Distracted

BY ALLIE RUSSELL

Some bands spend years trying to manufacture the kind of connection Never Ending Fall created in minutes in Chicago this week. Touring in support of their latest album, MOMENTUM!, the band delivered one of the most electric sets I’ve seen in recent memory, and somehow still managed to make the entire night feel deeply personal.

From the second they stepped on stage, the energy in the room was undeniable. Fans packed shoulder-to-shoulder in the sold-out venue, with the crowd noise at times nearly overpowering the band itself. The excitement clearly wasn’t one-sided either. Throughout the night, the band repeatedly reminded the audience just how much the city means to them, tallying up every “we love you, Chicago” shouted from the stage until the count reached somewhere around ten. 

“This feels like a family reunion,” frontman Jack Miller joked midway through the set. “You’re all getting added to my will. Everyone will get a dollar.” That sense of community defined the entire night. 

The show also happened to fall on drummer Tommy StClair’s birthday, giving the evening an even more celebratory atmosphere. Fans arrived with party hats and kazoos in hand, turning the room into a full-on birthday party by the time the band brought a cupcake on stage and led the crowd in singing “Happy Birthday”. In one of the sweetest moments of the night, Tommy’s dad was invited on stage and introduced as the “dad of the band,” with the group reminiscing about forming Never Ending Fall back in fourth grade. 

What made the show so memorable wasn’t just the spectacle; it was how obvious it was that the band themselves were having the time of their lives. Every member seemed genuinely stunned by the turnout for what they shared was their biggest headline show in Chicago to date. Between songs, guitarist Pearce Eisenhardt, guitarist Conrad Boyd, bassist Johnny Hohman, Tommy, and Jack all took moments to thank the audience for showing up so loudly and passionately. The crowd responded in kind, breaking into chants for individual band members throughout the night – including an especially long and enthusiastic “Mama P! Mama P!” chant for Pearce. 

Musically, the set balanced newer material from MOMENTUM! with longtime fan favorites. Songs like PASTEL BLUE! and ACTRESS! translated perfectly live, while older tracks like Too Unrealistic, Slow Motions, and ISABEL had the same energy as they did when they were first released. One of the night’s most unexpected moments came when Johnny took over vocals for a surprise rendition of Night Changes by One Direction. Jack introduced him proudly by announcing that he “might be the biggest vibe of all time,” which, judging by the crowd reaction, may not have been an exaggeration. 

The encore somehow pushed the energy even higher. Jack and Conrad first returned alone to perform a stripped-down version of ALIVE!, followed by a mashup of Walking My Way and End of Beginning by Djo, a fitting tribute to Chicago before the rest of the band returned to the stage. The night closed with American Disco, complete with stage dives and crowd surfing from Tommy himself while Jack took over the drums. It was a picture-perfect ending to a night that never once slowed down. 

By the end of the show, it was hard not to feel like Never Ending Fall had accomplished exactly what they dreamed of when forming the band back in elementary school. The night wasn’t polished to perfection or overly serious; it was loud, sentimental, and unbelievably fun. If Friday night proved anything, it’s that Never Ending Fall’s biggest strength has never been just the music; it’s the community they’ve built around it.