Every year around the holidays, local indie folk hero Andrew Bird hosts his Gezelligheid concert series out of the Fourth Presbyterian Church. Seven days of concerts to celebrate the spirit of the season as well as keep with the Dutch term that roughly translates to “cozy.” Bird started this tradition back in 2009, marking this as the 14th year of Gezelligheid.
Andrew Bird, an indie folk musician originally from Lake Forest Illinois, started his career back in 1996 including a stint with the Squirrel Nut Zippers. Bird’s musical stylings range from Indie, Folk, Jazz and Swing, even winning the “Best Folk Album” at the 2019 Grammys for his album My Finest Work Yet. Since 1996, Andrew Bird has released over 20 albums, impressively under his own name, with additional albums in varying Jazz or Swing ensembles.
The Fourth Presbyterian Church was formed in 1871 on Chicago’s downtown North Michigan Avenue near the John Hancock Center. A beautiful example of Gothic Revival architecture that also acts as a sanctuary as well as the second largest Presbyterian congregation in the United States. It’s this beautiful piece of Chicago history that housed Bird’s intimate concert series.
What makes this concert series so intriguing is the vibe that Andrew Bird has cultivated here. Nothing really changed to the site as a whole so attendees were seated in the pews of the church surrounded by the iconic architecture, and massive lighting structures throughout. No extra frills, just the church pews and Birds signature folk style. The concert can best be described as a blend of folk and jazz, with Bird swapping between his violin, and guitar with a few guests coming in to assist with some additional musical layers, but mostly it was an all Bird show.
Considering Bird’s musical repertoire ranges pretty heavily, he tended to keep things safely within the realm of the cozy night in, playing a more subdued collection of songs including some covers of Bob Dylan and Stevie Nick but also throwing in a medley of Vince Guaraldi Trio of music from Charlie Brown Christmas. There were some beautiful lighting effects that displayed across the large cathedral ceilings to accompany the musical stylings. By the final run of shows it’s clear why this was a holiday tradition that will continue as long as Andrew wants it to, each night a sell out and each night a warm safe evening to spend with the family. Andrew’s made me a fan, and now a recurring attendee to these events. Happy Gezelligheid!
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