Friko live in Chicago
- Sam Vittore
- 1 hour ago
- 4 min read
Chicago's indie rock band Friko is on a roll. After the release of their 2026 album, Something Worth Waiting For, Friko played the city's iconic Metro for a release show. Something Worth Waiting is the band's second studio album, and it already looks to be their path to stardom.
The album has 9 tracks, including
previously unreleased tracks. Something Worth Waiting For already appears to be the band's new headline album, and Friko is set to tour it in North America from September to the end of October. The album sticks to the band's roots, blending chaotic, energetic songs with classical-like pieces sprinkled throughout, which really help pace the album. Friko's first album, Where we've been, Where we go from here, skyrocketed the band into the Chicago Indie scene. The band had a busy 2 years after the release of the album and says their constant movement inspired their second album. Friko has played all around the world, including at iconic Chicago venues like Thalia Hall and at festivals such as Lollapalooza. Most notably, the band blew up in Japan, which allowed them to play in the Fuji Rock festival, where they'll be returning this year.
This was my 4th time seeing Friko, and they have solidified themselves as my favorite band. Prior to the release of Something Worth Waiting For, Friko played a small set at Chicago's Shuga Records, including a record signing. Limited to 150 people, Friko, played 5 songs, 2 from Something Worth Waiting For, 2 from Where we've been, Where we go from here, and a Karen Dalton cover.
The performance at Shuga Records marked the first time Friko had performed since the announcement of their new album. And although the set was short, Shuga Records proved to be a very intimate venue, which played to their advantage. After the performance, I had the opportunity to listen to Something Worth Waiting For on vinyl before its official release, and I became even more excited for their release show at the Metro.
First and foremost, Chicago's Metro is one of, if not the greatest, music venues of all time. And I've been to many shows prior to Friko's at Metro, but none quite compared to this. Not to mention the fact that both Friko and Chaepter, Friko's opener, are from Chicago. This made the show just a little more special.
Chaepter is a math-rock band from Chicago that has been part of the Chicago music scene for quite some time. Although math-rock isn't my cup of tea, Chaepter put on an amazing 30-minute set.
Not to mention Chaepter's noise and tone. The band was super loud and had a super impressive tone that I thought was really fun. Most recently, Chaepter released their album Companion Music, available to listen to on Bandcamp and Apple Music. From this album, I've really enjoyed Cruisin' and The Hope Collector. Another thing that I really enjoyed about Chaepter is their political presence. In a way, the band is a modern-day version of Rage Against the Machine or System of a Down.
Friko took to the stage at 9:00 pm and received a loud welcome. Friko opened their show with Guess the first song off Something Worth Waiting For. Guess was often played live during their previous tour as an unreleased song. I love this song so much, and it's my second favorite on the album, behind Hot Air Balloon. Niko Kapetan, Friko's singer and guitarist, puts so much passion into this song live that it makes you just stop and stare. Guess is also a song that doesn't require much else from the band, which allows for this passion. Friko's 3rd song of their set, Crimson to Chrome, was the first song they played from Where we've been, Where we go from here. Crimson to Chrome is an almost soft-rock song, something that you can just bob your head to. Towards the end of Friko's set they played an unreleased song, The Pace. This song was so fun live, and I'm really hoping that it comes out in a Something Worth Waiting For deluxe version. Throughout the entirety of Something Worth Waiting For, I love the use of the piano. Piano is my favorite instrument, because I think it's so versatile and can play so many different and beautiful pieces. Dear Bicycle, the final song of their set before the encore showcased their piano skills. Dear Bicycle is a letter to a bicycle and was very emotional in person.
Friko's encore was great, as they played 3 songs. The first song Where We've Been, is like a cry for help. From their first studio album, this song always sets the mood. The second song of their encore, Ceremony, was a New Order cover. Ceremony ramped up the energy in the room for their final song. I had never heard this song prior to this performance, but I found it to be a really good cover. Comparing it now to the studio version, I really liked Friko's take on it. Finally, Friko played their fan-favorite Get Numb to It!. I've never been to a Friko show where they didn't end their set with this song, and it makes sense why. Get Numb to It!, is a song that is so much fun to dance to and sing along with. While all this was happening Chaepter re-entered the stage and threw balloons into the crowd. I found this to be a perfect end to the show and a perfect show to release their newest album. If you've never listened to Friko before, I beg you to get on the bandwagon now. Both Friko shows this past week have been amazing, and I can't recommend the band enough.
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