I have seen Kurt 5 times and that was by far the saddest, most lifeless crowd I’ve ever experienced. What’s the deal? Felt like if I stood up I’d get yelled at (a group behind us did). Lame. I get he isn’t exactly a dance your pants off kinda show but geez. Not even a head nod from most people.
Kurt Vile & The Violators, The Salt Shed, Chicago IL (June 26, 2026)
TL;DR: Kurt Vile & The Violators live @ The Salt Shed, Chicagp IL (June 26, 2026)
Alright kids, this post is part funny story, part PSA, and part PTSD. Possibly in equal measure.
As much as I try to stay hip to new sounds, there is just never enough time in this lifetime or the next. But I can tell you with exact certainty when I first heard Kurt Vile & (his fabulous) Violators. The band played at the 2014 version of Riot Fest in Chicago and they were freaking epically awesome. But what would really seal the deal would be an iconic performance of the sublime 'Pretty Pimpin' on Stephen Colbert's Late (great) Show in December of 2015 as the band was making the rounds promoting "b'lieve i'm goin down...". For that one, KV brought along J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr. to wreak havoc on the song's coda and what an amazing sight that was. Fun fact, last year KV and JM would cross paths in front of my very own eyes as they ended up in Minneapolis during the same stretch of time. And in fact, Dino Jr would invite KV on stage to play a song together: Dinosaur Jr & Kurt Vile, Minneapolis MN (July 30, 2025)
Now, the reason KV&TV were in the Twin Cities as Dino Jr were passing by was that they were touring with Pixies on their "let's play Bossanova front to back and then play a second show of all the rest" tour of 2025. My favorite Pixies album, and KV&TV as openers on both nights? The stuff dreams are made of. Sort of.
Now, the shows were at The Palace in St. Paul, a place that I have low-level seething rage against, if we're being honest. Unless you are at the very front, the sightlines are challenging. And even if you are in a proper vantage point for recording a show, the sound is real boomy and I have even been asked to put away my phone on at least a couple of occasions -- even for artists that are well known to be OK with taping. But you taketh what is giveth. The shows were at the Palace and that was that. For the night of Bossanova, I decided to sit in the balcony to try and get some sort of recording. And people fucking sucked. I get it, you are at a show and you wanna get a couple of brews in you -- then show up early and drink accordingly. But if every single person makes a beeline for drinks whenever the fuck is convenient, and they do, it is a constant stream of assholes parading and blocking the view without reprieve. You know how at hockey games you can only get back to your seat during a break in the action? this was most definitely NOT that. So that's why there is no footage of Night One at @Indie_Music_Travels and it breaks my goddamn heart; both bands were fire and the Bossanova lightshow was gorgeous, but not if it's being eclipsed by someone's rotund dumper every two seconds.
So fine, Bossanova thwarted and for night two, I had decided to just go the General Admission route. Things would have been OK-ish but I made the mistake of discovering that yes, you can indeed overdose on Imodium if Montezuma's Revenge is not your thing. Too much Imodium will wreck you harder than a blender full of double-strength margaritas. My St. Paul footage started off normal enough, lots of tall people to shoot around but whatever. Then it would turn into a surrealist art project because I was hanging onto a guard rail like it was the last lifeboat off the Titanic, trying not to die. So kids, no stupid Imodium challenges or other dumb shit like that. I was so effed up after the show that I could not drive for a couple of hours.
So when a KV&TV show is announced for The Palace, a place that still triggers major PTS, what do you do? I did what any reasonable person would do: I drove 13 hours to Chicago just to finally see a proper KV&TV show, that's what. The Salt Shed, that’s where this band belongs. KV&TV sound like a warm blanket for your brain. Those intricate guitar lines, those laid‑back vocals…it’s porch‑sitting music, fireflies doing their nightly lightshow for one another in search of romance/cannibalism, everything soft and perfect. And this band makes the kind of sounds that make the whole world slow down for a minute. I finally got to see them properly, and it was everything that I hoped it would be. Please enjoy...
#2026 #live #kurtvile
Official Website: https://kurtvile.com
Linktree (all socials): https://linktr.ee/kurtvile
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kurtvile
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/kurtvile
Instagram, TikTok, Spotify, Apple Music: via Linktree
*The setlist*
00:00:00 intro
00:00:49 (the band takes the stage)
00:01:53 Red Room Dub
00:05:18 Zoom 97
00:10:39 Hey Like a Child
00:16:27 Rock o’ Stone
00:22:46 99 BPM
00:28:39 Runner Ups
00:33:19 How Lucky
00:36:58 Girl Called Alex
00:43:39 Chance to Bleed
00:50:33 Like Exploding Stones
00:57:40 Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)
01:03:04 Pretty Pimpin
01:09:48 Wakin on a Pretty Day
-- Encore --
01:20:26 Bassackwards
01:27:12 Avalanches of Snow
01:00:00 Cool Water (with Travis Good from The Sadies)
01:00:00 (end credits)
Hello! I’ll be visiting SF in a few days for the Kurt Vile Concert! I am so excited and haven’t visited SF for a few years! I thought I’d look up a record store for the visit and naively discovered there are about a few dozen to choose from!! Does any local have a recommendation for a record store that has a good selection of indie/alternative rock? Preferably with used vinyl too. I’m looking for Ween, War on Drugs, Conor Oberst/Bright Eyes, and The Cure. (And of course Kurt Vile!) Thank you!
For those who have attended other shows, what songs have you seen on the setlist? Wondering where the consistencies are. Hopping to snag a setlist paper, would be a dream in a frame :)
Need a ticket? I have an extra. DM me if you want it. If you are a rich Portlander maybe buy me a Jell-O shot.
Reach out if you’re interested or have any questions.
I'm going to the show on July 2nd at Revolution Hall. None of my friends were interested or available so I am going alone. I would love to meet and potentially hang with some new peeps and fellow KV fans.
I love to read reviews of shows I have attended, and this morning I was looking online for reviews of Kurt's Chicago show. I found this summary and wanted to read the actual article/s that Google was quoting from. After being unable to find any results with the direct quotes, I asked Google if it fabricated the information it presented to me. I was not expecting the reply I got! 🤦♀️😅
Speaking for myself, I thought the show was maybe a 7.5 out of 10. I am not loving the new album so the set list was kinda meh for me, but I did quite enjoy How Lucky, A Girl Called Alex, Runnerups, and Bass-ackwards. And I will say that it was nice to hear the new stuff live. I thought the sound mixing left a lot to be desired. Half the time you couldn't hear the vocals, and when you could, if you didn't know the lyrics already, you still often had a hard time making them out. The band was really tight though, Kurt seemed in fine spirits. Overall I am glad I went, and I had a great evening.
I guess there were only 5 or so. I have no idea where it came from.
Fantastic show.
Amazing show tonight- they were on fire! Very happy with the setlist too!
Bassackwards -> Avalanches of Snow -> Cool Water was an epic way to close out the show.
Hey all, I just came back from seeing Kurt Vile at the Salt Shed in Chicago and I have a question. What is the graphic on the right upper corner of the backdrop? The best I can figure is it’s a sculpture of some sort. Thoughts?
Red room dub
Zoom 97
Hey like a child
Rock of stone
99 bpm
Blackberry song (edited)
Girl called Alice
Chance to bleed
Like exploding stones
Mount airy hill
Pretty pimping
Wakin on a pretty daze
/Encore/
Bassackwards
Avalanches of snow
Cool water (with The Sadies)
Fairly late to the KV party, and it was Chance to Bleed that reignited my interest. Absolutely love that track, but it's quite the anomaly compared to the rest of the album.
So I'm wondering, what's KV's heaviest or rockiest album or EP?
I use those terms very loosely of course. But do any albums have that vibe of Chance to Bleed?
I've listened to B'lieve and Walkin'- they're great, but wondering where to head next in his back catalogue.
TIA
