Former K-pop star Amber Liu visited Chicago on February 1, 2020, for her second solo tour for her first full album “X“. She was accompanied by her opening acts Justice Carradine and Meg & Dia. Together, the four vibed harmoniously with their different genres meshing beautifully.
The Opening Act:
Justice Carradine opened to a room full of crazed fans that excitedly waited for Amber Liu to come out. Despite possibly being the least known out of the bunch, he was welcomed with open arms. He opened with a few covers, one from Harry Styles, and then he ended his set with his recent release “Necessary Evil.” “Necessary Evil” featured smooth electronica accompanied by Carradine’s soulful vocals.
Throughout the set Carradine had a few nervous hiccups, occasionally causing the mic to screech, but he played it off with a simple chuckle and never breaking focus. Carradine used the whole stage as his playground – going from one side to the other and giving the fans his undivided attention. He was a smooth start to an energy-packed night.
Second Act:
Meg & Dia followed. Their style is much more indie/alternative rock, so it was a definite shift from Carradine’s relaxed r&b/pop set. The second they stepped on stage it was obvious that the sisters were comfortable and happy to be there. Their energy radiated as their angelic whisper-like vocals, glossy harmonies and guitar riffs filled the room. It wasn’t until the duo sang their song “Monster” that people realized who they were.
“Monster” was an older hit that helped them rise to fame back in 2009. After they sung their old hit the audience really started to appreciate the duo and the room only grew more positive.
The sisters were extremely energetic performers. They jumped, headbanged, reached out to the fans and flawlessly crooned their songs from the album “Happysad.” The duo was perfect for the second set. They prepared the audience for Amber.
The headliner:
Amber Liu opened with her single “Countdown,” a high energy dance song. The House of Blues vibrated as the crazed fans enthusiastically hopped up and down with Amber and her backup dancers. The night was an up and down roller coaster of energy and “real talk.” Liu thought it was important to talk about her own personal journey of finding happiness and prioritizing her mental health. She spoke on her personal experiences but she made sure to keep it light.
Liu was very communicative with the fans by taking her time to answer their random outburst. She kept that high energy in most of her performance as she mostly performed some sort of complicated choreography. And despite the heavy dance breaks, Liu sang every song beautifully with the help of her loving fans.
In the end:
Liu impeccably put this tour together. The concert was energy-packed, had great acts and was well paced. This was a great second tour for Liu.
