{"id":65698,"date":"2026-05-04T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=65698"},"modified":"2026-05-03T16:15:57","modified_gmt":"2026-05-03T21:15:57","slug":"power-pop-perfection-the-lemon-twigs-turn-back-time-with-their-modern-retro-sound","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=65698","title":{"rendered":"Power Pop Perfection: The Lemon Twigs Turn Back Time With Their Modern Retro Sound"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By James Currie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s something quietly defiant about seeing a band like The Lemon Twigs pack a room like Metro. In an era obsessed with polish and playlists, the D\u2019Addario brothers are carrying the torch for something far more tactile; songcraft, showmanship and a deep, almost scholarly love of rock history. And judging by the crowd, they\u2019re not alone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I\u2019ve been on board for about a decade now, ever since Do Hollywood<\/em> first landed and felt like a transmission from another time. Seeing them live in 2026, that same spirit hasn\u2019t faded, it\u2019s sharpened. Brian D\u2019Addario and Michael D\u2019Addario tore through a tight, relentless 22-song set in just about an hour, barely pausing for breath. It wasn\u2019t rushed, it was focused, like they had too much music bursting at the seams to slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Their sound sits comfortably in that sweet spot between power pop and classic rock, but that description even barely scratches it. You can hear echoes of everything from The Beach Boys\u2019 harmonies to glam-era swagger, all filtered through their own slightly off-kilter, theatrical lens. Throw in a little early Beatles and you’ll get the idea. It\u2019s melodic but never soft, intricate but never indulgent. Every song feels intentional, built with an understanding of structure that\u2019s increasingly rare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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That foundation traces back to their upbringing out east in New York, where their father played a major role in shaping their musical instincts early on. You can feel that lineage in the way they approach songwriting, not just as expression, but as craft. Hooks come quick, choruses land hard, and bridges actually go somewhere<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The crowd reflected that same dedication. This isn\u2019t a passive fanbase, they\u2019re locked in. Every lyric echoed back, every transition met with recognition. The Lemon Twigs have built a loyal following the old-fashioned way: by being consistently, stubbornly themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The set leaned heavily into new material from their upcoming album Look For Your Mind!<\/em>, due out next week, though fans this night had the advantage of snagging it early at the merch booth. The new songs fit seamlessly into the set, suggesting the band isn\u2019t reinventing themselves so much as refining what they already do exceptionally well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Backing them up, Danny Ayala (Dr. Danny) on bass and keyboards and Reza Mati on drums provided a rock-solid foundation. They\u2019re more than just support, they\u2019re essential to the band\u2019s live energy, locking in tight while giving the brothers room to roam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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By the time the set wrapped, it felt less like a performance and more like a statement: that great pop-rock, played with conviction and a sense of history, still has a place and still draws a crowd willing to believe in it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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For more on The Lemon Twigs, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For photos from the show at the Metro, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Setlist: The Lemon Twigs live in Chicago at the Metro May 2, 2026:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. My Golden Years<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. I’ve Got A Broken Heart<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. What You Were Doing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. The One<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. In My Head<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. Flash In The Pan<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  7. Church Bells<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  8. If You And I Are Not Wise<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  9. Any Time of Day<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  10. They Don’t Know How To Fall<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  11. Peppermint Roses<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  12. Look For Your Mind<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  13. I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  14. 2 or 3<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  15. Ghost Run Free<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  16. Friday<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  17. In The Eyes of a Girl<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  18. Fire and Gold<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  19. Rock On<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  20. Joy<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  21. Corner of My Eye<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  22. How Can I Love Her More<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By James Currie There\u2019s something quietly defiant about seeing a band like The Lemon Twigs pack a room like Metro. In an era obsessed with polish and playlists, the D\u2019Addario […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":65699,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,39,20],"tags":[1909,2207,297,2133,298,2209,388,2208,468,2131,296],"class_list":["post-65698","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-music-news","category-reviews","tag-1909","tag-brian-daddario","tag-concert-photography","tag-daddario","tag-live","tag-look-for-your-mind-2","tag-metro-chicago","tag-michael-daddario","tag-review","tag-the-lemon-twigs","tag-tour"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65698","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=65698"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65698\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65774,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/65698\/revisions\/65774"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/65699"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=65698"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=65698"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=65698"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}