Rare Candy was back from New York City for a hometown show on Wednesday, August 10th at Gman Tavern in Chicago, Illinois alongside Northbound & Molly Compton.

Molly Compton, a Chicago-based punk artist who played as a two-piece for a more intimate setting, opened the show with what she would call “too folk for punk and too punk for folk” tunes. At this point, the room was about half full. A fellow show attendee told me while Molly Compton was playing that “this would be perfect to sit around a fire listening to.” Molly taught all the attendees that night that a mandolin is not a ukulele, despite their similar appearance. You learn something new every day, even at a show!  

Once Northbound was getting ready to take the stage, the room slowly started to pack in. Florida-based band Northbound is typically a three-piece band, but lead singer Jon performed as a solo act while on his three-day run with Rare Candy. For a band flying from across the country, he had a lot of longtime friends and fans in the room supporting him. My favorite song that he played, while it is their most popular song, was “Very Long List” off their 2019 album Soul Kiss.

Lastly, the main act, Rare Candy took the stage. Since Alex is from Chicago, he's well-known in the local music scene; so, he had a great turnout despite it being a weeknight show. Rare Candy’s folk-pop music creates a fun, yet relaxing environment for a show. He was able to play a little longer than a normal set; so he played some songs he does not usually play. For example, he played Queen Of Autumn from his 2017 split by my request. 

Rare Candy and Northbound went on to play a house show in Milwaukee the next night at JJ's Bar and Grill and then Excellency Music Festival on Saturday in Michigan.

Photos & review by Allie Loven.