For her third campaign for the seat of U.S. Representative from Illinois, Kina Collins hosted a large stadium concert on March 8th, 2024, with The Strokes for support. Held in Chicago at the Credit Union 1 Arena, The Strokes headlined the show with openers Uwade, Nnamdï, and Beach Bunny. Two years ago, in support of Kina’s last campaign, The Strokes played a smaller, much more intimate show at The Metro, another venue in Chicago with a much smaller capacity than the Credit Union 1 Arena. 

As mentioned, the lineup of bands who would be performing for Kina’s event (as well as the concert itself doubling as a birthday party for Kina herself) served as a dynamic collection of sounds. Uwade started the event with an acoustic set as fans found their seats and into the pit. With her limited timeslot, Uwade performed a few songs including a cover of The Strokes’s “One Way Trigger” and then gave way for the next act, Nnamdï, who brought to the stage a diverse sound consisting of R&B, hip-hop, funk, and full-out arena rock. From his intimate singing skills to tearing up the stage and literally jumping into the crowd near the end of his set, Nnamdï certainly got the crowd stirring for the next band, Beach Bunny. Although Nnamdï made a strong impression, it was clear that the audience here was geared towards The Strokes, which set up Beach Bunny with a difficult task, getting the crowd moving. 

Before covering Beach Bunny’s set, I must preface how overdue I am for catching this band live. I found this band all the way back in 2018, shortly after the release of the Prom Queen EP. With its surf rock and bedroom pop sound, the title track of the EP, “Prom Queen,” went viral on TikTok in 2019, launching the small act from Chicago into the stratosphere with their successful LP follow-up Honeymoon. With that, it’s been a treat watching this band grow over time, and now, after seeing them live in an arena setting, I can confirm they have an incredible live sound. Watching drummer Jon Alvarado joyfully tear around the drum kit and lead woman Lili Trifilio delivering an outstanding vocal performance was delightful. Their setlist consisted of more older tunes, including three from the Prom Queen EP, those being “Prom Queen,” “Painkiller,” and “6 Weeks,” and standout singles from other works such as “Good Girls (Don’t Get Used)” and “Sports.” As mentioned, Beach Bunny was not given an easy crowd, as Lili Trifilio attempted to get them on their feet dancing. Although perhaps not successful, the band undeniably had an excellent performance, although the most significant issue of the night would begin during their set… More on that later. 

Then it was time for The Strokes, but before they walked the stage, the woman of the night, Kina Collins, came on stage with family and friends, addressed the crowd about her campaign, and motivated them to vote in the upcoming election. The crowd joined in with Kina’s family and friends by singing happy birthday to her as she was gifted a cake on stage, and with that, Kina blew out the candles, the lights dimmed, and the garage-rockers who tore up the New York City scene in the 2000s took the stage.