Following guidelines provided by the City of Chicago, as of February 28 Bottom Lounge will no longer require proof of full vaccination for entry or require that patrons wear masks while inside of Bottom Lounge. This policy is subject to change to meet circumstances as necessary. Please check our website or ticketing pages before arriving at the venue in the event that our policy changes via legal mandate or performer request.

​Rob Rich remembers the day he wrote “Back Step,” the towering single off Rich People’s sophomore release ‘Grace Session.’ While the rest of his band smolders behind him, his vocals soar before leveling off in exhaustion. It’s an allusion to where the song took shape: an overnight shift at a Philly shipyard. Frustration with the back-breaking, monotonous work and the laziness of his coworkers needed an antidote. ‘Grace Session’ is full of these moments: instrumentals swell to new heights before they’re blunted, and lyrics double back on themselves to underscore patient self-reflection.

With a band name like Rich People, a listener could assume style would overtake substance. Here, both are present in full force, John Naclerio’s production is almost translucent. It’s loose on “119” and “Safehull,” two tracks that toe a thin line between explosion and restraint, with nimble guitars arcing flexibility between post-rock reach and alt-rock calamity. While this ignores genres and song structures, Rich’s storytelling is more focused, weaving in his addiction recovery process, integration into the Philadelphia music community, and acceptance of worthy love. It’s a deeply personal journey where mortality and maturity are permanently linked, and the latest entry in a band of close friends attempting to find peace in their own sound.