Carlswerk Victoria, Cologne, Germany30th September 2026
Lake Street Dive - “2026 European Tour” - Support: John Splithoff
It has been over two years since the release of ‘Good Together’, the latest studio album by the American band LAKE STREET DIVE - which was founded in 2004 at the New England Conservatory in Boston - and the band is currently aiming to release its next album next year.
It’s not a given that the quintet - known for its distinctive, nostalgic blend of Vintage Soul, Jazz, Pop, And Classic Rock - will tour Europe between these two albums in September and October 2026 and play a handful of concerts in Germany. We’re reporting on their performance at the well-attended Carlswerk Victoria in Cologne, where, however, a black screen reduces the venue’s size by a few meters.
John Splithoff
JOHN SPLITHOFF secured the opening slot. The Chicago-based singer-songwriter, born in 1990, has been in the music business since 2013; he released his debut album, ‘All’, in 2021 and followed it up last year with his second album, ‘Far From Home’. With around 1.5 million monthly listeners on the streaming service Spotify, it’s clear that the musician has built up a respectable fan base over time. In the past, however, his live performances were limited to shows in the U.S. alone. The opening slot for LAKE STREET DIVE gives JOHN SPLITHOFF his first opportunity to present his music on stages outside the U.S.
It’s shortly after 8:00 p.m. when JOHN SPLITHOFF takes the stage. A drummer and a keyboardist accompany the multi-instrumentalist, who spends the next 30 minutes switching back and forth between electric guitar and keyboard and occasionally performs songs entirely on his own, leaving his two bandmates with nothing to do during those moments.
Musically, JOHN SPLITHOFF moves effortlessly between pop, R&B, and soul, and certainly knows how to please the audience with his performance. Since the music is quite laid-back and smooth, the American does well to keep the audience engaged throughout. Whether it’s inviting them to sing along to a melody or dance along to a very simple dance step, it hardly matters. Because it works. The audience is fully engaged and bids farewell to JOHN SPLITHOFF and his small band after almost exactly half an hour with a hearty round of applause.
Lake Street Dive
After the usual intermission to set up the stage, LAKE STREET DIVE finally takes the stage shortly after 9 p.m. The undisputed star of the evening is frontwoman Rachael Price. In keeping with the very summery temperatures on this last evening of September, the singer takes the stage in a summery outfit that wouldn’t look out of place at any cocktail party. With an ease that seems to effortlessly shift between velvety soul, radiant pop, and powerful belt, she has the Cologne audience in the palm of her hand from the very first song. However, it must not be overlooked that the band as a whole impress with their technical precision.
Of course, the singer, well-lit in the centre of the stage, is clearly the focal point of the performance, but her four bandmates do an equally outstanding job. The catchy ‘You’re Never Around’ is a fairly new, upbeat song that was released as a single just a few weeks ago. It’s followed by the almost cheerful ‘Dance With A Stranger’, the melancholic ‘Better Than’, and ‘Baby Don’t Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts’ - a few songs that have been part of her set list for years.
One definite highlight is that the quintet performed a few songs in Cologne that aren’t yet available for purchase on any recording or on streaming services. ‘Vegas Mattress’, penned by Mike Calabrese, kicks things off - inspired by the drummer’s overnight stay at a hotel in Vegas. This is immediately followed by ‘Laundry Day Overalls’, another new song that has only been appearing sporadically in the band’s live set list for the past few weeks. Next up is ‘Fences’, written by bassist Bridget Kearney - a song about how there is, fundamentally, enough on Earth for everyone. “Everybody deserves a piece of the pie.”
Afterward, all five musicians gather in the centre of the stage around singer Rachael Price for an unplugged session. Instead of sitting behind the drum kit, drummer Mike Calabrese now holds a hand drum, bassist Bridget Kearney boldly picks up the double bass, and keyboardist Akie Bermiss plays a melodica. Together, LAKE STREET DIVE tackle ‘I Want You Back’ by The Jackson 5 and ‘Linger’ by THE CRANBERRIES before performing ‘All Ways’, a song making its world premiere in Cologne. The five musicians have never performed this song before, and the band seems excited about it.
Singer Rachael Price talks about how ‘All Ways’ is undergoing a transformation from a song that until now has existed only in the band’s minds to a song that, in just a few moments, will become a real song because it’s being brought to life on stage. After three highly acclaimed songs performed in this unplugged version, the band members return to their usual spots and continue their set with the upbeat ‘Hypotheticals’, the opener from their 2021 album ‘Obviously’, slowly heading into the home stretch. For ‘Still The One’, a Shania Twain song that LAKE STREET DIVE loves to cover often, keyboardist Akie Bermiss takes the lead vocals.
He is also the one who remains on stage alongside singer Rachael Price for the following song, ‘Twenty-Five’, while the other three members of the quintet leave the stage. The regular set finally wraps up after 80 minutes with ‘Seventeen’ and ‘You Go Down Smooth’, two songs that have been part of the band’s live repertoire for ages. After a short break, LAKE STREET DIVE return to the stage for an encore and finally wrap up the evening with ‘Good Kisser’ after two more songs. What a great show! A bit short, but still: great!
Setlist
01. Bad Self Portraits (Walk On Intro)
02. You’re Never Around
03. Dance With A Stranger
04. Better Than
05. Baby, Don’t Leave Me Alone With My Thoughts
06. Vegas Mattress
07. Laundry Day Overalls
08. Better Not Tell You
09. Get Around
10. Fences
11. I Want You Back (The Jackson 5 cover)
12. Linger (The Cranberries cover)
13. All Ways
14. Hypotheticals
15. Good Together
16. Still The One (Shania Twain cover)
17. Twenty-Five
18. Seventeen
19. You Go Down Smooth
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20. What I’m Doing Here
21. Good Kisser
All pictures by André Wilms
