Brandi Carlile- The Human Tour
Friday, February 20, 2026
Chicago, Illinois, All-State Arena
Opening Act: The Head and the Heart
My live music bucket list is continuously long and diverse, loaded with aging icons, living legends, dominant superstars, indie cult-faves, and promising newcomers. Brandi Carlile has been consistently on that list since I first became enamored with her music during the release of her 2012 album, Bear Creek. That album became one of the definitive favorites of my twenties; I quickly devoured the rest of her back-catalog that I had been foolishly unfamiliar with, and have been an avid fan as her career and cultural profile continually ascended from that point. Vocally, lyrically, and artistically, I regard her as one of the greatest of the current generation. As an obviously still-avid fan of music across multiple genres, not to mention an outspoken social activist and a representation of the LGBTQ+ community, I likewise relate to her on a personal level that feels as authentic as you possibly can to a celebrity in the put-on social media climate of the 2020s. This all equated to an enormous amount to live up to upon seeing Carlile in concert for the first time, but she and her band most certainly did, and then some, when I finally did this past Friday night at the All-State Arena in Chicago.
From the moment she intimately opened the set with the stripped title track of her current album, Returning to Myself, she immediately affirmed what I knew she would out of the gates: that her wondrously expansive and uniquely special voice would be just as powerfully wondrous live as it is on record. It was a high bar that she marvelously sustained throughout the entire two-plus hour show, especially through soaring signature ballads like “The Story”, “Right On Time”, “The Joke” and the bulk of Myself, of which a good majority of the set was devoted to. Her supporting band, anchored by her longtime collaborators The Hanseroth Twins and the soulful, orchestral duo SistaStrings were equally fabulous, and the ever-humble Carlile made sure to give them ample spotlight and recognition.
That definitive humility was a enduring pillar throughout the entire show, through her confessional stories and banter with the band and audience, whether it be reflecting on her youth, motherhood, current events, and fame itself. Though Carlile had earned the distinction of headlining an arena show here and there in the past, this tour represented her first full-scale tour of such venues, and she was forthright in acknowledging the intimidation factor of performing in rooms this size, and the fact that it was a notion that she & the Twins had outright rejected earlier in their careers, for the fear of robbing the music of its unique intimacy and human connection. But with music as powerful as Brandi Carlile’s, it was no issue in keeping the proceedings intimate and communal, whether it be through song selections like “The Mother”, or the three-piece acoustic section where she and the Twins took deep-cut requests from the audience, while a photo montage of their two decades on the road played in the background. Equally impressive however was their ability to, on a dime, transform the event back into a full-blown rock show, through ravenous rave-ups like “Mainstream Kid” or “Sinners, Saints, and Fools”. Carlile’s catalog has always been expansive, versatile, and genre-less, and that variety shows in glorious fashion during this show.
That fringe status that has found her music segueing between genres and influences can be attributed to both her encyclopedic knowledge, and flat-out love, for all things music. She’s always worn her sheer music fandom so proudly on her sleeve. As mentioned above, it’s one of the characteristics that has always related me to her, and it was something that was embedded in her show as well. In addition to the selections from her recent collaboration with hero Elton John (and the entertaining accompanying stories from behind the scenes), she referenced a slew of artist inspirations throughout the night, including Bruce Springsteen, Alan Jackson, Dolly Parton, and Freddie Mercury. Meanwhile, her encore found opening act The Head and the Heart (who did a solid job BTW, with a cozy set that focused on the bookends of their work: their early Americana breakthrough and most recent album Aperture) joining her onstage for a take on Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, and later another rapturous rock moment with a rendition of Alanis Morissette’s “Uninvited”. The inarguable highlight in terms of the cover selections last night however was certainly Carlile’s daring choice to tackle Linda Ronstadt’s 1970 folk-rock signature, “Long Long Time”. There are a very select few voices that should even get near a Ronstadt cover, and Carlile’s is certainly one of the worthy. It may have been the best showcase of her singing all night, not to mention SistaString’s musicianship, and it was one that I’m not ashamed to admit moved me to tears. You’d be well-advised to seek it out online.
Finally, if you’re wondering if Carlile got political at all throughout the show, the answer is yes. It wasn’t always subtle either, particularly leading up to the fiery performance of “Church & State”, and as she reflected on the tour’s next stop in Minneapolis, and the violently chaotic period that city has experienced during ICE’s presence on their streets. She navigated all of this with her typical clear-head, empathy, and grace; essential ingredients in mitigating polarizing division from those who may not have agreed with her. Judging from the reactions of the crowd however, that likely wasn’t a prominent presence in the audience. It’d be comforting, but perhaps sadly naive, to think that may have had more to do with just the basic value of humanity that Carlile was advocating for, rather than any political affiliation. (It was later reported that the Minneapolis concert raised over $600K in funds that Carlile donated to charity, The Advocates for Human Rights.)
As my husband and I departed the concert and headed back to our Rosemont-area hotel, I found myself fixated, not only by what a spectacular night of live music this was, but how rewarding it’s been to watch Brandi Carlile’s career evolve over my past fifteen years of fandom. First off, I quickly realized how much the enormity of her catalog has snuck up on me; this was a loaded set-list and I could still name over a dozen favorite songs that I had hoped and perhaps even expected her to sing, but that there was no time for (including any tracks from my Carlile gateway album, Bear Creek). Most prominently though, I thought about what a refreshing statement it is on the present musical world as it relates to her rise to headliner status. A half-century ago, her jaw-dropping voice, poetic songwriting, and commanding stage presence would have made her a legitimate superstar, right alongside the likes of Elton and Ronstadt. Instead, outside of the Americana sphere that she’s helped elevate to a grander profile, she’s really never had anything resembling a smash hit or prominent mainstream moment in any of the rock or country genres that she’s always been on the fringe of. But, yet here she is, a legitimate superstar with a sold-out arena tour. How refreshing that we’ve arrived to an evolved place in the music system, where none of these dying industry benchmarks, or the lack thereof, dictate or a prevent a superb talent like the Brandi Carliles, or Zach Bryans, or Tyler Childers of the world from reaching the musical pinnacles they’re deserving of.
In the end, the Human Tour would have been a sensationally rewarding and resonant musical experience, regardless of the venue or audience size. In the current single that’s given the tour its name, Carlile sings the potent hook line, “It’s hard enough being human.” That’s certainly the true human experience for far too many in the year 2026. But for those of us fortunate enough to experience a Brandi Carlile concert on February 20, 2026, we were reminded that, sometimes, the experience of being human can also be pretty damn beautiful as well.
(Photo credit: The Chicago Tribune)
Set List:
- “Returning to Myself”- from Returning to Myself (2025)
- “Human”- from Returning to Myself (2025)
- “Mainstream Kid”- from The Firewatcher’s Daughter (2015)
- “Swing For the Fences”- from Who Believes In Angels? with Elton John (2025)
- “A War With Time”- from Returning to Myself (2025)
- “A Woman Oversees”- from Returning to Myself (2025)
- “Right On Time”- from In These Silent Days (2021)
- “Who Believes In Angels?”- from Who Believes In Angels? with Elton John (2025)
- “Hiding My Heart”- from The Story (2007)
- “Stay Gentle”- from In These Silent Days (2021)
- “You Without Me”- from Who Believes In Angels? with Elton John (2025) and Returning to Myself (2025)
- “The Mother”- from By the Way, I Forgive You (2018)
- “The Story”- from The Story (2007)
- “You and Me On the Rock”- from In These Silent Days (2021)
- “No One Knows Us”- from Returning to Myself (2025)
- “Sinners, Saints, and Fools”- from In These Silent Days (2021)
- “Long, Long Time”- Linda Ronstadt cover
- “The Joke”- from By the Way, I Forgive You (2018)
- “Hold Out Your Hand”- from By the Way, I Forgive You (2018)
- “Viva la Vida”- Coldplay cover **Encore**
- “Church & State”- from Returning to Myself (2025) **Encore**
- “Uninvited”- Alanis Morissette cover **Encore**
- “A Long Goodbye”- from Returning to Myself (2025) **Encore**
The 706 
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