Philadelphia’s Been Good to Him, Chicago Was Good to Us: Kurt Vile at the Salt Shed
By Colette Custin Bevard
There's a particular kind of magic that happens when an artist plays a venue for the first time, and last night, Kurt Vile let the crowd know exactly how he felt about finally taking the Salt Shed stage. "This place is pretty amazing, I’ve never been here before" he admitted between songs.
It's a notable first. Vile's history in Chicago runs through smaller, scrappier rooms- multi-night stands at Thalia Hall and dates at the Riviera Theatre have been the norm, the kind of venues where a few hundred devoted fans could pack in tight and watch him work through a set in his unhurried, half-mumbled way. Salt Shed is a different animal entirely, and the size of the room last night was its own kind of proof: the audience that once filled Thalia Hall's cozy room has grown into something that fills the Morton Salt Shed.
The night had the loose, lived-in feel that's become Vile's signature. Amplified by a lighted roadside sign glowing behind the band that read "VIDEO NITE BEER BUST / SUP MAYN / KV'S BEEN GOOD TO ME" — a nod to his new album. It was the perfect visual shorthand for the evening: a little goofy and a little nostalgic.
Opener The Sadies set the tone early, and Vile made sure to give them their due. "We go way back," he told the crowd. "They're our brothers." The kinship was obvious- not as an opener-headliner formality, but a genuine family affair, one that's carried real weight in recent years. The Sadies have continued on as a trio since the 2022 passing of their co-founder Dallas Good. Watching them share a bill with their longtime friends felt like its own quiet tribute to a band that's kept going together.
Mid-set, Vile slid into a few bars of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful"- before deadpanning to the crowd, "Don't forget it." It got a laugh, and it stuck.
The solo acoustic stretch was arguably the highlight of the night, a callback to the kind of intimate moments that defined those earlier Chicago shows. "Runner Ups" built momentum for "How Lucky"- his tender John Prine collaboration, which landed some extra applause rippling through the room.
With Philadelphia's Been Good to Me freshly out and clearly close to his heart, last night's Salt Shed debut felt less like a stop on the tour and more like Vile inviting Chicago into his world- unhurried, a little hazy, and bigger than ever.
Setlist:
Red Room Dub
Zoom 97
Hey Like a Child
Rock o' Stone
99 BPM
Runner Ups (solo)
How Lucky (solo)
Girl Called Alex
Chance to Bleed
Like Exploding Stones
Mount Airy Hill (Way Gone)
Pretty Pimpin
Wakin on a Pretty Day
Encore:
Bassackwards
Avalanches of Snow
Cool Water Coming