Andy Bell performs at Metro in Chicago on Nov. 7, 2025.
On the 1988 Erasure hit “Chains of Love” vocalist Andy Bell sings, “There was a time when people on the streets were walkin’ hand in hand in hand.”
When Bell performed that song midway through his Nov, 7 set in Chicago – the first of two nights at the iconic venue Metro on his first-ever solo tour of North America – it felt like the connection the song romanticizes was manifested. People were hand in hand in hand, sharing drinks with their friends and getting lost in a dance-pop, daydream that could only come compliments of this living legend.
Throughout the night, Bell shared songs from his entire career. From the early Erasure hit “Oh l’amour,” which closed out the pre-encore set, to “Breaking Through the Interstellar” and “For Today,” both of which appear on Bell’s fantastic 2025 release Ten Crowns, fans were eager to sing along with the music that has been the soundtrack of their lives for going-on forty years. The charismatic vocalist even appeared to get emotional after receiving a rave reception for his performance of the newer single “Dance for Mercy.”
Andy Bell performs at Metro in Chicago on Nov. 7, 2025.
“I’m feeling beside myself, you know, we have always looked forward to coming to Chicago, very much,” said Bell early in the night noting that autumn in the Windy City is downright perfection. “Who could ask for much more perfect weather than we’re having – the incredible sunshine, the beautiful leaves on the trees, and the gorgeous city and the gorgeous people in it.”
Classic Erasure songs like “Blue Savannah,” “Victim of Love,” and “Always” were true to the original recordings while also being enhanced in the live setting by Bell’s robust vocals and talented backing band – comprised of multi-instrumentalist Dave Audé, Jerry Fuentes (guitar), Sarah Tomek (drums), and Chelsea King-Blank (vocals). The synth-pop songs were arranged to include complex rhythms and driving basslines that invited fans to groove along with Bell’s infectious dance moves. Even Bell himself noted that he’s still discovering new sequences in his own music, which would explain why each tune felt as fresh as it did the day it was released regardless of if it was first created in the mid-1980s or 2025.
Savannah Pope performs at Metro in Chicago on Nov. 7, 2025.
Earlier in the evening, Savannah Pope proved why it is always a good idea to arrive early to catch the opener with a set that combined the rock-stylings of Heart with the bold, artistic visuals of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The powerhouse vocalist had the crowd in the palm of her hand during “Daddy Issues” as she tossed pink pacifiers out into the crowd while belting out the song’s captivating chorus.
The entire concert-going experience was a study in how music has the power to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Check out photos of Andy Bell, and Savannah Pope, performing at Metro in Chicago below and click here to pick-up tickets to future tour dates. More information can be found at Andybell.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
