Chicago showed up and showed out for San Antonio-based indie rockstars INOHA for October 12th’s show at Metro as part of the “This Might Be Useful Tour.”
We were deeply spoiled by INOHA’s two Chicago-based opening acts. Pretoria took the stage for an invigorating 30-minute set to open the evening. If you aren’t fortunate enough to have heard of this indie rock group, take this as your sign to give them a listen. The 4-piece group makes easy-listening indie rock music reminiscent of driving on a warm day with the windows down. Pretoria warmed the sizable crowd up with ease; it certainly helps that INOHA has cultivated a dedicated, respectful, and eager fanbase! Fans danced, cheered, and whooped enthusiastically to hype up Pretoria. The band’s warm and energetic stage presence invited Chicago to reciprocate the wonderful vibes. From recent releases (shoutout to Up 5X!) to unreleased tracks, Pretoria put on one hell of an opening act that the crowd couldn’t help but dance and sing along to.
Pretoria.
Opening second for INOHA was Capital Soirée, another wonderful Chicago-based indie rock 4-piece band. In their 45-minute long set, the band channeled their effortlessly cool energy that infected the front row at the barricade with ease; fans sang along excitedly to songs like "keep it in the dark", "right time", and "KEROSENE". The venue had filled up pretty significantly at this point, with a sea of bobbing heads and shuffling feet dancing along to the music. The energy continued mounting as the band played a cover of "Accidentally In Love": their question “do y’all fuck with the movie Shrek 2?” was met with rapturous applause and cheering, as fans chanted “SHREK” and sung along. Their organic and polished stage presence even led the frontman to jump into the crowd to party with fans at the end of their set. It was invigorating and thrilling to experience firsthand.
Capital Soirée.
Shortly after Capital Soirée’s set concluded, INOHA filled the stage and began setting up for their performance. The mere sight of the band summoned rowdy cheers and screaming from eager fans donning INOHA jerseys and tees. After an iconic walk-out to "Gasolina", the band’s punky first notes of "Figure It Out" elicited an indescribable response from the hyped crowd — including prompt crowd surfing by a rogue fan in a papaya costume that gave security a run for their money (with at least 3 surfs in the first 4 songs alone!). The band breezed through a perfect collection of older and newer songs alike, channeling their signature surf-rock tinged indie rock sound for hungry fans. You’d never guess how recently INOHA dropped their newest album, This Might Be Useful, given that the crowd knew every word and chant. The barricade shook with excitement as fans danced and jumped together. As they encouraged Chicago to do, so too did INOHA keep their energy soaring high. As a casual fan of INOHA, I deeply appreciated the camaraderie of the crowd. Soaking up the sounds of summer together with such an excited fanbase was the perfect way to spend a Monday night in Chicago.
INOHA is touring through the U.S. and parts of Canada through November 15th. Though their opening acts are scheduled to change, if it’s anything like the first leg of the tour, you can expect an incredible opening set. Catch a show (or two, if you’re lucky) and enjoy the magic of one awesome, jam-packed show.
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