The O’Connell effect was in full force again on Wednesday night. Just a few months after Billie Eilish transfixed the United Center last November, big brother and collaborator Finneas had his turn to wow Chicago during his sold-out For Cryin’ Out Loud!: The Tour stop at Salt Shed, carrying on the family business of captivating a crowd through thoughtful songwriting and fine showmanship.
For a decade, Billie and Finneas O’Connell have been inseparable, always performing together via massive stadium tours and festival stages, and penning multi-platinum hits that have netted him 10 Grammy wins and 21 nominations, not to mention two Golden Globes and two Oscars for the duo. Their partnership is the Midas standard of the music industry and a psychological study of sibling camaraderie.
Yet over the past year, as the two have taken some career steps apart — Finneas composing scores, writing hits for the likes of Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco and working on his sophomore solo record “For Cryin’ Out Loud,” and Billie heading out on her Hit Me Hard and Soft tour with a replacement backing band — they have also proved they are singular forces to be reckoned with.
On his biggest global headlining tour to date, he has secured his marquee status, no longer just the Oz behind Billie’s yellow brick road to stardom, but the now technicolor star of the show. During Wednesday night’s 19-song set, filled with hand-picked selections from Finneas’ two LPs (also including 2021’s “Optimist”) and single EP (2019’s “Blood Harmony”), it was unfettered access to his musical menagerie. The multi-hyphenate talent’s ear for perfect arrangements and his ability to noodle through a platter of instruments (piano, acoustic and electric guitar) on a whim was on full display, especially vibrant against the bare stage setup that featured little more than side panels of flashing lights. Finneas’ own Kurt Cobain-esque thrift store visage also added to the no-frills atmosphere, letting the music drive the production.
Maneuvering from the pensive piano opener of “Starf- – – – -” to the retro pop pizzazz of “2001,” and from the smooth R&B of “What’s It Gonna Take to Break Your Heart?” to the golden folk of “Partners in Crime,” the full breadth of Finneas’ songbook was laid out bare, and it was nearly impossible to turn your eyes or ears away. Even as repeated high-pitched catcalls of “I love you Finneas!” from young fans in the crowd dared to interrupt the moment.
During an October appearance on the Spotify series “Countdown To,” Finneas (interviewed by Billie) joked with her, “I’m sort of convinced I have no fans. I feel like some of your superfans are such superfans that I’m the expansion pack.” But the reception at Salt Shed — including a huge portion of ticketholders who sang along to every word — begged to differ. Other than one sly mention of Billie, dedicating the heartfelt ode “Family Feud” to his sister, it was Finneas’ time to shine, much as he did back when he was fronting the alt rock band The Slightlys.
He also has help from a solid backing band on the current tour who also contributed heavily to the new album. Among them are keyboardist/vocalist Lucy Healey, guitarist Ricky Gourmet, drummer Miles Morris, multi-instrumentalist/music director Aron Forbes and synth player David Marinelli, a native of Chicago who had a large family presence in the house on Wednesday.
“We love it here,” Finneas said of being in Chicago, adding that his long-time girlfriend, actress and Youtuber Claudia Sulewski, hails from nearby Park Ridge.
“I’ve been there a few times to visit her family and see where she grew up,” he said. “She’s in L.A. shooting [Apple TV series] ‘Shrinking’ right now, but I think about her every time I sing this song,” he added, dedicating a frenetic take on “Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa” to the starlet.
Earlier in the set, Finneas also shared that he and the crew had the chance to take in some tourist sites while in town, including The Bean, before turning his attention to another local nod.
“Thank you to everyone that works at this venue and cleaned out all the salt in the first place to make it a venue,” he joked. “We only have a week of this run left, but it feels like it just started. I feel very honored to be in the thick of it with Chicago right now.”
SET LIST
Starf- – – – –
Lotus Eater
Cleats
Sweet Cherries
What’s It Gonna Take to Break Your Heart?
Angel
The Kids Are All Dying
Partners in Crime
A Concert Six Months From Now
2001
Little Window
Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa
Only a Lifetime
Till Forever Falls Apart (Ashe cover)
Family Feud
I Lost a Friend
Break My Heart Again
Let’s Fall in Love for the Night
For Cryin’ Out Loud!