A few years ago, my niece Laura shared her latest music discovery with me. Burn the Jukebox was a teenage band just starting. Last year when BTJ performed near Chicago, we finally got to see them live.

Since then, the band shifted a bit from standard rock music to an edgier, harder sound. Along with the new vision came a new name: American Vanity. While we liked the music of BTJ, we see the change as progression of the band, who now do more original songs.

Recently, American Vanity appeared at Cobra Lounge on the Near West Side of Chicago. Having procured our tickets months ago, naturally we were first to arrive at the venue.

The evening started with the band chatting with all VIP ticket holders. We were impressed with how engaging and professional they were considering their youth. After group pictures ended that session, we headed to the dining area.

Luke Vanchure, Luke Hoffman, Virginia Franks and Carter Dennis.

Virginia Franks

Carter Dennis

With a menu of great choices, we opted for cheese pizza, pickle chips and cannoli pudding for dessert. The food was much better than expected, well above standard bar food. The star was the cannoli pudding, which I had been anticipating since we bought the tickets.

We finished in time to see Long Gone start the music. I didn’t know much about Long Gone, but I really enjoyed their set of a pop rock–punk rock mash. After playing for about 45 minutes, they received a lengthy ovation. We would definitely see them again.

Lead guitarist Patrick Smith, drummer Trevor Hancock, bassist and lead vocalist Alex Rogers, and rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist TJ Horansky.

After a short intermission, American Vanity took the stage and dove right into songs from new album 17. Bassist and vocalist Virginia Franks had a real presence center stage. On guitar and sharing vocals, Luke Hoffman brought a strong voice. Luke Vanchure’s work on lead guitar drove the songs. In the back, Carter Dennis was a show in himself with his strong drumming. They are remarkably polished for such a young band.

One other takeaway was the crowd. While I thought I would be the oldest person there, I was pleasantly surprised to see a great range of ages in the audience. That is a credit to the band’s overall appeal.

As this tour ends, college starts for some of the band, but they will continue making music. Based in Pennsylvania, there will probably be more local shows, but my niece and I already are looking for their next Chicago stop.

— John Wroblewski, online writer