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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe lights dimmed – very<\/em> 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”. \u201cIf you\u2019ve been following along,\u201d front woman Tanya Donelly smiled to the crowd early in the set, \u201cYou might have noticed we\u2019re not playing the album track by track. When we made the album 30 years ago, we didn\u2019t know that those arrangements weren\u2019t right. Tonight, we\u2019re making it better, they way it should have been.\u201d The audience chuckled warmly, then erupted in applause. From that moment on, it was clear: this wasn\u2019t just a re-creation, but a reimagining.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The low lighting created a moody, dreamlike atmosphere that suited Belly\u2019s 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\u2019s faces. Still, that hazy glow lent itself to the mysterious aura that King<\/em> has always carried, blurring the line between memory and the present. Maybe a nod to Kevin Shield’s view on his music being timeless.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The set nearly didn\u2019t happen as smoothly as it did. Belly\u2019s instruments had been delayed, literally on a different plane, and only arrived just shortly before the band went on. You wouldn\u2019t have known it from the performance. Donelly\u2019s vocals were pristine and radiant and she still hits those notes and calls, Gail Greenwood\u2019s 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. It’s very clear that this is a band that loves what they do and being with each other. Not a nostalgia tour just to make a buck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After a powerful run through King<\/em> – 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. \u201cFeed the Tree\u201d drew a euphoric singalong, and \u201cGepetto\u201d had the floorboards shaking with everyone jumping up and down along with the rhythm. Donelly\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Belly\u2019s 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, \u201cWelcome home to Chicago!! I am Bea! It’s been 7 years. I’m bigger\u201d<\/em> \u2014 a touching testament to the band\u2019s multigenerational reach and enduring emotional connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This was Belly\u2019s first Chicago appearance since 2018, when they toured behind their reunion record Dove<\/em>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/em>, they still rule the indie alternative world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more on Belly, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Belly-Thalia-Hall-Chicago-11.10.25-22.jpg\")
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