From Bohemian National Cemetery in 2024 to Metro on Tuesday night, Kim Gordon has found a knack for conjuring spirits when she’s in Chicago.
This time, it was summoning the ghosts of shows past at the Wrigleyville venue. From 1986-88, Gordon and Sonic Youth were frequent visitors at Metro (the 1987 gig turning into the “Hold That Tiger” live album); they also returned in 2002 for the club’s 20th anniversary slate of shows.
But for anyone who wasn’t around then — or couldn’t snag tickets — seeing Gordon do her thing Tuesday felt like a second chance to bask in all the noise rock glory and get up close and personal with the woman who has held the crown for the coolest girl in rock the last 45 years.
Kim Gordon performs at the Metro in Wrigleyville on Tuesday. At the heart of her show was promoting her latest album, “Play Me,” released in March. Gordon and her backing band — guitarist Sarah Register, bassist/synth player Emily Retsas and drummer Madi Vogt — performed the record from beginning to end with no skips.
Tyler Pasciak LaRiviere/Sun-Times
“It’s nice to be back at Metro,” Gordon shared in one of her few bits of chatter. The other was apologizing for a late start as sound techs tinkered with the backline of instruments that would soon become essential components of the show.
Fresh off an appearance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland on Sunday (a slap in the face since she’s still not in it), Gordon’s legacy was palpable throughout the short but impactful 70-minute show.
At the heart of it was promoting her latest album, “Play Me,” released in March. Gordon and her young and fearless backing band — guitarist Sarah Register, bassist/synth player Emily Retsas and drummer Madi Vogt — performed the record from beginning to end with no skips, followed by an armful of ripe material from Gordon’s other two solo albums that illuminated the breadth of Gordon’s work as an experimental wunderkind obsessed with challenging the barriers of sound.
Whereas the “Play Me” title track kicked things off with a jazzy horn-filled breakdown, subsequent numbers “Black Out,” “Busy Bee” and “Subcon” (which could’ve also been called “Subwoofer” for its impenetrable bass) tapped into Gordon’s latest obsession: zoning in on trap beats and hip-hop rhythms set against an industrial dystopia. Or the perfect soundtrack for the album’s alarm ringing about artificial intelligence and fascism. “Dirty Tech” was the dagger, with Gordon sarcastically prodding tech bros to “talk dirty” before skewering them as “white-collar service workers.” A true shero for these times.
The feminist themes continued with the boastful “I’m a Man” and the staccato marching beat of “Trophies,” which were some of the more straightforward rock numbers. Gordon spent much of the night in a rigid front woman pose with just a mic and unabashed micro-dancing. But when she slung on her guitar and got deep in the weeds of distortion pedals on these tracks (even tying herself up with a tangle of cords for the frenetic chokehold of “Cookie Butter”), she was never more in her element.
What was most interesting about the night was the packed mixed-gen crowd eating it all up — a testament to Gordon’s staying power in her second act. While Gen X got their fill of repressed memories from the days of Sonic Youth, Gen Z and millennials probably didn’t even remember or care that the band broke up in 2011 as they were squarely focused on modern tracks like the 2024 thrasher “Bye Bye” that recently found unexpected virality on TikTok.
This theme of fruitful second lives started early with an opening set from The Fiery Furnaces. In the dawn of the 2000s, Oak Park siblings Matthew and Eleanor Friedberger were bastions of a second wave of avant-garde rock. And after a very long lull, they recently reformed the group with fresh eyes. Gone is the once full band setup in lieu of just the two on stage, Matthew on keys and Eleanor on vocals.
The stripped-back approach favors their material. Matthew’s dramatic playing style adds a theatrical nature, while Eleanor’s crisp delivery, unencumbered by an arsenal of sound, shines a spotlight on the zany lyrical poetry of songs like “Blueberry Boat” or “My Egyptian Grammar,” which Eleanor noted was about the South Side.
“It’s so nice to be home,” she added as the duo wrapped up their 30-minute set, which almost didn’t happen. The band posted on Instagram that they missed a flight and drove all night to make it to Metro. Judging by the warm crowd reaction, it was worth the effort.
Gordon too fielded constant “we love you” shoutouts, reaching a fever pitch ahead of the hypnotic haze encore of “Cigarette.” Of course, being the ever-cool girl, she played it off. “Calm down,” she told the crowd. “It’s just music.”
Kim Gordon set list for June 23, 2026, show at Metro
Play Me
Girl With a Look
No Hands
Black Out
Dirty Tech
Not Today
Busy Bee
Square Jaw
Subcon
Post Empire
Nail Biter
Bye Bye
I’m a Man
Trophies
It’s Dark Inside
Psychedelic Orgasm
Paprika Pony
Cookie Butter
Encore
Cigarette