Six Foot Blonde at Tomorrow Never Knows Festival

Newly christened Chicago indie-rock outfit, Six Foot Blonde, played a sold out, headlining slot at Lincoln Hall as apart of Tomorrow Never Knows Fest. The Indiana University-Bloomington alumni have made the move to the second city and established their place in the expansive Chicago scene. With support from fellow Chicago bands Pretoria and Violet Crime, it was a night of glory for the whole bill.

2424 N Lincoln Avenue has worn many hats. Originally opening as a nickelodeon in 1912, the aptly named Fullerton Theatre (for its adjacent street) was a house of art until 1915 when it became an autoshop. It later returned to its creative ideals becoming The Crest Theatre, 3 Penny Cinema, and a sniper’s location on the night the FBI killed mobster John Dillinger in 1934. After multiple iterations of theatres and a shootout, the building opened in 2009 as Lincoln Hall under the Schubas brothers’ ownership. Since then, it has become a staple in the Chicago scene. Giving spotlight to local favorites and nationally touring acts, it is a landmark for any Chicago band to play.

Six Foot Blonde has recently stepped underneath that ever growing umbrella. Chicago is undeniably a music city. Over 250 licensed music venues in the city limits, not including the innumerable house shows and pop ups that occur every night, you can’t walk anywhere without hearing a few notes. Normally known for the blues, Chicago has quickly become a launching point for rock bands in recent years. Friko opened for Modest Mouse and The Flaming Lips, Ratboys are headlining The Vic Theatre in April, Lifeguard joining Grizzly Bear for their reunion at The Salt Shed, and countless others. These are Chicago bands making waves in the city, and across the country. While crowded, Six Foot Blonde has made their way into the scene with their 2024 record “Ask Me How I Am”.

Ahead of Six Foot Blonde’s wonderful performance, Violet Crime and Pretoria opened up the evening. The former went first, hitting long time staples in their set like “Bad Habit” and “Home”. Mixing their horn section with groovy and grounded piano, it was a pleasent and welcoming sound to start the evening. Taking in their set from the balcony, I watched people walk into the room drawn to the sound. Throwing in a cover of Maroon 5’s “This Love” also helps. Kevin Nagel, lead singer of Violet Crime, reminisced about playing a gig at Schubas in 2024 with Six Foot Blonde. One of many Midwest indie rock reunifications that Lincoln Hall and Schubas have housed.

Pretoria approached the stage, shuffling past an expansive collection of amps and guitars. I made my way to the floor for this performance that was sandwiched in the middle of the night. With minimal physical space, they explored the sonic space like a Jeep in an empty desert. Building an expansive sound with three guitars, it was a joy to hear this harmonizing leads cut through a great rhythm section. I will admit, I was a little hesitant about the three guitars at first. I know of very few bands that have three guitarists in the band and not just touring. Combat comes to mind as they have immersive and layered guitar tracks, and Pretoria followed their lead but with a little calmer of a voice. Proving my bias of a three guitar band invalid, Pretoria belongs to be on a stage whenever they please. With poetic lyrics and bouncing instrumentation, I will be looking forward to their next Chicago gig eagerly.

A new house is difficult to make feel like a home immediately, but Six Foot Blonde put that thought to the side. Raising the energy of the crowd like a broken thermostat. “Carmilla” was the first song on the setlist for the evening that got the crowd moving. After a quick hello during the bridge, 4 songs went by before we got a non-musical hello from Julia, Dom, and the band. Tearing through their set with passion and vigor, I don’t think there will be anything stopping this band from continuing up this Chicago ladder. A big landmark for bands is an Audiotree Session, which Six Foot Blonde had released in March of 2025. They continue to strut through each venue, dominating the space that they are in and creating new fans with each bend of a guitar and trill on the saxophone. This sweeping set included a cover of MGMT’s “Time To Pretend” which is a very fitting song for this band to play. A song that emphasizes the naiveness, dreams, and heights of youth being sung by a band whose members are all in their 20’s and hungry to keep pursuing this dream of theirs. New hits like “Kindergarten Crush” and one of their earliest tunes “Callin to Karma” to close out this lively gig, I heard everything I wanted to hear and more from Six Foot Blonde. I am impatiently waiting for their new record and a hopeful tour to come along with it.

This gig was a transition of eras. Six Foot Blonde’s final headlining gig, before they began recording their second record, felt like a much earned victory lap. Flaunting their collection of singles and their debut LP, this 20 song set homed a (for now) career spanning set. Hitting heavy on the old and dabbling in the new with two unreleased tracks being played. The news of the second album was teased throughout the night but was not confirmed until the two song encore. A saunter back on stage for Julia to make the announcement felt like a red carpet. The crowd, still in full attendance, erupted in cheers. Mentioning how the couldn’t keep it a secret any longer, and congratulating themselves as Hoosier alumni on a Peach Bowl victory over Oregon. I give my props to the Indiana University natives as Indiana manhandled the Ducks throughout their set, as members of the band and the crowd dawned the crimson and white. This gig was a housewarming party of the best kind, and a pleasure to be invited. Six Foot Blonde will be supporting The Nude Party for select dates in March, and just announced their return to Chicago on May 1st supporting The Back Alley at Lincoln Hall. You can find tickets and updates from the band on their website.

Throughout the month of January, a group of Chicago venues (Lincoln Hall, Schubas, Metro, GMan Tavern, Sleeping village, Hideout, Color Club, Ramova) create a warmth of music that is dearly missed in the winter months. Through 20 years Tomorrow Never Knows Fest has brought artists like PUP, Big Thief, and Geese into smaller rooms than you’ll usually see them play. This year was no exception, sprawling over four weekends and holding a true knock-em-dead lineup. Featuring the likes of Brigitte Calls Me Baby at Schubas, two nights of Racing Mount Pleasant (formerly Kingfisher) bookending their tour at Schubas and Lincoln Hall, Jeff Rosenstock’s project Antarctigo Vespucci, and dozens of other artists and comedians, it is a pillar of the arts in Chicago.