ChiBrations • Krystal Metcalfe

Update: Making her return to complete this month's edition of ChiBrations, Krystal Metcalfe releases some original music from her upcoming album In Real Life. The powerfully delivered lyrics and a superb performance from the band have "Adversary" jumping out of your speakers like a storm siren warning of an imminent threat. For Krystal, that threat is her adversaries in her new single, but she seems to be overcoming obstacles swiftly with a voice that is sure to draw some attention when In Real Life drops this summer. 

For those of you who may have missed the launch of ChiBrations last month with co-founder Sam Trump, it's a monthly series that will showcase a new performer and their work each month including a short interview, a cover song chosen by the artist and an original song. During the first week of each month, These Days will premiere the artist interview paired with an in studio performance video of the cover song. In week three of each month, we will be updating this feature story with an in studio performance video of the artist's original music. We think you'll love getting to know each and every one of the forthcoming ChiBrations subjects, so be sure to click on any and all content branded with that very Chicago inspired logo you see above.

This month's featured artist is singer/songwriter Krystal Metcalfe. This Chicagoan by way of St. Louis seeks to offer a place of refuge for her listeners, a place where problems and life's stresses melt away and are replaced with a sound that she describes as "the love child of Aretha Franklin and Chaka Kahn, infused with Rock n' Soul and Musical Theatre." If Krystal's words describing her music don't have you intrigued, the music itself will surely do the trick. Ahead of her next big show will be at the Westside Music Festival on Aug 20th and a new album later this summer, Krystal gets warmed up with the ChiBrations crew by performing  "Distance" by Emily King blended with Minnie Riperton's classic "Loving You" serving as the performance's intro.  

Back at Soap Box Music on Chicago's west side, Krystal is joined by Percy "PJ" Nesbary on the guitar, Theodore Berry IV on bass and JoVia Armstrong keeping the tempo with the drums as she tackles the cover portion of her ChiBrations set.