Gigi Perez Brings the Ocean to the Bottom Lounge in a Lollapalooza Warm-Up for the Ages

Aug 01, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

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By Kelly Clausen

Last night at Bottom Lounge, nestled in Chicago’s West Loop, something truly special happened. Gigi Perez, brushed up on her skills, making her Lollapalooza debut the following day in Grant Park, delivered a sold-out and emotionally explosive performance that felt less like a concert and more like a deeply personal celebration of everything she’s become and everything she’s still discovering.

From the moment you stepped inside, it was clear this wasn’t just another stop on the tour, it was Gigi’s room. Her name was literally everywhere: lit up on stage and side walls, wrapped around the room in black and white printed artwork posters that matched her new album art and emblazoned on the custom wristbands handed to each attendee at the door. This wasn’t just a gig. It was a shrine to her artistry.

Bottom Lounge was packed with die-hard fans who didn’t miss a lyric all night. The energy felt like a shared secret, buzzing with intimacy despite the room being at full capacity. Behind Gigi, a tight full band gave her songs muscle and atmosphere. Her drummer laid down punchy rhythms that matched her urgency, while her guitarist painted the air with lush chords and emotional leads. The bassist/keyboardist, who effortlessly switched between grooves and synth textures, added a rich emotional undercurrent, completing a setup that made every track feel alive and lived-in.

Mid-set, Gigi opened up about her debut album release, At The Beach, In Every Life, a poetic and dream-laced album inspired by personal upheaval and clarity found near the ocean. “I wrote this album when I was learning this craft and going through grief of loosing my older sister, Selena.” she said into the mic, her voice steady and honest. “But I realized that sometimes drowning is how you learn to float.” The crowd erupted. She said, “I really taught myself how to produce on this project.” Continuing with, “I started writing when I was 15 and had a lot of different collaborators along the way that really influenced and changed they way I heard music, but this album was an experiment in the sonic space I was in and where I was going.” Gigi also made mention on how much time has passed since first starting her creative experience adding, “Yes, I’m 25 now”. Which was met with cheers on it’s own.

It was that vulnerability that made the night electric and the fans gave it back tenfold. One audience member handed Gigi a journal, a beautifully wrapped little gift that they explained had blank pages for her to write in, along with personal entries they’d started themselves. Gigi clutched the book to her chest and said, “This is the kind of stuff that keeps me going. Thank you.”

Then came one of the most unhinged, unforgettable moments of the evening. A fan in the front row held a massive handmade sign that read, “If you perform ‘Sometimes,’ I will get a ‘Backwood’ tattooed on my ass cheek.” Gigi really made light of this. She asked the fan to pass the sign up to the stage. Holding it high for all to see, she shouted, “Alright, you asked for it!” and dove into a searing solo rendition of “Sometimes (Backwood).” The room exploded in approval, and the fan? Their fate may now include a questionable tattoo and a very, very good story. Another highlight was when opening act, Nikole, came out and sang “Don’t Dream It’s Over”.

But nothing—absolutely nothing—could top the final song of the night.

“Sailor Song,” her breakout hit and the anthem of a generation trying to find land after drifting too long, closed the set. But it didn’t feel like she was singing it. The crowd did. Every lyric echoed back to her louder than the speakers could carry. Gigi stood at the edge of the stage, visibly moved as her fans sang it home.

As the last note rang out, she knelt down, smiled wide, and mouthed, “Thank you.” The band faded. The lights dimmed. And Gigi Perez, with her oceanic depth and stormy vulnerability, left Chicago knowing she’d just leveled up.

If Lollapalooza is to be her introduction to the masses, this Bottom Lounge show was her love letter to the early faithful.

For more on Gigi Perez, click here

For photos from the show, click here

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Setlist for Gigi Perez at the Bottom Lounge – July 31st, 2025

1. Please Be Rude
2. Sleeping
3. Fable
4. Normalcy
5. Nothing, Absolutely
6. Sometimes (Blackwood)
7. At The Beach, In Every Life
8. Sugar Water
9. Don’t Dream It’s Over (With Nikole)
10. Twister
11. Chemistry
12. Sailor Song

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• 2025, aftershow, concert review, Gigi Perez, In The Loop Magazine, live, Lollapalooza, Sailor Song

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