Review: Twin Peaks brings back 2010s-core in triumphant residency kickoff in Pilsen

In a busy concert month with Bruno Mars, A$AP Rocky and Kid Cudi playing Chicago, the hottest ticket in town is for a local band that hasn’t been seen or heard from in six years.

When Twin Peaks announced a pair of reunion shows at Thalia Hall last November to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their signature album “Down In Heaven,” tickets sold out within minutes. The band then added six more shows — which also completely sold out — marking one of the biggest comebacks in Chicago rock history and the longest residency ever at the Pilsen venue.

It all kicked off Thursday night. Before the quintet even took the stage, the excitement inside the music hall was palpable. Some fans were one-upping each other on how many tickets they scored for the multi-night run. Others had their arms full of posters and vinyl. Some even huddled in a corner with a loud pre-show chant of “TPD! TPD!” (Twin Peaks Dudes). And on the screen behind the stage was a fitting visual of a “Down In Heaven” candle, symbolizing the eternal flame that’s been burning for the band, once the pinnacle of the beloved DIY rock scene in Chicago.

“These are some good years we are celebrating,” Ne-Hi’s Jason Balla said, perfectly summing up the feeling of the night during his band’s opening set. They, too, have been dormant for years and sounded crisp as ever.

When Twin Peaks finally emerged on stage a bit after 9 p.m., that wave of nostalgia climbed even higher. As deafening cheers filled the room, each of the individual members – guitarists Cadien Lake James and Clay Frankel, bassist Jack Dolan, keyboardist Colin Croom and drummer Connor Brodner – bounced in tandem with the crowd, visibly thrilled at the idea of performing again.

“This is a dream, man. I don’t know how else to describe it,” Dolan said during the set. “It means so much you still care about this little band.”

Twin Peaks called it quits in 2020 after burning out from touring and being bogged down by the COVID-19 pandemic.

But despite the six-year hiatus, the group wasted no time on Thursday ripping into a cross-career set that also sounded like no time had passed. What appeared onstage was a collective that was refreshed, polished and in sync on buoyant garage rock numbers like “Baby Blue” that started the night. In quick succession, they nailed the frenetic pacing of “Boomers” and lived up to expectation for fan favorites like “Walk To The One You Love,” “Wanted You” and “Butterfly,” the latter kicking off a rash of crowd-surfing that had security scrambling. They also offered a live debut of “On the Line.”

The members of Twin Peaks are now in their 30s with families and have filled their time with other ventures like album production and solo efforts, but their performance on Thursday hearkened back to the early days of their ‘round-town basement shows that brimmed with pent-up energy and sonic bedlam. It was a night of 2010s-core all over again with memories of that music epoch coming to the surface, like the Pitchfork Music Festival (RIP) where Twin Peaks had some of their best sets ever. For 85 minutes, it was fun to relive it all.

The set felt much longer than it actually was as the band packed in as much of their short and punchy material as possible, playing 21 songs in total. They brought along some Chicago musician friends to round out the layered arrangements and multi-part harmonies that still feel timeless. Joining on percussion was Justin Vittori (Divino Niño), while Sima Cunningham, V.V. Lightbody, and Sofia Jensen added backup vocals, tambourine and flute. Jensen (of Free Range) also guested center stage for a tender take of “Shake Your Lonely.”

In many ways, this residency isn’t just a celebration of Twin Peaks and their 10-year milestone, but also of the larger local music scene. The band is choosing to share the platform with a gathering of contemporaries, including different openers on each night. After Ne-Hi, subsequent nights offer Lifeguard, Neptune’s Core, Post Animal and proper sets from Free Range and V.V. Lightbody. The one outlier is Finn Wolfhard on May 20; the “Stranger Things” star is also a musician whose work has been produced by Lake James.

The only question left: What comes next? Will Twin Peaks continue making music and touring? For now, the band seems to just be taking it one day at a time – at least for the next week.

“Thank you Chicago,” said Dolan as the band wrapped up. “See you tomorrow!”

Twin Peaks returns to Thalia Hall May 15-21.

Twin Peaks’ set list for May 14, 2026 at Thalia Hall

Baby Blue
Under the Pines
Boomers
Irene
Walk to the One You Love
Getting Better
Keep It Together
Butterfly
Tossing Tears
Come for Me
On the Line
Holding Roses
My Boys
Wanted You
Shake Your Lonely (with Free Range)
Above/Below
In the Meadow
Blue Coupe

Encore:
Unfamiliar Sun
Stand in the Sand
Strawberry Smoothie