By marielee brito | April 21, 2025
Last Friday the 18th I experienced a few first of many that I added to my list. It was my first time seeing Elderbrook’s live tour and my first time visiting the venue Salt Shed, which I was so happy about having these two firsts coincide together.
I arrived around 8 pm to familiarize myself with the venue and take my time preparing my camera and space. From the start the venue started filling up quickly for Elderbrook’s Another Touch tour and you can feel the energy building up as the crowd waited for what turned out to be a fiery, loving, energetic night.
From the jump, you could feel the energy. Elderbrook stepped on stage to play the drums and the crowd immediately erupted. As the first song dropped, it was game on—hands in the air, jumping bodies, and loud voices. It was a full-on shared experience between Chicago and Elderbrook.
I was very surprised by both–the crowd and the venue. There’s something special about Chicago crowds and I believe Elderbrook felt it full force on Friday night at the Salt Shed Chicago. Everyone was dancing, singing, jumping, and just letting themselves feel the music and the beauty that was in the room that night. And kudos to the lighting team who understood the assignment–with waves of perfect hues and direction, turned the venue into an atmospheric dream.
Fav moments? When he played my favorite songs, of course! “Glad I Found You” immediately transformed the room, you could feel the love and connection in the air. During “Places,” as the first notes echoed, the crowd instinctively started doing bird and love hand signs, a song that clearly means so much to so many. And hearing his newest song with Ahmed Spins, “Waterfall” live definitely took the cherry on the top.
Between songs, Elderbrook was clearly feeling it too. He kept flashing huge smiles at the crowd and drawing the crowd closer to him as he hyped us all up. You could tell he was genuinely happy by the energy in the room—and the feeling was mutual.
This was a moment. Everyone there knew it, felt it, and lived it together. Chicago showed up, sang loud, danced harder, and made one unforgettable night together with Elderbrook.
Marielee Brito is a freelance photojournalist for Majestic Music Magazine. See more of her work here.
