The noise-punk duo Lambrini Girls from Brighton, UK played their highly anticipated show at Chicago’s Vic Theatre on Tuesday, September 29th after rescheduling their original North American tour from April after vocalist and guitarist Phoebe Lunny suffered a neck fracture and acute brain injury. This comes just in time as the band recently announced their new […]
The noise-punk duo Lambrini Girls from Brighton, UK played their highly anticipated show at Chicago’s Vic Theatre on Tuesday, September 29th after rescheduling their original North American tour from April after vocalist and guitarist Phoebe Lunny suffered a neck fracture and acute brain injury.
This comes just in time as the band recently announced their new album, No Refunds, is set to drop on January 15, 2027, via City Slang. Following their acclaimed 2025 debut Who Let The Dogs Out, this new album sees The Lambrini Girls return with a darker and increasingly more urgent record for a world that, in their own words, “got even worse”.
Supporting The Lambrini Girls in Chicago tonight are Big Special from England, another punk duo, and Big Girl, a punk band from New York with explosive energy.
Blasting right through the gate, Big Girl commanded attention with their glam punk high energy and theatrical performance.
Their debut full-length album Big Girl vs. GOD was released on June 30th, 2023 via Final Girl Records, with help from Justin Pizzoferrato who co-produced the album and has worked with the likes of the Pixies and Dinosaur Jr.
One of the more unique bands I have come across in a while, Big Special is Joe Hicklin on vocals and Callum Moloney on drums. The UK duo mix post-punk, spoken word poetry, and hip-hop; think Idles meets Yard Act meets Tom Waits. Another very fun and theatrical band to keep on your radar!
Lambrini Girls, consisting of Phoebe Lunny on guitar/vocals, and Selin Macieira-Boşgelmez on bass, quickly sold out this show to no surprise. The last time they were in Chicago was at Riot Fest 2025 and now we finally get to have another headlining performance since their club show at The Empty Bottle in May of 2025.
The shows are chaotic, politically-heavy with lots of comradery as Phoebe Lunny frequently jumps into the crowd encouraging audience participation.
In addition to hyping up the crowd to mosh, at one point Lunny asks the audience to vote for the next thing they all do: option one, every one takes a giant shit on the floor. Two, have a slip and slide. Three, form a human pyramid…Thankfully, the human pyramid was chosen.
Photos by Mary SundeReview by Brian Nielsen Day one left me feeling every bit of my age. I woke up drained and devoid of spoons, lacking the will to leave the house. Inertia was my enemy; I was unsure I had the fuel to complete another day of the festival, let alone two. The fear […]
Day one left me feeling every bit of my age. I woke up drained and devoid of spoons, lacking the will to leave the house. Inertia was my enemy; I was unsure I had the fuel to complete another day of the festival, let alone two. The fear of failure became somewhat self-fulfilling. I missed several bands because of task paralysis induced by anxiety that I would crap out and be unable to cover the end of the fest. A younger me would have had enough drive and curiosity to depart without trouble. However today, after an unfortunately long inner battle, it was only my sense of duty to Dying Scene that finally prevailed, enabling me to put on pants and call a Lyft to Douglass Park.
I had every intention of arriving in time for Melt-Banana; they were a regular on my portable music player circa 2005. It’s been a long time since I’ve listened to them, but I distinctly remember the spastic, hyperactive vocal style. I was never able to see them live back in the day—a tradition I shamefully carried on to the present by not leaving on time. The list isn’t over yet; Angine de Poitrine blew past too. I discovered them earlier this year when I bought into Rick Beato’s clickbait YouTube title, “Please STOP sending me this,” where he finally gives in to the viewers flooding his inbox asking for his take on the band. I think they’re fascinating, and it brings me joy that a band is doing something so weird and different—so different and weird—something borderline unmusical, but they are still getting mainstream attention for it. I have not developed a taste for the microtonal nature of their songs yet, but I listen to a lot of music now that I didn’t understand how to appreciate earlier in life, so we’ll see where it goes.
At least I left in time to catch Thrice. Well, some of Thrice. At least I thought I would make it to the end of their set. Travel times were longer than estimated and I did not see any of their set. I had forgotten Thrice existed for the better part of two decades, but their newer songs have been popping up in my recommended streaming lists and they’ve caught my ear. I’m, like, really bad at this; maybe I’ll have better luck next time they come through Chicago.
I FINALLY made it through the gates and onto the festival grounds in time for Social Distortion. I vividly remember “I Was Wrong” playing in heavy rotation around ‘97 on Q101, Chicago’s legendary local alternative rock station. Despite loving the track, I didn’t deeply explore their catalog until years later. It contains no shortage of fantastic songs. White Light, White Heat, White Trash is a timeless punk treasure that deserves to be played in its entirety. That being said, I held modest expectations for the performance this year. The first time I saw Social D was long enough ago that I don’t remember any details, except that it was great and I was incredibly excited to see them again. However, the second and most recent time I saw them—which, to be fair, was 20 years ago—I left the venue relatively underwhelmed. They played the songs tightly without mistakes, but every song just felt like it was dragging. The tempos fell noticeably shy of what I remembered from the albums. Maybe their drummer just needed some uppers that night and couldn’t get any, or maybe my internal clock just set me up with unrealistic expectations. My perception could have been the problem, not their performance; they are professionals after all.
Regardless, I did not leave underwhelmed this time—the boys were kicking ass and taking names. The band was mostly dressed to impress with expensive-looking pants and dress shirts that were still tailored and worn with a punk rock edge. The beautiful, classy vintage Gibson guitars completed the look, however the drummer’s LA Dodgers hat felt like he thought it was casual Friday. Their set was tight, punchy, and full of energy. The performance was strong right from the start with “Born to Kill,” and “Mommy’s Little Monster” gave me a lovely nostalgia dose. I left early so I could see some of the Descendents, but I left pleasantly satisfied.
I honestly haven’t listened to the Descendents much since my formative punk years. Back in my day, we couldn’t see the Descendents in concert because they were broken up. All we had was ALL, and we had to make do with it. I remember seeing them at the House of Blues before I was old enough to drive. They sounded great and all, but comparatively, while the bands hold a similar sound and attitude, the Descendents just have better songs. Or maybe they’re just more memorable. Or maybe I just remember them better because that CD was in my car and got played more often. I guess I can’t make an objective comparison here, but subjectively, I have to say I enjoyed the Descendents in 2026 more than I enjoyed ALL in ’98. Noteworthy moment: the brief guitar solo in “Dog House.” It started out with a quick shred, then got loose and noodly as he searched for notes he didn’t quite find, and ended with a sharply dissonant melodic phrase that was almost atonal. I don’t remember the album version enough to know if that was intentional or a cover-up, but it was awesome and made me smile either way.
I was ahead of schedule when I went to the Radical stage to get ready for Chat Pile, which proved serendipitous, as Vana was playing and they were awesome. I’m getting kind of sick of modern metal songwriting—I find the majority of it displeasingly homogeneous—but I found myself really liking Vana’s songs. The riffs and progressions are catchy, not just technical. There’s a decent smear of electronic elements in the songs and even some hip-hop-ish parts for breaks and transitions. The frontwoman was straight-up dripping with stage presence and raw energy. She wasn’t afraid to dance while pacing around the stage like a caged animal, supporting her lyrics with both facial expression and body language. I am a sucker for the singing of a clean, melodic female voice mixed with anguished screaming passages, especially when it’s one person doing both parts. She pulled that style off beautifully. Their music carried serious production value for a band playing this early on one of the smaller stages. I’m generally not a fan of backing tracks, but I felt these were tasteful and created an atmosphere that four musicians alone could not make on one stage, blending well with the rock-solid instrumentation and not overshadowing it. The guitar work was full of heavy, djenty, downtuned riffs and the bass complemented it with that wonderful “klank” tone that Korn pioneered in the 90s. They didn’t overdo it, but occasionally they augmented dramatic snare drum hits with an effect that made it sound like a cannon detonating deep in a cavernous space.
Photos by Brian Nielsen
Until the literal day of the festival, Chat Pile had gone completely under my radar. I am slowly realizing that I may live under a rock when it comes to current music. Thankfully, Mary told me they were worth making time for. Boy howdy, she was right. Chat Pile is aggressive, abrasive, thick, and exquisitely doomy. I loved the fact they were able to deliver the crushing, oppressive doom vibe without playing painfully slow. They have a sound that is distinct and easily recognizable, but unique enough that I really don’t know who to compare them to. Or maybe the comparable bands just haven’t found their way to the rock I live under yet. Doesn’t matter, I’m hooked. As they took the stage, before their first song exploded, I couldn’t help but think their singer looked strikingly like Jim Breuer. It was almost as if he had teleported straight from the 1990s but somehow grew a mustache on his way here. The visuals were misleading, and I was not prepared for his unsettling yet powerful vocal delivery.
Photos by Brian Nielsen
Tool was cool. I only caught their first two songs, though, because it was infinitely more important for me to secure a prime spot for Bad Religion. Tool’s performance was highly anticipated, and I wish I had more to say about it. From where I was standing, I couldn’t get a good view of the band members, and to no one’s surprise, they were not broadcast on the video displays at all. The band instead opted for their signature trippy, avant-garde visuals. The set opened with a wall of feedback and eerie guitar noise while electricity from a Jacob’s Ladder climbed up the video displays. As the opening notes of “Stinkfist” kicked in, the projection cut to surreal, alien-like shapes and structures. The structures contained extraterrestrial humanoid beings that reminded me of the Engineers from Prometheus—except they were wearing khakis and sporting total dad bods. Weird. I can definitely see how seeing Tool could be a hallowed experience in the right setting, one that leaves a mark on a true fan. However, I am a casual fan at best. From where I was standing, it was kind of like listening to the studio recordings of the songs really loud while watching one of their music videos outside on a giant TV.
I’ve seen Bad Religion enough times to lose count—at least 10 times, probably closer to 15. I have never once been disappointed and always leave euphoric. That held true this year at Riot Fest, but for the first time, things were a bit bittersweet and complicated. I never thought I’d have the official opportunity to photograph a band of this magnitude that holds such deep, foundational importance to my musical identity, and I was ecstatic that it was happening. At the same time, watching a show through a viewfinder while devoting most of your attention to what will make a good photo is a vastly different experience than being present and getting lost while connecting with your favorite band, even in the best conditions.
Photo by Brian Nielsen
And I was not in the best conditions. I was shooting the band from the edge of the general standing area, using an unwieldy, massive telephoto lens. I had been using it for the whole festival at this point, but truth be told, it was a new purchase I made specifically to shoot BR. The distance, coupled with being stuck with a single static vantage point and using new equipment I was still getting used to, made for a challenging shoot. The photos I got genuinely fall short of my best work by a noticeable measure, but I don’t care. I am still in absolute disbelief that I got to photograph them; it is one of the highest honors I’ve had.
Musically, they sounded every bit as phenomenal, fast, and precise as every other time I’ve seen them over the last 25 or so years. Nothing will top seeing them play at a Riot Fest after-show at the legendary, now-defunct Double Door—a venue small and intimate enough that my band was able to play there. I got to see Bad Religion play on a stage I had already been on the other side of. Nothing is going to beat that experience, but this one was still extraordinary. I was thrilled by the number of songs they were able to fit into their timeslot, including several of my personal favorites. Despite the challenging photo conditions, something special lit up inside the back of my mind when I was able to recognize a favorite less than three seconds in. “Generator,” “I Want to Conquer the World,” “No Control,” “Struck a Nerve,” “Suffer,” “Infected,” “21st Century Digital Boy,” and “You” all had that effect.
Photos by Brian Nielsen
Hilarious highlight: Greg was talking to the crowd after the second or third song and jokingly said they would get right back to playing “as soon as that garage band is finished.” The stages were close enough together that in between Bad Religion songs you could easily make out what Tool was playing. Jay quickly chimed in to point out they have shared concert bills together before, the first time dating back to the 1980s.
Riot Fest shortened the schedule due to impending rain, and Bad Religion was one of the last bands to play, with their cutoff time listed as 8:00 PM. Much to my joy, the rain was later than expected, and Bad Religion was still going when I checked my watch at 8:10. Nothing lasts forever, though. Shortly after jinxing things by checking the time, I heard the opening harmonics of “Sorrow.” I had seen them close their set with this song so many times before that I was sure it must be the last one. I quickly put my camera away before the opening vocals were sung so I could be off the clock and lose myself in the last song. It was everything I hoped it would be, and in a “But wait, there’s more!” moment, they went straight into “American Jesus” before exiting the stage.
Photos by Mary SundeReview by Brian Nielsen One day in 2005 I went to see the Groodies at the Congress Theater. In and of itself that was nothing special for that time in my life, I had become pretty chummy with the band and regularly saw them once or twice a month. This show sticks […]
One day in 2005 I went to see the Groodies at the Congress Theater. In and of itself that was nothing special for that time in my life, I had become pretty chummy with the band and regularly saw them once or twice a month. This show sticks out in my memory though, because it was a festival show and they were opening for the Misfits. Sure, the current incarnation of the Misfits at the time didn’t draw the attention and respect they reached in their prime, but it still felt like a pretty big deal. Holy crap, that was the first year of Riot Fest. It’s 21 goddamn years later they’re still doing this fest and somehow, this year I’m infiltrating the press tent and telling the public what I think about it. Who thought that was a good idea? Get ready to be disappointed.
On the subject of festivals, I remember being in my early 20s and almost passing out from heat exhaustion at Warped Tour. Funny enough, the main reason I dragged my ass out to the suburbs for Warped Tour that year was also to see the Groodies! Small world. Back to the heat exhaustion, I took this as a sign I might officially be too old for big outdoor all day festivals. I sure as shit was, but for some reason I keep forgetting and trying to prove myself wrong. I generally breathe a sigh of relief every year I decide not to go to Riot Fest. Crowds. Sun. Poorly serviced Port-a-pottys. Ever rising ticket costs. Festival pricing for food and merch. Running into people you never wanted to see again and having to pretend to be happy to see them. The disappointment of the one band you specifically came for only playing a 20 minute set, and you missed half of it because you didn’t know how long the expedition from the other end of the park was going to take. Despite knowing all that comes with outdoor all-day festivals, I can safely say I’ve been to at least five and a quarter instances of the 21 Riot Fests that have occurred, but no more than ten and a half instances. That means I’ve seen far too many bands to care about any of them anymore but I’m gonna try to pretend I do. Day one, go!
Teen Mortgage. One of the many bands this year that was new to me, Mary has photographed them before and made sure we didn’t miss them. The band told you exactly who they were before they hit a single chord by screaming Fuck Donald Trump. Off to a good start if you ask me. I’m always curious to see how two-piece bands pull off a full sound. Teen Mortgage manages to pull it off. When the drums are half the band, you have to hit the right balance. You want to be busy enough to absorb the extra attention you get when there’s only one other guy on stage, but not so busy that the foundation of the songs gets muddy or lost.
The guitar had a sick octave distortion to occupy the space typically filled by two guitars and a bass. He didn’t rely on it for every part of every song though, He bypassed the effect at the times a dedicated bassist would back off to let the soft parts of songs be soft and feel like a punch in the face when coming back for the next loud part. On the other end of the spectrum, there was a generous but tasteful use of a whammy effect, bending notes far beyond what natural sounds a guitar can make, and completely making up for the lack of a second guitar player. Their songs are high octane punk bangers, simple at their core with a lot of nuance sprinkled on top. Delightfully gritty with hooks that are going to stick in your head.
I didn’t actually watch JMSN but their music was distinctly audible while I made a stop at the press tent. Style wise, it was not something I would have expected to hear at Riot Fest but it made enough of an impression on me to look it up afterwards. I would have not guessed JSMN was the creative output of a single artist, and definitely thought I was hearing more than one singer. JMSN’s style is just enough out of my wheelhouse I couldn’t think of how to classify it. The internet describes it as a cinematic take on alternative R&B. I won’t argue with that. The vocal range has a wide register from lows to highs, and spanning several styles of singing. If I had to pick an adjective for the vocals as a whole soulful is the first word that comes to mind. The songs have great texture and arrangements. JMSN is a writer, producer, multi-instrumentalist and operates completely on his own independent label. I have mad respect for that. If you’re looking to broaden your horizons with some music that isn’t loud and angry, check out this modern versatile incarnation of classic R&B.
Photo by Brian Nielsen
I went and gave my attention to Fleshwater as soon as I was back on the park grounds. Fleshwater is one of the handful of bands that I wouldn’t consider a mainstream success yet, but has managed to make it onto my radar. I feel more and more out of touch every year with the ever decreasing number of band names on the Riot Fest line up that I am actually familiar with. Thanks for making me feel like I’m still with it, Fleshwater is dreamy, atmospheric, melodic rock featuring dreamy female lead vocals that still gets heavy as fuck and I am so here for it. Hard hitting drums. Pounding bass. Guitar parts ranging from huge cleans with lush reverbs and delay to driving rock chord progressions, fantastic 90’s alternative riffs that give way to heavy abrasion letting you know they have hardcore roots. So many guitars too! I was nerding out over the collection of classic 90’s and 2000’s guitar amps. I was delighted by the songs where the band decided two guitars just aren’t enough and had lead vocalist Marisa dawn a third leaving no faces unmelted. I’m so glad I got to catch their set, I can’t wait for them to come through Chicago again.
Bratmobile is a band I absolutely should have had long familiarity with but someone I was completely unaware of their existence until now. Early pioneers of the feminist punk Riot Grrrl movement, Bratmobile’s contribution to punk is a piece of history that should be taught in all formal education. The band can be traced back to formation in Olympia, Washington in 1991. I felt truly privileged to see them continue to deliver a blend of surf rock influenced garage-punk 35 years later. The signature smearing vocals are the perfect embodiment of their sarcastic biting and disaffected lyrics and tone. Now that I know how infrequently the band still performs, I consider myself lucky to see this one, thanks Riot Fest for a commitment to bringing bands like this back to the stage after years of hiatus.
So maybe I wasn’t actually there for it, but I have it on very good authority that hometown heroes, Rise Against, brought their a-game this year. I recall seeing what I remember as their debut show at the Fireside Bowl. The year was 1999 and everyone was excited to see what Dan Precision from 88 Fingers Louie’s new project was going to sound like. Tim McIlrath hadn’t even been recruited into the band yet. I honestly can’t remember what they sounded like without him. It’s a trip to think about the breakout success they would go on to hold. A quick aside, I am legally obligated to lecture any Rise Against fan who isn’t familiar with the side-project Tim had in the early years of RA. If this is you, you need to stop what you’re doing and go listen to The Killing Tree right now. Go. I’ll wait. This is not negotiable. Pick back up here after you do your homework. If any of the members of TKT are reading this, when’s the fucking reunion?. Riot Fest 2027? Please?
Anyways, my dumb ass stepped out of the Festival for a bit and I was sure I’d make it back in time for Rise Against. I don’t follow them as closely as I used to, but I was excited for this year. I know I’ve caught pieces of their sets at Riot fest more recently than this, but the last time I bought tickets and watched a whole set was apparently back in 2011 when Bad Religion did that thing they always do and go on tour opening up for a band that couldn’t possibly have come to exist without Bad Religion’s legacy and influence. I’m kicking myself now, because 4 of their 11 songs were off The Sufferer & The Witness, an album I have deep history with. Prior to this album, RA shared a rehearsal space with a band called Holy Roman Empire, featuring my favorite vocalist of all time. I wasn’t following RA that closely at the time but I found out she recorded backup vocals for the album. Credit where credit is due, those backup vocals are the reason I bought the album, but I would still consider it a masterpiece even if she wasn’t on it. Not only did my confidante rub it in how good the performance I missed was, she sent me all her cell phone recordings from it so I could confirm that every element of a most-see show was there, but I got it view the evidence in a format that can’t do it justice in the slightest.
After missing Rise Against entirely, I got back just in time to not reach the Rebel stage in time to see The Pixies. But I got to be serenaded by an excellent compilation of forgotten favorites while walking to the main gate and searching the park for friends I had abandoned earlier. Silver linings I guess. “Wave of Mutilation” is still stuck in my head at the writing of this article.
How old is Iggy Pop? What is holding his physical form together after the life he’s lived? Is it a privilege to still be doing something so well after so long, or does it become a curse at some point? Well, whatever deal he had to make with whatever supernatural deity it was that granted him the power to carry to keep this up, I’m glad he made it. With the number of opportunities I’ve had to see him before this, it would have served me right to wake up to Facebook some day finding out I missed all my chances and I wasn’t going to get any more. This being the case, I was carrying a conflicted heart. I just saw Gwar earlier this year. I’ve seen Gwar, at least a half a dozen times if not twice that. There was not going to be anything going on at the Radical stage during the end of Iggy’s set that I hadn’t seen before. But it’s fucking Gwar, if I can see some of Iggy and some of Gwar, I’m gonna fuckin’ see both.
Iggy came out of the gates with so many hits and so little filler, I couldn’t believe how lucky I was that I was going to miss the end of his set and I still got to hear “Raw Power”, “Gimmie Danger”, “The Passenger, Lust for Life”, and “I Wanna Be Your Dog”. The accomplices I was with had never seen Gwar before, so we were ready to head over there at this point, satisfied with the gift we’d been given. I said we could start walking over there, but if he starts “Search and Destroy”, we’re parking again until it’s over. Sure enough, we parked for one more song.
I felt like a thief, a bandit. Leaving early with all those songs sucked up by my ear-holes, I got away with something I didn’t earn. What was left that could have topped that? “1969”. “1969” was left, Brian you dummy. You missed “1969”. But you got to see Gwar eviscerate a larger than life Donald Trump puppet again instead.
Photo by Brian Nielsen
Do you like mother fuckin’ space? What about intergalactic space warriors??? Have you heard the siren song of the makers of mankind? The Scumdogs of the Universe were a group of violent cosmic thugs content to continue in their ways until they were banished to Earth, a punishment cast upon them by the Master. Their fate was to live out their days on an irrelevant muddy rock of no value, called Earth. Eons ago, when apes were the highest life form on the planet, the members of Gwar, um, well. There was some cross species pollination and next the apes gave birth to the human race. You’re welcome.
Photo by Brian Nielsen
Photo by Brian Nielsen
Now, in this, the year 2026, Gwar has discovered their beloved Tyrannosaurus Rex has fallen into the bad habits of Earth. Leaven no choice, Gwar must let nothing stand in their way as they hunt down Gor Gor, the T-Rex, to administer the ultimate act of Tough Love. One of the many obstacles in their path, this fateful night at the Festival or Riots, Donald Trump crossed paths and he did try to impede them from completing their quest. Thankful that fucking blowhard is no match for the mighty power of Gwar, and his blood rained upon many a festival goer that night. What Riot Fest is complete without cosmic aliens disemboweling a world leader on stage?
The Beat Kitchen had several powerful bands with fearless stage presence perform as Babe Haven headlined another unforgettable night of raw, chaotic energy along side Chicago’s Bev Rage & The Drinks and No Men. The doom-groove No Men sends shivers down your spine with deep vibrato and grinding riffs, transporting you into a trance. Or, as a friend put it, “I […]
The Beat Kitchen had several powerful bands with fearless stage presence perform as Babe Haven headlined another unforgettable night of raw, chaotic energy along side Chicago’s Bev Rage & The Drinks and No Men.
The doom-groove No Men sends shivers down your spine with deep vibrato and grinding riffs, transporting you into a trance. Or, as a friend put it, “I think this band just burped me.”
Pursley leads on vocals and occasionally jumps in on a floor tom and snare, adding to the already blistering drumming.
This was a particularly special show for the fun and fab drag-fronted Bev Rage & The Drinks as it marked their 10-year anniversary as a band. Starting with their 2016 debut self-released EP, Don’t Know Shit, Bev Rage & The Drinks have since released several full-length albums, numerous creative music videos and voted Chicago’s Best Punk Band by readers of the Chicago Reader for 2024 and 2025.
The high-energy queer punk band from North Carolina, Babe Haven immediately got the room moving into a sweating frenzy while blasting through aggressively fierce and powerful songs such as “Nuisance”, “Uppercut” and “Gas Pedal”.
Having just finished their appearance at Camp Punksylvania (along with Bev Rage & The Drinks), Babe Haven will be touring the EU/UK this fall with Latter followed by a US West Coast tour.
Hot off their Coachella performance, California pop punk band Joyce Manor is about to pick up the second half of their North American tour to support their newest album, I Used to Go to This Bar, released on January 30th via Epitaph this year. Joining them is a stacked lineup featuring Militarie Gun, Teen Mortgage and Combat…check out the Chicago show from the first leg of their tour! Kicking off the night is Combat, an […]
Hot off their Coachella performance, California pop punk band Joyce Manor is about to pick up the second half of their North American tour to support their newest album, I Used to Go to This Bar, released on January 30th via Epitaph this year. Joining them is a stacked lineup featuring Militarie Gun, Teen Mortgage and Combat…check out the Chicago show from the first leg of their tour!
Kicking off the night is Combat, an emo, indie rock band from Baltimore. This is a band you will want to watch out for!
You know I’ll never stop gushing about Teen Mortgage. For myself personally, it was the largest stage and crowd I’ve seen them have (though they have definitely played larger), and I was pretty stoked about it. My fellow Chicago fans really showed up for this one!
Teen Mortgage released their newest single “Burn” last month, and it’s possibly their sickest song yet. Beautifully gritty and raw, it has earned its place as a bop you’d put on repeat and never grow tired of it.
High-energy Militarie Gun delivered a chaotically fun performance that really gets you moving. They have quickly obtained notoriety and praise for their intense shows and genre-blending songs.
Joyce Manor’s music truly feels nostalgic. Their most recent album, I Used to Go to This Bar, is the band’s seventh studio album and was produced by Bad Religion’s Brett Gurewitz.
Swedish garage punk band The Hives just finished a brief US East Coast tour, with their last stop at Chicago’s Salt Shed on March 26th. Joining them are Australian punk sensations The Chats! With their cheeky, rowdy, and highly-infectious energy, The Chats popped off the night with hits “Identity Theft“, “6L GTR“, and “Struck by […]
Swedish garage punk band The Hives just finished a brief US East Coast tour, with their last stop at Chicago’s Salt Shed on March 26th. Joining them are Australian punk sensations The Chats!
The Australian “shed rockers” can be appreciated by fans of all ages with their old school punk rock sound reminiscent to being in high school again.
A surprise appearance was made tonight by Sarah Greenwell of Rhode Island punk band Gymshorts for a cover of their song “Heaps of New York“.
The Hives prove to be an essential part of rock and roll history, providing the standard of what a live show should be; intense, theatrical, engaging, a blast to your face non-stop energetic party that gives you the post-concert blues when it is over. This sold-out night at The Salt Shed was exactly that, leaving fans begging for more.
Another year, another St. Patrick’s Day bash with Celtic punk legends Flatfoot 56, this year featuring Liberty & Justice plus fellow Chicago-based punk bands Downtown Struts and Won’t Stay Dead. Tag teaming this show with me is fellow Dying Scener Brian Nielsen! Chicago’s horror pop-punk Won’t Stay Dead have been keeping busy, releasing their debut […]
Another year, another St. Patrick’s Day bash with Celtic punk legends Flatfoot 56, this year featuring Liberty & Justice plus fellow Chicago-based punk bands Downtown Struts and Won’t Stay Dead. Tag teaming this show with me is fellow Dying Scener Brian Nielsen!
Chicago’s horror pop-punk Won’t Stay Dead have been keeping busy, releasing their debut Red Scare Industries album Vindication last December and playing a slew of shows since. They will be playing their first international show for Pouzza Fest in Montreal this May!
Hardcore punk from Houston, Texas, Liberty & Justice flew out of the gate with their own brand of street punk and oi; not only do they sound like a good time, they are a good time!
From here we’re switching gears to Brian’s take on the show (thanks Brian!)
Growing up I was most aware of my Danish heritage, as my grandfather was 100% and my dad was very proud of that. But according to Ancestry.com, I’m more Irish than anything else. I knew I was a little Irish, but finding out it was the majority of my genetics was a surprise. Even knowing this, I’m still not big on celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Even in my drunken heydays, St. Paddy’s Day still felt overly excessive. One of my dearest friends was a bouncer for most of his career; having to deal with the shitshow every year, he came to refer to it as “ashamed to be Irish day.” Those words still echo in my head every year, and I usually celebrate by staying home and not drinking.
This year I broke tradition. This year, Dying Scene called for my participation. Mary Sunde had an extra guest list slot to see Flatfoot 56 at Reggie’s and so generously offered it to me. She suggested I do the write-up to accompany her photo gallery, and I felt it was the least I could do to show my gratitude. Of course, I was out of state when I got the invite, and I couldn’t make it back in time to see the whole show. But I was able to make it back for the Downtown Struts and Flatfoot, so a healthy dose of rock, my face did receive. Oh yes.
I’m a fucking nerd for music gear, so let’s get that out of the way first. It might get boring; don’t feel bad about skipping to the next paragraph. The Struts and Flatfoot shared amps and drums. I didn’t recognize the badge on the drum set, and even with maximum zoom on my phone, I could not read the name. Whoever made them, they had a beautiful, sparkly gold burst finish, and the sound engineers at Reggie’s had them sounding pounding. Full of deep sustain and heavy punch in the attack. I would imagine it was the result of equal parts the quality of the kit and the talent of the engineers. Both guitars sounded perfect for the Struts’ genre. Just the right amount of distortion, not too much not too little, and a very balanced frequency response. Both guitars were going through unmarked 4×12 cabs. Rhythm was using a Mesa Triple Rec; the cab was bare wood, possibly something modern and boutique, or maybe a vintage cab with the tolex removed to show off the woodgrain. Whatever it was, even though I was right up front with it blasting loud and aimed right at my head, it sounded full, rich, and pleasant for the Struts. That is pretty damn impressive in those circumstances.
Flatfoot dialed in some extra top-end bite to the amp, and that was a little harsh where I was standing. It was a classic punk rock sound, though, and I’m sure the tone was excellent for everyone not caught in the headlights of the amp like I was. The other guitar was going through a silverface Fender head and another unmarked cab. If it previously had a name on it, it had been replaced with a decorative boat anchor. To the best I could tell, the amp was dialed into a full-sounding clean tone, and both bands fed a tasteful distortion into it and made it sing. Again, I had the other guitar amp beaming sound directly into my earholes, so it was a little difficult to hear the other amp, but everything I could hear from it was excellent. Bass ran through an Ampeg SVT tube head; I’m guessing the model was an SVT Classic. The Ampeg ran into an Emperor cab with 6 speakers—I think they were ten inchers but it’s possible they were twelves. Regardless, bass tone was on point. Deep low end you could feel and a clean high end that made the basslines easy to pick out.
Alright, as for the actual performances, they were excellent. I had been so busy prior to the show, and in such a rush to get there, I didn’t even know who was opening. As such; I had no idea who I was listening to while the Downtown Struts were playing. The sound was familiar, though. It reminded me of a slightly less aggressive version of some of my favorite local Chicago melodic post-punk bands from the mid-to-late 2000s. And that tracks, as the band formed in 2008 in Chicago. The name is incredibly familiar, and I almost certainly saw them share a bill with one of my many favorite local bands back in the day. Before I knew their backstory, there were hints, as one of the guitar players spoke about waking up one day in your 40s, getting ready to get on stage and play music you haven’t performed since your 20s. The sentiment hit home with me in my 42nd year, still playing in a band I started when I was 15.
The guitars were hitting a distortion sweet spot, full and articulate. The chord progressions were driving. The melodies were catchy. Both guitar players traded off singing lead and playing lead. It was really cool to see them share the spotlight, and they each brought unique character to the songs, keeping things from ever getting stale. Many of the choruses featured both guitar players and the bassist singing together, and if I knew the lyrics it would have had me singing along too. The drums pounded and carried just enough finesse to hold my interest as a snooty drummer myself, without being too busy or getting in the way of the straightforward driving feel of the songs. The bass held a similar style as the drums, doing exactly what it was supposed to do. It tied all the instruments together, playing just enough melody to stay interesting without fighting the guitars for attention.
The crowd was clearly having a good time. When the band shouted, “Fuck ICE,” everyone agreed. There was a group of about 10 people in the middle of the floor having a great time dancing and singing along. Pretty safe bet they were all old fans soaking in the nostalgia, reliving the good old days. Newcomers seemed equally impressed with the band. Case in point, I had a dude come up to me after the show and tell me how great my set was. For a brief second I thought he recognized me from my show at Live Wire a few weeks prior, but I quickly realized he thought I was one of the guitar players from the Struts, and his kind words were meant for them.
Even though I couldn’t place any of their songs when I was invited to the show, I was very familiar with the name Flatfoot 56. Besides the fact they recently played a secret show in the basement of my friend and former bandmate, I have seen the name on countless flyers. Even though I couldn’t pull a memory of seeing them live, I was sure I had. That is, until the bagpipe player came out on stage. I considered bagpipes to be one of the most unpleasant sounding instruments in existence, so had I seen them, I definitely should have remembered that—unless maybe if I blacked out the memory because it was that terrible. But once the band started playing, all evidence pointed against the blackout theory. Not only did the sound of the bagpipes not stab me in the ears, it actually complemented the rest of the music quite well. Another pleasant surprise! The band showed their Chicago roots early in the set with an anecdote about chugging Green River soda while the river gets dyed green. As someone who grew up just outside of the city, and having lived in Chicago proper for over 20 years, I’m ashamed I have never done, or even thought of doing that. Back to the music, I can see why I’ve seen the name around so much. They absolutely nail the classic, high-tempo, driving punk sound with just the right amount of Oi! and bagpipes/mandolin to give it that Irish flavor.
Nostalgia stayed thick in Reggie’s that night as the band played many old favorites. They even brought out their old drummer of 13 years, who hasn’t played with them since 2013. Allegedly he was going on cold, without practicing. The band had asked him to sing with them, only requesting him to play drums AND sing at the last minute. I say allegedly because boy, did he nail it; he didn’t miss a beat and I easily would have believed he had rehearsed heavily before the show. Later in the set, he came back on stage just to dive off of it. He narrowly missed clipping Mary with his foot. An inch to the right and he would have kicked her camera straight into her head and I would have been carrying her out of the venue to nurse a concussion. As the band continued their set, it seemed as if the whole standing area at Reggie’s was dancing and singing along and yelling all sorts of requests from the band’s deep discography between songs. In between songs they shared more anecdotes, some specifically about life on the road. My favorite was a time they played in Germany without securing lodging before the show. They ended up sleeping on the venue floor, huddled up, “like peas in a pod,” using their stage banner as a blanket. Adorable.
Reaching its end, the night felt short, as their 14-song set and single-song encore raced by in no time flat. Even though everyone wanted more, no one was disappointed with what they got. It was a night I won’t soon forget, for on this St. Patrick’s Day weekend, I had no reason to be ashamed to be Irish. At least not until seeing the news and reading the posts the next day, because; St. Patrick’s Day. St. Patrick’s Day never changes. Fighting and puking and general disorder in the streets was as widespread as ever, but not inside our tiny bubble at Reggie’s Rock Club.
Dying Scene had the chance to talk with Edward Barakauskas of Teen Mortgage to talk about his other band, Tired all the Time, an alternative synth rock, post-punk trio from Washington, D.C. that just released their new LP SOMEWHERE ELSE on January 23rd. Check it out! Tired all the Time (TATT) formed in 2017 with their current […]
Dying Scene had the chance to talk with Edward Barakauskas of Teen Mortgage to talk about his other band, Tired all the Time, an alternative synth rock, post-punk trio from Washington, D.C. that just released their new LP SOMEWHERE ELSE on January 23rd. Check it out!
Tired all the Time (TATT) formed in 2017 with their current lineup consisting of Michael Talley (vocals/synth), Brian Miller (bass guitar), and Edward Barakauskas also of Teen Mortgage (drums). Their songs explore themes of existential stress, dystopian anxiety and social isolation juxtaposed with danceable melodies and tongue-in-cheek humor. While appropriating language and aesthetics from the corporate medical and pharmaceutical industries alongside the occult, they are known for extending their performances off stage by creating alternate reality art around them.
TATT has toured throughout the US and shared stages with notable acts such as FEEDER, MAN ON MAN (feat. Roddy Bottom of Faith No More), Empath, New Translations and Tigercub. Their album,BE WELL, garnered a Harmony Award for Best Music Video for “Bone Dry,” and received finalist nominations for the 2019 Washington Area Music Awards for Best Punk (Post-Punk) Band and Best Punk (Post-Punk) Album categories. Shortly after, the band was forced into a hard reset when they parted ways with founding member, Daniel Euphrat. In the following years, TATT chose to exclusively release singles while reimagining their identity as a trio. The next album, SOMEWHERE ELSE, is the opus of that stage of creative metamorphosis.
The album was self-produced by the band and mastered by Jesse Keeler (Death from Above 1979 / MSTRKRFT) and will be TATT’s vinyl debut on D.C.-based boutique label Scattered Records. Following the release TATT will have regional show dates including a release show at the Atlantic DC with a tour through the East Coast of the US this Spring.
SOMEWHERE ELSE explores the experience of existing in a society unraveling into a dystopian hellscape. Humans have unlocked technological pandoras box. Now we’re faced with staring at our empire collapsing at the hands of creations and our own flawed nature. Is there a better life on the other side or is our future or will we all go mad as it evolves into Lovecraftian proportions?
Dying Scene (Mary):What other bands would you say if someone likes would be into TATT?
TATT (Ed): We’ve drawn influence from bands like Interpol, IDLES, St. Vincent, Devo, Faith No More, Husker Du, Radiohead and The Mountain Goats. TATT originated as an absurdist satire of pop music and has continued to evolve into our current sound. We’ve never sought out particular bands we wanted to imitate but there are two lesser known bands I think we’ve converged on sonically. Mexican experimental rock group, Descartes A Kant, shares a similar tone of post-punk instrumentation embracing quirkier structures, timbres and noise. The other is MAN ON MAN, a project by partners Joey Holman and Roddy Bottom (Faith No More, Imperial Teen, Crickets, Nastie Band) that makes anthemic, gay proud, synth-heavy, indie rock.
Do you feel like there are any parallels between TATT and Teen Mortgage?
Tired all the Time and Teen Mortgage contain frequent lyrical anticapitalist and antifascist themes but conveyed in vastly different manner. Teen Mortgage leans more directly into anger and frustrations. TATT’s lyrics are more reflective of the spectrum of emotions we feel existing in modern society while holding hopes and fears towards the future.
How do your own experiences within the medical industry (you personally or TATT) play into your use of “language and aesthetics from the corporate medical and pharmaceutical industries alongside the occult”?
Each member held some level of occupation affiliated with these fields. I worked in emergency medicine, Mike works in mental health and Brian works in corporate settings. We are all experiencing reality in our own way. Thus we prefer our audience to form their own interpretation of the art. I won’t go too deep but I can provide some context on how these experiences informed us conceptually.
In the beginning, we were satirizing the absurdity of how industries project an image to the public that’s disingenuous to their nature. It’s like that feeling you get watching a commercial for a new drug or a bank that wants you to believe, “We care about you.” You know behind the mask beats the heart of an intangible entity that’s diluted the human experience down to a number. Mike referenced the concept “Capital has Agency,” summarized as “under the right conditions, a pile of money develops its own gravity and continues to grow, regardless of what values stand in its way.” It acts as an autonomous force shaping human behavior and relationships. Some of these rituals like conference calls, corporate speak, casual Friday and pizza parties resonate analogous to religious observance. This led us to connecting these patterns with the occult.
What can one expect from a TATT show?
TATT likes to bunk expectations and invite audiences into a showcase that’s both familiar and odd. As an emerging artist, we love performing for people that aren’t sure what to make from a guitar-less rock band. You’re still going to get all that raw punk energy but with danceable grooves, noise and dry humor. You might also get our vocalist giving you a crash course in Gray Goo Theory with slow blinking cats projecting behind him.
What’s working with Jesse Keeler like/what made you choose him to master SOMEWHERE ELSE?
Jesse and I became friends during the time Teen Mortgage had the honor of supporting Death From Above 1979 across several legs of their YOU’RE A WOMAN, I’M A MACHINE 20th anniversary tour. Death From Above 1979’s last record had been completely produced and recorded by the band itself, with Jesse having handled most of the mastering. Asking him to master our record made so much sense. The core of their instrumentation setup is essentially the same as TATT’s: bass, drums, vocals, synths and NO GUITAR. Of course the aspect of working with one of the band’s influences on the record was surreal but he really was the best person for the job. He returned the greatest glow up from mixing to mastering of any record I’ve worked on, specifically using some “psycho-acoustic” trick to highlight and balance the thick synth layers acting often as a lead instrument.
Last one…what kind of Lego set would be appropriate to build using your new record as the backing soundtrack?
I asked Mike for help on this one. He said, “There is an official lego kit for the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest structure located in Dubai. It’s been retired but is available for resale. Build it with the knowledge that this will be our world if we fail.” He offered an alternative to lego, “There’s also a model of The Motherland Calls. She commemorates the sacrifices made to defeat Hitler at the height of his cruelty and arrogance in Stalingrad.”
Dying Scene is over here reminiscing about the holidays – or rather, the skalidays. Mustard Plug’s annual Midwest festive soirée Home for the Skalidays came through Chicago last month with support from fellow ska-punkers Devon Kay & The Solutions, J. Navarro and the Traitors, and Bumsy and the Moochers. Check out all the fun from The Bottom Lounge! Chicago’s own Bumsy and the Moochers kicked off the night! Detroit’s J. Navarro and the Traitors took […]
Dying Scene is over here reminiscing about the holidays – or rather, the skalidays.
Mustard Plug’s annual Midwest festive soirée Home for the Skalidays came through Chicago last month with support from fellow ska-punkers Devon Kay & The Solutions, J. Navarro and the Traitors, and Bumsy and the Moochers. Check out all the fun from The Bottom Lounge!
The energetic and upbeat Mustard Plug closed out the festivities for another holiday season in the books. They are currently finishing up a West Coast tour with The Toasters and The Iron Roses.
Relive more of the holiday cheer and check out all the photos below!
Inside Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a replica Russian prison cell sits in the Edlis Neeson Theater with Nadya Tolokonnikova inside. Best known for founding the Russian punk rock performance art and protest group Pussy Riot, Tolokonnikova sits inside the cell sewing garments as visitors peek inside through small slots, giving them a small grim glimpse of what Russian prison life was like as part of her performance art installation Police State. Running from November […]
Inside Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art, a replica Russian prison cell sits in the Edlis Neeson Theater with Nadya Tolokonnikova inside. Best known for founding the Russian punk rock performance art and protest group Pussy Riot, Tolokonnikova sits inside the cell sewing garments as visitors peek inside through small slots, giving them a small grim glimpse of what Russian prison life was like as part of her performance art installation Police State.
Running from November 25 to 30th, Police State is a reenactment of Tolokonnikova’s imprisonment by the Russian government on charges of “hooliganism motivated by religious hatred” from 2012 to 2013 following an anti-Putin protest titled Punk Prayer in Moscow’s main cathedral.
“Transforming the Edlis Neeson Theater into a claustrophobic cell monitored in constant, all-seeing surveillance, the space becomes both a prison and a sanctuary, where despair instead gives way to radical acts of creation… A paradox of confinement and self-determination, POLICE STATE confronts the brutality of unrelenting control while insisting on the possibility of connection and liberatory release despite it.”
Stepping inside the exhibit you are immediately met with a dark and unsettling presence, eerie soundscapes, and the hush of visitors whispering to each other. On the floor a television sits with a live feed of Tolokonnikova from the cameras in her cell. Long banners sway back and forth from the ceiling next to a lighted guard tower with Pussy Riot’s “Police State” song lyrics displayed, “OH MY GOD I’M SO HAPPY I COULD DIE,” “BIG SMILE FOR THE CAMERA IT’S ALWAYS ON,” and “NO PROBLEMS IN PARADISE WE’LL LOCK THEM UP” in large letters. What is most noticeable, however, is the red neon glow of a symbol above the exhibit created by Tolokonnikova that resembles a Russian Orthodox Cross.
Inside the cell itself are walls lined with chipped blue paint and artwork sent to Tolokonnikova by current and formerly incarcerated Russian, Belarusian, and American political prisoners, a bed, toilet, and desk with a sewing machine.
According to Amnesty International UK, the working conditions where Tolokonnikova was being held at a Mordovian penal colony were illegal under Russia’s labor code.
“I didn’t survive to be polite” can be seen etched into the wall above her desk.
The performance piece was previously featured in Los Angeles last June, but a few days in police started closing streets down near MOCA as Donald Trump had ordered national guard troops into the area with protests against the immigration raids nearby. The museum closed out of caution, but Tolokonnikova continued her performance while live streaming audio from the protests outside into her exhibit.
“Police State Exhibit Closed Today Due to the Police State,” she posted on Instagram.
A book documenting this time during the performance is available for pre-order.
Fast forward to today, during the performance of Police State in Chicago, Russia’s justice ministry is seeking to have Pussy Riot designated as an extremist organization and banning their activities in Russia. A hearing is set for December 15th at Moscow’s Tverskoy Court.
“Singing in the streets is not extremism. Doing street actions is not extremism. Extremism is invading other countries and committing war crimes. Being anti-fascist and wearing a Pikachu costume… is not extremism.
Pussy Riot have always stood – and will continue to stand – with Saint Nikolai, who wasn’t afraid to throw a piece of raw meat at the feet of Ivan the Terrible himself, calling him out: ‘You eat human flesh and blood.’
And if telling the truth is ‘extreme,’ then hold my Red Bull.”
