The The brought their Ensoulment tour to Chicago for a magical two- set performance

By Colette Custin

English genre-benders The The brought their Ensoulment tour to Chicago this week for a two- set performance that showcased frontman Matt Johnson’s versatility and passion for his band of nearly fifty years.

Leaning all the way into the new album, the first set of the night delivered Ensoulment in its entirety, a contemplative, soulful set of tunes that saw Johnson balancing lovely melodies like the shuffling “I Want to Wake Up With You” and spoken word style performances on songs like “Where Do We Go When We Die,” making for an atmospheric, special experience for the capacity crowd.

Following the Ensoulment portion of the show, Johnson led his band through fifteen song set retrospective that delivered classics like “This is the Day” and “Love Is Stronger Than Death,” closing with fan-favorite and rarely played “Giant” from the band’s 1983 debut Soul Mining.