a different name for a while, they put out their first full-length studio album as Jukebox The Ghost in 2008 titled Let Live and Let Ghosts.

Since that time, the trio has released five additional studio albums and toured with iconic artists such as Ingrid Michelson and The Barenaked Ladies. On this particular evening, fans and families lined the stairs of the historic Turner Hall Ballroom, waiting for their chance to race to a good spot for the standing-room-only show.

Wildermiss

After appearing last summer at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, Denver-based Indie band Wildermiss returned to open the show. Led by Emma Cole on vocals, the three-piece band brought electric joy and energy during their set. With synth expertly intertwined amidst traditional instruments and ethereal vocals, Wildermiss provided the audience with the perfect warm-up for the night’s main event.

Jukebox the Ghost

Stepping out onto the stage to deafening cheers, Jukebox The Ghost kept the party up from beginning to end. Featuring a variety of songs, both well-known ones as well as deep-cuts, there was something for everyone.

Beginning with Schizophrenia from their 2010 album Everything Under The Sun, they got the crowd singing along before they launched into “Million Dollar Bills”, an upbeat, fun song from their most recent release. They took pauses throughout the show to tell various stories to the crowd, sharing anecdotes about their royal ancestors (Ben) as well as how they “played Madison Square Garden” years before (even if only as a halftime performance during a basketball game). At one point during the evening, Thornewill brought out a wheel with a variety of older songs written on it for someone from the crowd spin. He settled on a young girl at the show with her dad, front and center in the crowd. Her excitement at being included was incredibly sweet and memorable.

With Thornewill simultaneously rocking a piano and keyboard while Kristin and Siegel sang stacked harmonies, the group’s similarities to Queen could not be overlooked. But even with their legendary jams, the venue and the intentional moments with the audience produced a show that felt intimate and unique. And despite their talents, the show was far from serious: before singing the first verse of “Hollywood”, Kristin stumbled endearingly into a standup bit about talking animals.

To catch them on tour and keep up to date with the latest news from both artists, check out: www.jukeboxtheghost.com and www.wildermiss.com

Links

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Jukebox the Ghost Setlist

Thalia Hall, Chicago, IL
March 16, 2023

1. Century in the Making (Intro)
2. Schizophrenia
3. Million-Dollar Bills
4. Raise a Glass (Interlude)
5. How The World Began
6. Under My Skin
7. Brass Band
8. I Got A Girl
9. Stay The Night
10. The Machine (Intro)
11. Everybody Panic
12. Long Way Home
13. Girl
14. Jumpstarted
15. Hold It In
16. Colorful
17. Ramona
18. Everybody’s Lonely
19. Hollywood
Encore:
20. You Make My Dreams (Hall and Oates cover)
21. Cheers

Photo Gallery – Mosie Hillis