Forget Godzilla. Two indie bands launched their own tirade on the city on Saturday, destroying Chicago with a wash of guitar and a wave of nostalgia.

Tourzilla, the combination of indie bands Last Dinosaurs and Vacations, performed at Chicago’s House of Blues to a thousand-strong crowd.

The two Australian bands drummed up support for the tour through a tastefully curated selection of memes on the Vacations Instagram — and a request that anyone attending a concert dresses as their favorite movie character. 

With promotional materials that look far from a coordinated effort by a major label, Tourzilla packs a plethora of personality that was on full display at Saturday’s concert.

Last Dinosaurs opened the concert with a collection of light tracks, and the crowd smiled and swayed to songs like “Italo Disco” — reminiscent of Clairo’s indie-pop staple “Pretty Girl.” Special guest and bedroom pop artist Eliza McLamb added another angle to the opening. 

After the opener, digital panels behind the stage lit up with the mid 2000s “DVD-Video” logo. The Blockbuster-era image teasingly bounced from side to side, capturing the crowd’s attention almost immediately. 

Has the logo ever actually hit the corner? Well, it did, and an arcade buzzer sound rang with a triumphant exclamation throughout the venue. The clever introduction was on brand for the meme-posting, woozy guitar riff-playing indie band. 

Vacations‘ lead singer Campbell Burns took center stage shortly after. Walking in circles throughout the set, the frontman looked like a Pinterest board, brought to life with his patchwork tattoos, camp-collared jumpsuit and forest green electric guitar. 

Singing “we ain’t going to the town, we’re going to the city,” Vacations greeted the Windy City with their single “Next Exit.” The jubilant song, one of three singles Vacations has released this year, synced up with the crowd’s vibrant energy. 

The group added an exciting element to the concert, announcing the completion of their third studio album out next January. The announcement was accompanied by the performance of a fourth, unreleased single, met with a collective verve from the masses. 

Throughout the set, Burns, guitarists Jake Johnson and Nate Delizzotti and drummer Joseph Van Lier tennis-balled with the crowd, including Burns’ sarcastic call to open up the mosh pit. With the energy of a standup routine and an intoxicated studio session, Vacations seemed to relish its trip to Chicago. 

Vacations played their second single released this year, “Midwest,” as the group moved into the bulk of the set. Although a bit on the nose, the regional pride strangely flowed from the Australian band. 

Fitting with the “Tourzilla” theme, apocalypse-inspired comic book covers and lava lamp screen art lit up the band from behind. 

Smooth as the song’s namesake, Vacations turned to one of its classic tracks, “Honey,” from their first album “Changes.” Despite a mostly superb set, the live version of this song felt lackluster, with the guitar riff losing its energy in translation.

For the penultimate song of the show, Burns put his guitar down to perform the hit song “Telephones.” The muffled dial tones and pensively nostalgic guitar notes put the crowd in a trance, and not the type found on a Metro Boomin album. This was the exact guitar progression that likely drew much of the crowd to the House of Blues that night. 

Delivering the much anticipated moment you imagine when the song comes up on your playlist, the thrill and melancholy brought by “Telephones” capped off a tremendous showing. 

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Twitter: @JacksonWeier

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