Joe Keery Brings Djo Home to Chicago Theatre With Sold-Out Set, Viral Anthem and a Nod to His Roots

CHICAGO, IL — Joe Keery returned to Chicago on Friday night and treated the city like both a homecoming and a victory lap. The Stranger Things star’s music project, Djo, sold out Chicago Theatre with a show that recalled the momentum of his breakout Lollapalooza appearance last summer.

The crowd leaned into the moment with homemade shirts, themed photo ops and plenty of fan devotion, while the venue buzzed with the kind of familiarity usually reserved for an artist the city has already adopted as one of its own.

A viral song turned the room into a civic singalong

That sense of ownership peaked when Keery played “End of Beginning,” the Chicago-centered song that has become Djo’s biggest calling card. By the time the familiar refrain hit, the theater erupted into a singalong that made the track feel less like a concert closer and more like an unofficial city anthem for a younger generation.

Keery also leaned into the song’s local pull in the wider marketplace, noting how strongly it has resonated beyond the stage. The moment underscored how a deeply personal track about Chicago has taken on a life of its own with fans.

Keery ties the music back to the city that shaped him

Between songs, Keery revisited the years he spent in Chicago studying theater at DePaul University and writing early bedroom-pop material in a North Side apartment. He introduced “Roddy” by pointing out that it was written at his desk on Ashland and Addison, a detail that gave the performance extra local weight.

He also thanked the city’s music community, saying the venues, bands and people who supported him played a major role in his development. Several members of Post Animal, his early band, now perform in his current backing group, reinforcing how much of the show was built on Chicago connections.

The one-off show hints at bigger things ahead for Djo

Musically, the 80-minute set showed off Djo’s range, moving from the gothic pulse of “Awake” to the Beatles-like charm of “Charlie’s Garden” and the synth-heavy emotion of “Egg.” Keery shifted between guitar and keyboards while a five-member band pushed the material toward a bigger, more theatrical sound.

The concert was presented as a one-night event and a warmup before Djo joins Tame Impala on tour in early July. Crews recorded the performance, fans left with complimentary posters, and the whole evening carried the feel of a milestone for an act that seems increasingly capable of filling much larger rooms.

Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.