JESSIE WARE AT THE VIC THEATRE

BY MARY ICENOGLE (SHE/HER)

That! Feels Good! lives up to its name. Nothing feels (or sounds) as good as Jessie Ware on a Thursday night in Chicago’s The Vic Theatre for a sold out show. More than 1,000 concert goers piled into The Vic for a night with disco grooving pop powerhouse, Jessie Ware on her North American and UK That! Feels Good! Live Tour. The revival of disco pop and ‘70s feel-good funk is nothing new, yet Ware has spearheaded the charge since 2020 with the release of her album What’s Your Pleasure, an album that laid the groundwork for her 2023 release That! Feels Good!, an album that dives headfirst into fearless disregard.

Starting with a bang, crash of cymbals ‘or some other instrument’, we are instantly transported to a new world; within a measure, Ware has transported everyone to the dancefloor of an underground disco club in the ‘70s. The next hour is filled with sweaty dancing and belting to hits like “Ooh La La” and “Pearls,” broken up by slower ballads including “Say You Love Me,” and a piano rendition of “Kind Of… Sometimes… Maybe.” Nothing lives up to Ware’s bold, force-to-be-reckoned-with vocals cutting through the venue, as you try to remember everything because you know you’ll never witness something quite so great during a live show again. It was a night to remember and it really Did! Feel Good!