Local Chicago band, Andie and the Bandits, played their second show in their quarterly residence at Epiphany Center for the Arts. 

The venue in the west loop of the city, provides opportunities for artists of all kind. The concert spaces, were converted from an old church and curate a sense of grandeur for performances. 

Andie and the Bandits, spearheaded by lead singer and guitarist Andie, has been performing and making music together for over five years now. The band is made up of brothers Quinton and Devin Cajigas on bass and drums, Shea Hugebeck on lead guitar, and vocalists Sophia Cruz and Megan Esther.

The music of Andie and the Bandits has a very unique but classic sound. Rooted in the blues/jazz genres, but pulling from artists like James Taylor, Norah Jones, and Kurt Elling - all while portraying the Queer experience, both in Andie’s unique way and inspired by Queer artists before her. All these factors curate the vibe that makes the aesthetic Andie and the Bandits so distinct. 

The setlist for the night was a mix of both released and unreleased songs from Andie’s catalogue. She set the vibe with “He’s Not What You Need,” her solo submission for Tiny Desk back in 2022. The group also played songs which may be familiar to fans from Andie’s released EP “Over It.” as well as her submissions for Tiny Desk in 2023/24. Another highlight of the setlist was her cover of Ray Charles’ “Lonely Avenue,” which showed off Andie’s killer vocals as well as the musicianship of the bandits. 

Andie and the Bandits’ closed out their set with “Mean Jean,” a fan-favorite which Andie teased will be released on her EP coming out later this year. Additionally, the fans called for an encore, which was made up of another track of the same unreleased EP, “Maneater.” 

For fans new and old, there’s a lot to look forward to this year for Andie and the Bandits. Their third show at Epiphany will be August 9, with bandmate Sophia Cruz set to open. Additionally, Andie’s aforementioned new EP will be dropping this year. Until then, you can stream “Over It.” as well as her singles and check out her Tiny Desk submissions on YouTube!

Article and Photo Gallery by Mollie Menuck