Gold Steps & MKNLY at Bottom Lounge | Show Review
Fun show with great stage presence from every band
I saw Gold Steps, MKNLY, Definitely Maybe, and High Wire at Bottom Lounge in Chicago, IL on Jan 27. All photos by me (Noelle Matonis).
It was my first time at Bottom Lounge as well as my first time seeing any of these bands, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But I was very pleasantly surprised.
Definitely Maybe
Definitely Maybe got the party started with their cover of “Girlfriend” by Avril Lavigne, which wasn’t the only cover of the night. Gold Steps played their pop-punk version of “Blank Space” by Taylor Swift (which I enjoyed a lot more than the original). Courtney, the singer of Definitely Maybe, also had a very touching and inspiring story about her sister and what made her want to be in a band and perform live on stage.
Stage Outfits
Some people may not particularly care about stage outfits, but I personally think they’re an important aspect that plays a part in determining how the audience views the artists. The lead singers of Gold Steps and Definitely Maybe, Betty and Courtney, had very cool outfits that stood out to me. Very front-woman worthy, punky, and stylish. Courtney’s shiny corset top with the suspenders and Betty’s checkered skirt and platform boots were particularly noteworthy statement pieces.
Gold Steps
Betty, the singer of Gold Steps, had an amazing stage presence. It seemed as though her movements were choreographed, while still looking effortless at the same time. She was very fun to watch and photograph–she had no shortage of sassy poses.
MKNLY
MKNLY also had a great stage presence. The lead singer Benny danced around and interacted with the crowd a lot. He threw their drummer’s drumstick to a kid in the audience and mentioned that it was the kid’s first concert. At one point, their fill-in guitarist Colt came into the crowd as he continued playing, and I didn’t even realize it until he was right next to me!
High Wire
High Wire played last, and I think their sound was my favorite out of all the bands. I hadn’t listened to them before, I had only heard of them. They had more of a punk rock sound, which reminded me a little of Green Day. Another audience member told me one of their songs had early Fall Out Boy vibes, like the song “Grand Theft Autumn”. The lead singer/guitarist was very funny too.
The audio quality was really great. I would say most shows I’ve been to do not have the best quality audio, where it’s so loud that it gets muddy and actually harder to hear. But this show was probably one of the best for audio quality. I could hear the vocals and music clearly, which allowed me to enjoy it more. So props to the sound guy!
Overall, it was a very fun show and I was pleasantly surprised.
Thank you again to Gold Steps and MKNLY for inviting me out!
Watch my interview with MKNLY at Bottom Lounge here!
Noelle Matonis
Host & Producer
