The band took their places around the stage, a groovy bass starting up as the audience turned toward the door to Schubas Tavern, waiting for their star to appear. Heralded by a waft of cold air and a chorus of cheers, Molly Grace strode into the venue and ascended the steps onto the stage. As the door snapped shut behind her, we caught a glimpse of snow falling onto the quiet outside street. It was a February blizzard after a week of sunny skies, but Molly was going to turn the temperature back up.
Decked out in chunky platform heels and a red fringed dress, Molly launched into the Chicago leg of her Lovesick Tour, named after her debut 2023 EP, Lovesick. The up-and-coming Nashville-based artist, who blends jazz and pop elements, hardly looked heartbroken. Through every personal anecdote about a dating experience, gay awakening, heartbreak, or joke about generalized anxiety disorder, Molly was nothing but positive. Her tumultuous life experience seems to have only increased her self-confidence and emphasized the kind of love that she knows she deserves. Her optimistic outlook and bubbly attitude were infectious, uplifting the crowd to explore that level of confidence and positivity within themselves.
Earlier, I had caught sight of an older couple that seemed a little out of character in the youthful, fairly gay crowd. Even so, they looked completely at ease, decked out in Lovesick merchandise—hats, shirts, the whole look. They turned out to be Molly’s parents, practically dripping with pride.
“My mother,” Molly remarked, “taught me many things. First, when you step into a Macy’s, go straight to the back, because that’s where you’ll find the clearance section. Second, no matter how full you are, there’s always room for a little something sweet. Third, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” With that positive adage in our heads, she jumped into “Ghostin’,” which twists what many think of as a heinous social crime into a power move—should the situation deem it appropriate.
At the peak of the show, Molly turned toward her drummer, Tierney Sage, and asked him to throw out a beat. Bobbing her head to the rhythm, she squinted her eyes and vocalized a familiar melody; she asked her bassist, Garrett (Gert) Arwood, to take it up. The audience knew what was coming, but Molly did her best to draw out the intro to the emerging song, letting her guitarist, Jacob Hoekwater, take his time picking up the melody. Finally, the piece was complete when Molly opened her mouth and jumped into a jazzy verse. With groovy undertones and breathtaking vocals, the recent hit “Lover (Love Her)” is Molly at her funky-jazzy-pop best. The dynamic piece allowed Molly to show off a range of vocal styles, from chatty to bright to carefully harmonized with the rest of her band. Dancing along with the crowd and pouring her soul into her voice, Molly Grace lit up the room—as she’s sure to do with bigger and bigger venues as her personality and talent is sure to take her ever further.
