Local Chicago band DZ Riley opened their 2024 concert season this past Friday at Bookclub, a house-like venue in the northern neighborhoods of the city. “DZ” headlined the bill with local acts Pollens, Tommy 135, 4X4 Animal Style, and St. Louis artist Sean Gerty. 

DZ Riley is composed of five core members, guitarist Keefer Schoon, keyboard/saxophonist Noah Savoie, vocalist Gracie Lubisky, bassist Jakob Morris and drummer Hugh Maxey. The five-piece debuted as a group in the summer of 2022 and have been making waves around Chicago ever since. 

DZ’s set opened with long-time fan favorite and unreleased single off their upcoming project “Tel Aviv,” a satire and political statement commentating on the ongoing Israel/Palestine conflict. The band continued their set with more unreleased work and popular song “The Bare Minimum,” a single released in winter 2022, about simply, hating your job. 

As always, the band brought incredible energy to the Bookclub stage, pulling out all the stops that are expected from a DZ Riley show. Every member of the five-piece brings something special to the stage, but what really shines through in their live performances is their incredible musicianship. 

DZ Riley is one to look out for this year. To keep you tied over until their newest release, you can stream all their recent singles “The Bare Minimum,” “Motel 6,” and “The Goodbye Song,” in addition to Savoie and Schoon’s duo project “Entropy.”

Article and Photo Gallery by Mollie Menuck