I squeezed to the front of the Vic Theatre, cradling my camera in my arms as an explanation and an apology. The opener, Noah Floersch, had just closed his set with “Ghost of Chicago,” a catchy indie tune that went viral on TikTok last spring. On stage, Floersch admitted that he had never been to Chicago at the time of the song’s writing. Despite the song having nothing to do with Chicago, the audience appreciated the attention. The early-twenties, social media–oriented crowd, was as riled up as you can be at an indie-pop show on a Tuesday night.
Finally settled against the railing and waiting for Ricky Montgomery, an established indie-pop star, I studied the stage. It looked like it was set up for a theater production, not a concert. White curtains blocked off the left side of the stage and on the right stood a low table and potted plant in front of a false doorway. As we listened to The Beatles’ lesser known “Hey Rick” and Rihanna’s “Rick Better Have My Money,” there were laughs and a few groans as the crowd tried to guess where and when the Rick in question would enter. The gimmick set the tone for a show that was fun, engaging, and often surprising.
Montgomery came out with a bang, opening with “Line Without a Hook,” a fan favorite off his 2016 album Montgomery Ricky. Immediately, it was clear that Rick was a theater kid. He wore a black tank top under a granny square vest—did he crochet it himself?—and camo cargo pants. “Line Without a Hook” is an emotionally charged love ballad, and Montgomery poured himself into the vocals, encouraging the audience to belt them along with him. Riding that energy, he jumped (practically over my head) into the photo pit. Climbing along the railing, he reached an arm into the crowd, making it clear that he was singing for and to them.
His energy was infectious. When he didn’t have a guitar in hand, he was a constant blur of motion. Even while playing he managed to dance, often dropping the guitar to wave his hands around and push his bangs away from his eyes. Montgomery maintained his theatrical manner throughout the show. He first revealed his band by sweeping back the white curtains in time with the music. Tucked in the back left of the stage was David Cola on drums, Mikey Wagner on bass and keys, and Kyle Moore on guitar. While Montgomery was intentional about naming and thanking his band, he was the undisputed essence of the performance.
Montgomery’s engagement with the audience made the show personal and intimate. His banter was smooth, funny, and never felt rehearsed. Before “This December,” his most popular song, he had an extended chat with the crowd while tuning his guitar. He explained that he wanted us to start jumping when he gave a signal by shifting into a gruff imitation of his record label manager saying “tell the kids to go crazy!” When Montgomery yelled “jump!” the kids did, in fact, go crazy.
