Alternative Indie Legends Belly Reign Supreme at Thalia Hall: A 30-Year Coronation for “King”

Nov 12, 2025 admin_bitlc Features, Music News, Reviews 0

By James Currie

Thalia Hall in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood was packed tight on Monday night, as fans welcomed back Belly for a long-awaited celebration – the 30th anniversary of their 1995 sophomore album King. The alt-rock darlings of the ‘90s delivered a night that was equal parts nostalgia and renewal, proving that time has only deepened their chemistry and charm.

The lights dimmed – very dimmed – as the band took the stage. Kicking off the night with, “Puberty”, the opening track off “King”. This was followed by “Now They Sleep” and “Untitled and Unsung”. “If you’ve been following along,” front woman Tanya Donelly smiled to the crowd early in the set, “you might have noticed we’re not playing the album track by track. When we made the album 30 years ago, we didn’t know that those arrangements weren’t right. Tonight, we’re making it better, they way it should have been.” The audience chuckled warmly, then erupted in applause. From that moment on, it was clear: this wasn’t just a re-creation, but a reimagining.

The low lighting created a moody, dreamlike atmosphere that suited Belly’s shimmering guitars and ethereal harmonies, though not everyone appreciated the aesthetic choice. Some audience members could be heard muttering about how dark the stage was, and at times, it was hard to make out the band’s faces. Still, that hazy glow lent itself to the mysterious aura that King has always carried, blurring the line between memory and the present.

The set nearly didn’t happen as smoothly as it did. Belly’s instruments had been delayed, literally on a different plane, and only arrived just shortly before the band went on. You wouldn’t have known it from the performance. Donelly’s vocals were pristine and radiant and she still hits those notes and calls, Gail Greenwood’s bass was thunderous and she was an exotic firecracker as always and the Gorman brothers, Tom and Chris, anchored everything with their steady, textural interplay. If there was any fatigue or frustration from the travel chaos, it was masked by pure gratitude and joy once the music began.

After a powerful run through King – played in a fresh, rearranged sequence that gave each track new life, Belly took a short 15-minute break. On the last song before exiting, Greenwood said, “we’re gonna take a break but when we come back we’re gonna play the best of the rest it’s got songs from Star, Doves and b-sides.” When they returned, they dove into songs spanning all three of their albums and more. “Feed the Tree” drew a euphoric singalong, and “Gepetto” had the floorboards shaking. Donelly’s ability to balance sweetness with intensity remains unmatched and Gorman’s syncopated drum beat is one of those riffs that shaped 90’s alternative music.

Belly’s fans have always been fiercely loyal, and Monday night was no exception. Some had traveled across state lines for the show. One young fan near the front held up a handmade sign that read, “Welcome home to Chicago!! I am Bea! It’s been 7 years. I’m bigger” — a touching testament to the band’s multigenerational reach and enduring emotional connection.

This was Belly’s first Chicago appearance since 2018, when they toured behind their reunion record Dove. Seven years later, their return felt both familiar and refreshed. The energy in Thalia Hall was one of reunion and rediscovery, the sound of a band reclaiming their legacy not by replaying the past, but by reshaping it.

As usual, the band had something special for fans. A limited edition tour poster made just for the venue. The Thalia Hall poster was of a single engine propeller plane flying in front of a full red moon in a starry night sky. A nod to the song, “Low Red Moon” off their debut release, Star.

Despite the late-arriving gear, the dim lights, and the decades gone by, Belly shone bright in their own twilight glow. Thirty years after King, they still rule the indie alternative world.