Jordana’s Jubilant Jam Session at Lincoln Hall

Bedroom pop artist Jordana invited audiences into her sonic cottage Feb. 18 at Lincoln Hall. Jordana’s Chicago stop coincides with her Lively Premonition Tour, supporting her 2024 album of the same name. 

Nova Scotian singer Rachel Bobbit opened the show with her otherworldly mix of indie rock and programmed drum beats. Accompanied by a guitar, bass and sample machine, she started off with “More,” a song layered with prerecorded vocal harmonies, shoegazey guitars and her sharp, slicing voice. 

Much of Bobbit’s set comprised unreleased music for a soon-to-be-released album, although she also performed a harrowing rendition of Sharon Van Etten’s “Love More.” Like an interlude, vocal samples looped between songs, often being the foundation for each ensuing track. 

The final song Bobbit performed, an untitled demo, was the strongest of her set. The incomplete melody overflowed with vocal harmonies laid over a punchy hip-hop beat, evoking the spirit of J Dilla’s instrumentals. 

After Bobbit’s set, the stage cleared and the instrument-cluttered space finally opened up. A neon sign of Jordana’s name signed in pink cursive over yellow block letters was revealed. The sign acted as a microcosm of her performance to come — bright and peppy, but sweet and loving at the same time.

Coming out in a self-described “cottagecore” outfit, Jordana skipped to the mic as her band took the stage. 

Jordana’s twee persona matched the venue’s quaint and intimate nature. The eye-level stage had no barricade, allowing Jordana to sing directly to the audience. The smell of incense wafted through the air, creating a moody, home-like atmosphere.

“We’re gonna play the record top to bottom because I want to,” Jordana said before pulling out an electric violin and jumping into “We Get By.”

Jordana’s spirited ad libs matched her vigorous violin, delivering chamber pop bliss to the audience. Soft, rose-colored light reflected off the glossy white exterior of her violin. 

The following “Like A Dog” was more of an indie-pop cut, with blossoming guitar strums and shimmering keyboards giving way to a groovy chorus. Jordana swapped her violin for a tambourine, playing along with the beat.

Prerecorded vocals backed “Heart You Hold,” but as the song progressed, the audience’s singing replaced the need for backing vocals. Pulsating pink and purple lights matched the slow plucks of the bass and tambourine hits. 

Mellow guitar and keyboard set the mood for the calmer love song “This Is How I Know.” 

“You like to joke, we love jokes,” Jordana said before “Multitudes of Mystery.” “This next song has a lot of jokes in it. There’s a fart in it.” 

“Multitudes of Mystery” is structured around fictitious — yet comical — phone calls concerning a mishap-filled night of partying and drugs. The song climaxed when Jordana fell to her knees in a scream, surrounded by disorienting lights and chaotic instrumentation.

The similarly hectic “Raver Girl” followed, as Jordana danced about under a turquoise hue and invited attendees to do the same. The track culminated in a full-fledged dance party, complete with flashing rainbow lights and a disco ball. 

“These next few songs are breakup songs, so we’re gonna feel great and feel sad,” Jordana said with a slight grin.

“Wrong Love” showcased her vocal versatility, from a sultry, lower register on verses to high-pitched wails on the outro. 

Jordana picked up a guitar to play “Anything For You,” slowly adding instruments as the lyrics progressed. Unlike the previous song, Jordana performed with a defeated timbre in her voice while preserving a light, sweet sound.

On “The One I Knew,” spacey keyboard notes radiating through the air were sliced in half by Jordana’s vocals. The chorus overflowed with belts, weaving through plucks of the guitar. 

While not the final song of her set, “Your Story’s End” was the last of her album. Jordana picked her guitar back up and immersed her fans into a dreamy world, heightened by the ever-shifting colored lights. 

“You didn’t think I’d go through a whole show without playing one song that’s not mine — and that song is a Steely Dan cover,” Jordana said before playing “Any Major Dude Will Tell You.” 

In an extra theatricality, she and her guitarist exchanged solos, as if they were playing catch.

She concluded her set with what she called the “TV Girl Trilogy”  — three songs from her and the indie band’s collaboration album “Summer’s Over.”

Jordana sang the title track with a sensual — almost lustful — tone, abandoning the previous song’s silly sentiment. 

“Sweet to Dream,” performed in a dark blue haze, evoked a ghostly atmosphere. Her delicate voice progressively rose, peaking at a vocal crest, dripping with whimsical emotion.

When the opening vocal samples for “Better in the Dark,” played, the audience erupted into cheers. Jordana danced under a shower of rainbow lights while playing the iconic guitar sample, ending the concert in an exuberant fashion.

In the end, the audience members were merely guests in the dreamy, otherworldly home of Jordana.