HAIM Rock As Hard As They Pop At The Riv

By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on May 20, 2014 7:00PM

When a band hits the scene and quickly surges in popularity, sometimes their shows end up being relocated to larger venues, which is exactly what happened to LA ladies HAIM this weekend in Chicago. The three sisters were originally booked at the Vic, but played to a sold out crowd at the larger Riviera Theater on Saturday.

One album in, Este, Danielle and Alana Haim have made a splash with irresistible tunes that rock as much as they pop. The album cover for Days Are Gone features the three of them in lawn chairs in the grass and served as the backdrop for the performance, minus the girls (There was even a photo booth of sorts set up in the lobby complete with turf and chairs for fans to take their own souvenir “cover” photo). The rambunctious trio (joined by drummer Dash Hutton) threw around their signature long locks as they rocked extended versions of songs from their debut. There was also a lot of chatting it up between songs on subjects like brunch, getting laid and throwing out the first pitch at a Cubs game.

They saved the big guns, though, and their biggest single, “The Wire,” for the encore. Danielle showed off her chops behind the drum kit on a cover of Beyonce’s “XO,” and the evening ended with a drum-off between sisters at the front of the stage for a pummeling version of “Let Me Go.”