Julien Baker with Thao & The Get Down Stay Down in Chicago, IL

"Spilling my guts, sweat on a microphone, breaking my voice."

Oct 26, 2021

Photo: Jenna Guffey

The night began on a fairly chilly evening while headed to The Metro, however, I was very eager to start shooting for shows again. So the weather was the least of my concerns that night. In addition, I rushed into the venue and made it to my designated spot. I also started to gather my gear and prepare myself for what was coming next.

Once the lights went down and the murmuring voices came to a halt, it became apparent that the show was about to begin. The stage started to fill with a vivacious three piece band called Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. Furthermore, the figurehead of the band, Thao Nguyen, caught my attention the second she entered the room. In other words, she was full of passion, raw emotion and obvious talent. The walls of The Metro were also filled with the band’s voice for equality and originality. Which also helped ease the room into welcoming the talented, Julien Baker.

During the entire set I was left speechless and in awe of their capabilities. To clarify, the instruments were played beautifully and flawlessly. As a result, the crowd was also in awe of the performance. In other words, the audience knew when to chime in and when to let Julien Baker present her talents. Similarly, I had missed the intimate feeling of being in such a welcoming atmosphere. However, being able to use my passion to capture raw moments was an even better feeling.