Confidently opening with four songs from Delusions<\/em> before treating the crowd to a smattering of favorites from throughout their twelve-year career, singer\/guitarist Zach Rogue apologized to the crowd for the band\u2019s multi-year absence from a Chicago stage. \u201cWe have a lot of time to make up here tonight,\u201d he added before launching into \u201cCollege\u201d from 2013\u2019s Nightingale Floors.<\/em><\/p>\n The set leaned heavily on new material, virtually ignoring the last couple of records in favor of digging into the band\u2019s 2005 classic Descended Like Vultures<\/em> for encore and crowd-pleaser \u201cPublish My Love,\u201d as well as a few choice cuts from 2007\u2019s Asleep at Heaven\u2019s Gate<\/em>. The electronic pulse of new single \u201cWhat Is Left to Solve\u201d showed off the quintet\u2019s versatility, especially alongside new album closer and heartbreaker \u201cMemento Mori.\u201d<\/p>\n Rogue Wave\u2019s ability to effortlessly and honestly communicate a deep emotional resonance in their music puts them in a rare class of band \u2013 devoid of irony, the lush arrangements and often melancholy lyrics help to create an atmosphere that make the band hard to define. They\u2019re not quite a \u2018rock\u2019 band in the classic sense, and their hook-driven songs aren\u2019t the stuff of current pop radio. (This is not to say that it shouldn\u2019t be. In a just world, a brilliantly-crafted pop song like \u201cOcean\u201d would dominate pop culture over the Beyonces and Biebers of the world, ten times out of ten.) Arrangements that, on record, are deeply layered were often even clearer live, with multiple guitars and synths alongside flawless harmonies providing the foundation for every song.<\/p>\n Pilsen\u2019s Thalia Hall, a relatively recent player in the local venue game, was a beautiful backdrop for the show, though it wouldn\u2019t be difficult to envision Rogue Wave playing in much bigger settings.\u00a0\u00a0 If their new record and tour is any proof, their \u2018delusions\u2019 may not be so unreachable after all.<\/p>\n![\"Rogue](\"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rogue-Wave-Chicago-Thalia-Hall-2016-2-1024x768.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Rogue](\"https:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/Rogue-Wave-Chicago-Thalia-Hall-2016-3-1024x768.jpg\")
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