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.”
Babe Haven joined Die Spitz on their Something to Consume tour, a perfect pairing of fierce femme ferociousness and earsplitting aggressive punk rock (not to mention hair flips for DAYS). I last saw North Carolina’s Babe Haven in Chicago last April when they opened for English-duo Soft Play, and instantly fell in love with this […]
Babe Haven joined Die Spitz on their Something to Consume tour, a perfect pairing of fierce femme ferociousness and earsplitting aggressive punk rock (not to mention hair flips for DAYS).
I last saw North Carolina’s Babe Haven in Chicago last April when they opened for English-duo Soft Play, and instantly fell in love with this band. They have the perfect blend of punk, metal, and riot grrrl and a chaotic sassiness that cannot be matched.
Since their last Chicago stop at Schuba’s on May 31st, Die Spitz toured with the infamous Viagra Boys, had their own North American headlining tour, have another headlining tour scheduled in February 2026 in the EU/UK and have a slew of summer 2026 music festivals in the books.
The band shows no signs of slowing down as members climb onto speakers, jump into the crowd moshing and thrashing about on stage. Their full-throttle performances leave you begging for more…and with the powerhouse of an album Something to Consume, Die Spitz is just getting started.
Garage-punk duo Teen Mortgage just finished another leg of their tour to promote their newest album, Devil Ultrasonic Dream. This time we caught up with them at one of the coolest Milwaukee-area venues, X-Ray Arcade, along with supporting bands Alex Vile and Bev Rage & The Drinks. Check it out! Voted Chicago’s Best Punk Band […]
Garage-punk duo Teen Mortgage just finished another leg of their tour to promote their newest album, Devil Ultrasonic Dream. This time we caught up with them at one of the coolest Milwaukee-area venues, X-Ray Arcade, along with supporting bands Alex Vile and Bev Rage & The Drinks. Check it out!
Voted Chicago’s Best Punk Band in 2024, Bev Rage & The Drinks opened the night with their loud, fast, and unique stage presence. Drag queen Beverly Rage towers over the crowd in high heels and tall hair, delivering a fun theatrical and unapologetically queer performance.
Tacoma, Washington’s Alex Vile began as a solo project by guitarist and vocalist Alexandra Vilenius and has since transformed into a solid 4-piece indie grunge band. Staying true to their Seattle-area roots, Alex Vile has all the vibes of an early 90’s alt rock band.
Teen Mortgage is still as fast and rowdy as ever as this leg of the tour comes to a close, echoing the common message of existential dread that we’ve all been feeling: damn ya’ll, shit’s fucked.
“Have you seen A Bug’s Life?” Asks guitarist/vocalist James Guile between ripping through songs of their politically charged album Devil Ultrasonic Dream. The 1998 animated film has deeper themes of anti-capitalism and class struggle, akin to many of the band’s songs.
The band just dropped a new single “Below the Christmas Tree” that is anything but your typical holiday track.
On the new song, James Guile shared, “We wanted to give people a new Christmas song to throw in their rotation because the usual Christmas hits get tedious to listen to. The song is a satire of people’s tendency to ignore the world and embrace consumerism during Christmas and the way they would continue the tradition in the face of a nuclear holocaust. But the flip side of that is that Christmas is a call for peace.”
The band is also partnering with Super Skate Posse and the Boys and Girls Club of Baltimore to provide 50 pre-selected, area youths with new skateboards, helmets, and Converse sneakers, along with a skate demo and music performance in Baltimore.
The event will take place at the Skatepark of Baltimore on Saturday, November 22nd and will include demos from professional skaters Brian Anderson, Darren Harper, Spencer Brown, and Tony Massey, as well as a full performance from the band.
We have the final day’s gallery of Riot Fest 2025! Dying Scene caught a ton of killer bands…IDLES, Lambrini Girls, Jawbreaker, Bad Religion? An unforgettable headlining performance from Green Day? This might have been the best day yet. Check it out! British post-punk band IDLES may have had one of the best performances of the […]
We have the final day’s gallery of Riot Fest 2025! Dying Scene caught a ton of killer bands…IDLES, Lambrini Girls, Jawbreaker, Bad Religion? An unforgettable headlining performance from Green Day? This might have been the best day yet. Check it out!
British post-punk band IDLES may have had one of the best performances of the day with their insane energy; right out of the gate guitarist Lee Kiernan ricocheted into crowd, sending fans into a frenzy. Jack White made an appearance joining IDLES performing “Never Fight a Man With a Perm” and if that was not enough, Soft Play took the stage as well for “Rottweiler”.
I hyped up Soft Play a lot in the last year; first in my top picks of 2024 for their song “Act Violently” and album Heavy Jelly, and again for their sold out show at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge in April with Babe Haven. No surprise, Soft Play’s Riot Fest performance was also fantastic and insanely fun. The two-piece duo Isaac Holman and Laurie Vincent own the stage wherever they play.
Keeping up with the English punk rock theme, Lambrini Girls hit the ground running with the release of their debut album Who Let the Dogs Out on January 10th, 2025 via City Slang Records. The record received widespread praise and charted at #16 on the UK Albums Chart. The album has themes of calling out misogyny, transphobia, homophobia, and politics with their live shows being no different. Personally, they are also one of my favorite bands and finally seeing them live at Riot Fest was nothing short of magical.
Influential and poetic Jawbreaker played a highly anticipated set at Riot Fest. Their controversial major label debut Dear You was released 30 years ago on September 12th, 1995 (and we are so happy they are back!).
Fans flocked early Sunday for Footballhead as they opened the day. I became a fan of Chicago-based alt rock band after hearing their single “Face to Face” on a local college radio station.
Atlanta pop punk band The Paradox was not previously on my radar but I can say I became a fan after their Riot Fest performance. Outrageously fun, the band quickly rose to stardom after just a short period of time opening for Green Day and playing at Warped Tour.
Take a look back at our day one and two galleries if you’re feeling nostalgic. Riot Fest may be over but we are already thinking about what magic they are cooking up for next year. What’s your dream lineup? We’re dying to hear about it!
AFI is currently on a Fall tour of North America to promote their newest album, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, released on the same day of their concert at Chicago’s Salt Shed on October 3rd. The tour marks the first full-scale tour since their 2021 album Bodies. The ever-evolving band has made shifts in every […]
AFI is currently on a Fall tour of North America to promote their newest album, Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, released on the same day of their concert at Chicago’s Salt Shed on October 3rd. The tour marks the first full-scale tour since their 2021 album Bodies.
The ever-evolving band has made shifts in every album, from hardcore, emo, post-punk and genres in between, always pushing the envelope and being their bold, unapologetic selves. With the release of Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, AFI may have reached their final form and what they were always meant to be; a post-punk gothic rock powerhouse reminiscent of the likes of Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy and The Cure.
To help set the mood, the Canadian electronic project TR/ST opened for the evening, transforming The Salt Shed into a synthesizer-heavy dark wave night club.
One thing that remains steadfast during AFI’s transformations? The fans. Between powerful lyrics, dark romanticism, melodic riffs, and Davey Havok’s showmanship (not to mention his own fashionable image), seeing AFI live is nothing short of immersive and feels like home.
AFI played an expanded set list across their discography in addition to songs from Silver Bleeds the Black Sun…, including the album’s leading single “Behind the Clock” and a debut performance of “Ash Speck in a Green Eye“. Also notable was the performance of “File 13” from their 1996 album Very Proud of Ya.
Davey and AFI have not slowed down one bit over the years and their live shows are a testament to that. High energy, jumping from platforms, crowd participation and even being held up by fans while standing, you can tell AFI genuinely love what they do and their fans. Whatever the next era may hold for AFI, we the fans are here to stay.
