Hearing the whole crowd singing so loud it overpowers the band, but also feeling like the only person in the audience. This is what it feels like to be at an arena in the pit of a Lumineers’ concert. Everyone has heard of The Lumineers. Even if you’re not a die hard fan you’ve at least gotten one of their songs stuck in your head from the radio and not been mad about it. If you aren’t an everyday fan already, you definitely will be after you experience their live show. It’s intense and all encompassing. It’s beautiful and energetic and a live music experience no one will forget in their lifetime. When you get a moment where you remember you’re in that huge crowd, you just take a minute to spin around, full circle and see all the people there having the night of their lives just as much as you are. Please go catch one of their tour dates before it’s over and I promise you won’t regret it.

Photo & Review by: ​Tharynn Hook

As part of King Tut's seven weeks of Summer Nights, I caught Echo Machine playing on the 23rd of July. They had some great supporting acts such as The Abstract Dancers and Dillon Squire, both of which gave great performances and the crowd was cheering and ready for the main act to come out. 

They opened with Less Alone, and then followed with Universal Background Music and other great hits by them. They threw in some new songs as well that hadn't been heard before. There were folks jumping and drinking and just having fun and enjoying the music of the night. 

There are loads of acts still lined up in the next few weeks at King Tut's so if you fancy some good music and something to drink then get yourself over here. 

​Photo & Review By: Tyler Sams

Dillon Squire was one of the supporting acts for Echo Machine last night at King Tut's, they have a very rock sound and supportive fans who were jumping along with their music. Their half an hour set didn't feel like it was long enough as they played song after song without pause. They seemed like a band that could be going places and definitely one to watch out for. 

Photo & Review by: Tyler Sams

Sleeping With Sirens made their to Chicago’s famous House of Blues on July 14th, 2022. The CTRL + ALT + DEL Tour featured a full line up with openers: Garzi, Point North, and Don Broco. It was a packed house from front to back and bottom to top.


There was no shortage of energy for all the openers. Garzi got the night started with his alt-rock influence that the crowd vibed with from beginning to end. One of his most energetic performances came from “Sick of Me” that even featured Travis Barker on its release. Point North was up next and kept the crowd going with their pop-punk feel. One of my favorites from their set was “Into The Dark” which even features Sleeping With Siren's Kellin Quinn. Don Broco was up next who had the crowd JUMPING for the majority of their set. Each song packed a powerful punch with heavy drops and amazing vocals from Rob Damiani, who’s drip was unmatched.

Sleeping With Sirens stepped up to the stage and was greeted with a huge uproar from the crowd. Complete with crowd surfers and pits, there was no shortage of energy from the crowd. SWS started the night off with “Break Me Down” of their latest album “How It Feels To Be Lost.” One of the most memorable songs I feel of the night was their cover of Goo Goo Dolls “Iris” which delivered soft yet powerful vocals from Kellin. They also live debut their single "Crosses” which released only a few weeks ago. SWS then closed the night off with one of their most popular songs “If You Can’t Hang.” Even without lead guitarist Jack Fowler, who recently left the band to pursue other ventures, SWS didn’t skip a beat.

Review & Photo by: Connor Hannan

The Australian pop rock group known as, Lime Cordiale, embarked on a nine date USA tour, with their stop in Chicago, being their first time ever in the Windy City. 
Wednesday, July 13th, at Lincoln Hall in Chicago, a group of about 50 people arrived early and anxiously waited at the venue's bar before doors even opened to rush in and get the best spot in the venue since the concert was sold out. Tommy Newport opened up the night, with his dreamy pop/alternative music. Movie Screen and American Scam were songs that stood out. Despite his songs on record being produced to sound a bit more electronic, his music translated extremely well in a live setting.

Finally, it was time for Lime Cordiale, that consists of brothers Louis and Oli Leimbach as well as touring members; Felix Bornholdt, James Jennings, and Nicholas Polovineo, to join in on the fun. They walked out, greeted the crowd, greeted each other, and got down to it. Being an Australian act in a big city, brought out the fans from their home country living in the US. The Liembach brothers told the crowd that despite having a German last name, and living in Australia, they also happened to have an American passport due to having an American father, which led them to their song Ticks Me Off. They played an extensive 14 song set which included Hanging Upside Down, Money, and Robbery.
Playing to 500 people on their first time in Chicago, shows just how great and charismatic this band truly is, definitely worth your time and money for when they announce another North American tour and let's hope they just continue getting bigger and bigger. A Lime Cordiale concert is truly an experience like no other.

Review/Photo By: Heriberto Gallegos

​Walker Hayes hit the stage at the Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, North Dakota on Sunday, July 10, 2022, and was immediately greeted by a hyped up crowd who waited out in the heat to enjoy the show. Hayes opened up the show with his songs “Drinking Songs”, “Country Stuff” and “Beautiful.”

He told personal stories in-between many of the songs he performed which really connected the fans to the tracks and their meanings before they got to hear them live and sing along. The fan interactions and intimate song stories really made this show and artist one to watch. The setlist featured songs from all across Hayes’ last couple albums and had deep cuts for the die hard fans as well as the recognizable hits for new fans.

Hayes really drove home his amazing relationships with his wife and kids not only through sharing stories on stage, but also through the way he ran to the side of the stage to give his wife a kiss mid-set and by calling a portion of the show the “Laney section” because he was about to play his wives’ favorite songs of his. Hayes and his wife have six kids together who all watched the show from the side of the stage and who were seen tossing around a rainbow football backstage before the start of the show - A football that would later be thrown into the crowd after the lyrics, “Her favorite season is football,” were sang.

The show ended with the big hits “AA” and the ever-so-catchy “Fancy Like.” The crowd sang out all the lyrics to these songs and many fans popped up their phones to capture a video to remember the moment. To end the final chorus of the song and the show, all six of Walker Hayes’ kids ran out onto the stage to do the viral TikTok dance moves to “Fancy Like.” This show wasn’t a part of a particular tour but you can catch Walker Hayes on his social medias for show updates and check out his new song “Y’all Life” out this Friday, July 15, 2022!

Review/Photo By: Aly Goelzer

Chase Rice played to a full crowd on June 23, in Fargo, North Dakota. He made sure to thank the crowd for coming out multiple times and told the story about the last time that he played a show in Fargo it was to a room of about 15 people so he let the fans know how grateful he is for them listening and getting out to the show!

The show started with opener Brianna Helbling who belted out some of her new original songs as well as many covers of popular country and pop hits. Half way through her set the intense heat and sun of the day got the better of Helbling and she needed to have her friend and fellow country music artist Zach Thomas sub in for a couple songs before bringing her energy back to the crowd.


Alexandra Kay took the stage next with beautiful ballads like “How Do We Go” and “I Kinda Don’t” and even a cover of Tim McGraw’s “Don’t Take the Girl,” which is the song that got her career going due to a cover she posted on TikTok that Tim duetted on the app. Her genuine talent and kindness shined through in her performance and she got the fans in the perfect mood for the headliner.

Chase Rice was greeted by cheers as he started his set with his song “American Nights.” He sang all of his radio hits and fan favorite tracks and even talked about his career as a songwriter before having his own voice on the radio - leading into him singing the 11x platinum single he wrote, “Cruise,” which we know best sung by country duo Florida Georgia Line. Rice also sang his version of “Ride,” a song originally sung by R&B singer SoMo, which Rice recorded as a bonus track on his album back in 2014. 

Rice ended his set with the party song “Drinkin’ Beer. Talking’ God. Amen.” The crowd was super fired up as Chase Rice and his bandmates took out a full cooler and threw out free beers to lucky fans in the crowd. 

Fans can check out an upcoming Chase Rice show throughout the summer and fall all across the country!

Photo & Review By: Aly Goelzer

​Turnover created a perfect show at the intimate venue of 24 Oxford in Las Vegas. Contrary to what you might imagine when picturing a Vegas concert, big and intense, Turnover pleased everyone by having a personal show that almost made us in the audience feel like we were at a garage band, projector sheet and all, show discovering the next big thing. They were there with us watching the opening band, Healing Potpourri, and they were still with us when they came on stage and included us in a breathtaking performance. The audience were all big fans of Turnover, it was clear to tell as they were leaning over the barricade and singing their lungs out with the band. I’ve never been to a show in this city that felt like I was the only one in the audience, but also feeling part of a community where only we know of the experience we’re all having that night. This was the last show of Turnover’s tour, sadly, and I’m looking forward to the next one.

Photo By: Tharynn Hook

Stand Atlantic kicked off their packed F.E.A.R. tour back on May 6, in Ventura, California and hit 31 different cities before they landed in St. Paul, Minnesota at Amsterdam Bar and Hall on June 21, 2022 for their second to last date of the tour. 

They brought along fellow Australian band With Confidence to open the tour for them. With Confidence and Stand Atlantic started out in the same Sydney, Australia music scene so them getting to tour together really brings things full circle!

The rockers in Census opened the show with tons of energy and hits like “Ruin My Life” and “Hydrangea”. They were followed by No Love For The Middle Child who switched up the vibe as an individual who is classically trained cellist, plays seven instruments and has an undeniable stage presence. He played multiple instruments in his opening set and even made cameos during both With Confidence and Stand Atlantic’s sets! If you haven’t listened to these bands yet I would highly recommend you look them up!

With Confidence took to the stage next and brought the emotions out of their fans who sang along and even cried during many of their songs. They played a 12 track setlist starting with “Keeper” and “Moving Boxes” and ending with their big hit “Voldemort.” They also played their track “London Lights” for the first and last time on the tour specifically because the members of Stand Atlantic had been requesting them to play it all tour long.

Stand Atlantic brought out all their fan favorites as well as many new tracks from their recent “f.e.a.r” album that came out on May 6, the same day the tour started. They played a full set with 19 tracks including, “Lavender Bones”, “deathwish,” and “Hate Me (Sometimes).” They also pulled out both of their ballads for an acoustic moment with “Toothpick” and “Drink to Drown.” For the encore, lead singer Bonnie Fraser was surprised when opening band Census returned to the stage to play the final tracks on stage with her during their last night along on the tour and was even more surprised when nearly every band member from the whole lineup hit the already crowded stage to goof around during the final song, “molotov [OK].”

You could really tell that they were all good friends and gearing up for the end of the tour when the band members and crew from all the bands started pulling pranks on each other, like removing parts of the drum kit while the drummer was mid-song, and coming out to pretend tune their tour mate’s guitars while they were playing and even subbing in different members to finish out songs. The energy and deep relationships we could see on stage made for such a great night of live music in Minnesota.

While the U.S. tour has ended, Australian fans can check them out on their Australian leg of the tour until July 10th. And for U.S. fans who missed them this time around, they will be coming back soon on tour with I Prevail, Pierce The Veil and Fit for a King from October 24 to November 22.

​Photo & Review By: Aly Goelzer

​The colossal tour package that is Undeath, Frozen Soul, Bodysnatcher, Chelsea Grin, and Dying Fetus all in one night, made a pit stop at Concord Music Hall in Chicago. Undeath, from Rochester, New York opened up the night with a crushing energy, despite it only being 6:30pm, a large crowd had already gathered and was more than eager to start a mosh pit or two for the opening act. The band took a moment to pay tribute to the late Trevor Strnad, vocalist of The Black Dahlia Murder, stating that their first tour was with them and Trevor and the rest of the band really took them under their wing and were grateful to have crossed paths with them. 

Dallas, TX locals, Frozen Soul, took to the stage next. Starting off by giving the crowd a great sound check, then showering them with soap bubbles. The blue lighted concert room suddenly turned into a gym room, when vocalist, Chad Green, asked the crowd to drop and give him 20 push ups, giving them the nickname Frozen Swole. Florida based band, Bodysnatcher, was up next. Despite being labeled as deathcore, their sound seems to stray closer to that of modern hardcore. Bodysnatcher had the most aggressive pits of the night, not necessarily violent, but the crowd that comes from the hardcore scene was definitely enjoying themselves. 

Chelsea Grin, direct support for Dying Fetus came out with a heavy hitting set. They played a career spanning set showcasing how many of their songs are instant classics. By the end of their set, they had the whole crowd jumping and moshing around, really intense stuff from a really intense band. Death metal legends, Dying Fetus, sound bigger and fuller than any ordinary 3 piece band. Seeing that Frozen Soul had gotten the crowd to do push ups, they themselves wanted to see if they could pull off the first human centipede mosh pit, but due to the crowd being shy of putting their faces right on the behinds of strangers, they settled for what seemed to be a death metal conga line. Despite 4 bands playing before them, the crowd still found energy to run around and scream along to the lyrics. 

Five incredible bands in one bill is a real treat for those of you that get the chance to catch this tour. Each band there has enough of a following and talent to headline their own tour. Getting them all in one package, is a real metalhead's dream.

Review/Photo By: Heriberto Gallegos

So, this was the first concert I photographed in Las Vegas. It was different from being a concert photographer in New York from the very start. The venue was huge and the lighting was excellent, which made the artists look even better. The security and staff were really kind and the crowd was terrific from the start. The people seemed to be there for 99 Neighbors just as much as they were there for Rainbow Kitten Surprise. As a recent fan of 99, I was so excited to finally see them live, and I got to be in the pit for a lot of the performance. Being so close, really feeling the music, being able to capture that, made me feel alive. After leaving the pit, I was off to the side of the stage where I was able to see the beautiful crowd and really see how great this was for everyone. There were so many loud, crazy moments, so it was intense to see the crowd go completely silent as Aidan sang solo. To close out this performance they performed one of their more known songs, “Fuck No”, and that really got the energy up. I was soaking it all in and trying to experience every last moment, and the experience was made even better by everyone singing along with me. When it was time for Rainbow Kitten Surprise, I was blown away. I honestly hadn’t heard of them before tonight, and what a performance I walked into. The passion was clear as they played and the crowd was so loud behind me that I could barely hear security telling us our time in the pit was up, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. It was an amazing night that I can only hope everyone will get to experience some time. 

Photo and review by: ​Tharynn Hook

​Friday 3rd June will play host to some of the nation’s much loved and established live acts alongside some of the hottest bands to emerge over the last year. The additions include indie stalwarts THE KOOKS, Liverpool’s THE MYSTERINES whose debut album ‘Reeling’ went top 10 in the UK album charts this week, Yorkshire breakout band THE REYTONS and festival favourites BLACK HONEY.
 
Already a legendary live performer, Gerry Cinnamon’s gigs have become folklore – joyous mass fan singalongs inspiring devotion and a dedicated following that has swelled, via word-of-mouth, to epic proportions. The show in Nottingham will be one of only a handful of shows his fans will be able to see him outdoors in the UK in Summer of 2022
 
THE KOOKS
After a worldwide arena tour, the release of their 2018 UK Top Ten album ‘Let’s Go Sunshine’ saw the British indie-pop band topping the bill at festivals across Europe and at home. The streaming boom had opened up The Kooks to a new audience of young fans who loved their distinctive brand of indie pop and were itching to see them play live. Recently wrapping up their 15th anniversary tour in the UK, The Kooks announced their long awaited sixth studio album, ‘10 TRACKS TO ECHO IN THE DARK’, set to be released on July 22nd.
 
THE REYTONS
The Reytons need little introduction – you’ll hear them coming a mile off. After collecting over half a million Spotify streams across their three EPs, their debut album “The Kids Off The Estate” debuted No 11 on the UK Official Charts. With the same cheeky everyman charm as fellow Sheffielders the Arctic Monkeys, it’s not surprising the band are on a rapid ascent to the top of their game.
 
THE MYSTERINES
The Mysterines are a true force to be reckoned within UK rock. Barely out of their teens, they completely sold out both their 2020 and 2021 headline tours and were selected as one of Amazon Music UK’s Ones To Watch 2022. Their debut album “Reeling” has debuted at no.9 in the UK album chart. Grief, self-destruction and heartache run heavy through the record, but all are brought together by the blackest of humour. 
 
BLACK HONEY
A truly original band they have always been, their latest album ‘Written & Directed’ saw Black Honey graduate from the intriguingly anomalous newcomers to becoming one of UK indie’s most singular outfits.  They've travelled the world, graced the cover of the NME and become the faces and soundtrack of Roberto Cavalli's Milan Fashion Week show; and can smash a festival stage, all without compromising a shred of the wild, wicked vision they first set out with.


DYLAN JOHN THOMAS
Named Scotland’s breakout star of 2022, indie pop Dylan John Thomas has had a non-stop ascent so far since the release of his self titled debut EP last October. Mentored by Gerry Cinnamon, he has supported the likes of Sam Fender and Liam Gallagher who personally invited him to open one of his Arena shows. Believed to be Scotland’s next biggest singer-songwriter, Dylan John Thomas is one to watch.
 
ZUZU
Zuzu is the definition of a millennial artist; a visibly confident front person, songwriter, producer, director, actor and comic book illustrator
 
DAISY BRAIN
Daisy Brain is the alias of Will Tse, a songwriter & producer from London. He writes and produces from his Hackney bedroom, combining a love of Britpop and Grunge with an emo melodic streak and lyrics rooted in his Gen-Z experiences. Combining the guitar-led arrangements of alt heroes like Blur and Sonic Youth with the earnest songwriting touch of Elliot Smith, Phoebe Bridgers and Matty Healy. 
 
MICHAEL ALDAG
Breakthrough singer, songwriter and TikTok star Michael Aldag is an artist, who as quoted by The Line of Best Fit, “is channelling the trials and tribulations of youth into his experimental, anthemic pop.” His deeply relatable and honest lyrics, which are often described as ‘soundtracks to life,’ has seen his singles ‘Ghosted’ and ‘LOML’ both land feature plays on BBC Radio 1’s Molly King’s ‘Best New Pop’ show respectively and Sunday Brunch name him as ‘One to Watch for 2022.’
 
EWAN MAINWOOD
London born singer songwriter Ewan has been honing his craft around the country and is currently supporting Tom Walker on tour.
 
Meadowlands, the new event series from live promoters FKP Scorpio, will feature a variety of music acts across multiple stages with its sights set on becoming one of the biggest music events to ever take place in the city.

Written by: Tyler Sams 

Stepping into the most beautiful music venue I’ve ever been to was a great start to the night. At Kings Theatre in Brooklyn, with a capacity of 3,000, I was awed to see it completely filled. As I stood in GA waiting to get into the pit I was surrounded by fans who clearly adore this band. They were talking about the member's stage placement so they could get the best place to stand, saying which songs they were most excited to hear live, and how this would be the best night of their lives. While in the pit, waiting for the show, I couldn't stop watching the fans and the venue. Both were so beautiful and just added to the energy of the room. When Big Thief did come on, the set was slow to start and everyone was holding their breaths just watching and supporting and wanting to catch every moment. Through my lens, it was even more beautiful. Taking photos of this band truly felt like art and at some points, I had to just stop and watch and listen, and I knew that this was a once-in-a-lifetime performance I got to witness. After the first three songs, I got to go to my seat, where of course we didn't actually sit. The band had such a range of get-out-of-your-seat-and-dance and try-not-to-cry-because-this-is-so-beautiful songs that worked so well together. The energy was never lost and the fans were always captivated. When the band ‘left’ at the end, the cheer for them before they came back for the real finale was loud and never wavering. It was a beautiful night in a beautiful venue with a beautiful band, and I couldn't have asked for a more perfect night.

By: Tharynn Hook

Tonight saw the long awaited return to U.K. soil for New York rockers State Champs. Straight off the back of their brand new album ‘Kings of the New Age’ dropping they took to the stage a little after 9pm. The audience was in full attendance with high adrenaline present from the get go keeping the energy on a consistent high. 

Appearing on stage to the title track of the new album ‘Here to Stay’ the band can be seen matching the crowd's energy toe for toe. Frontman DiScanio can be seen bouncing about the stage from the get go, his energy levels can only be described as infectious. As the setlist progressed into ‘Eventually’ and setlist staple ‘Frozen’ the energy seemed to kick up a notch: if that was even possible!

As crowd surfers flew over the front row the show spurred on! The show offered Champs the perfect opportunity to play their new material how it was written: and it went down a treat. 

The setlist was the perfect mix of old and new with something for everybody present within the 19 song setlist. Setlist staples such as Frozen, Criminal and Secrets saw that the whole room was singing in unison and the energy never ceased. 

Having seen State Champs previously I was intrigued to see how their performance would level up; they did not disappoint! The new album is a certified banger and is definitely one for the replay in your Spotify/Apple music queue! 

Catch them at a show near you soon, you won’t regret it! 

​

Popular West Coast rapper, Amine, shut the House of Blues down in Cleveland with a wildly explosive performance the other night. The show began with the rapper on a tall LED wall performing "Mad Funny Freestyle". Right off the bat, the crowd went crazy jumping up and down. The photo pit had felt like a wavy riptide as the people jumped and shouted the lyrics to the song. 

As the rapper began performing his song "Shimmy"  from his album, Limbo, the crowd shouted every lyric the rapper said in unison and the vibes he put out into the crowd were explosive. However, when he played his song "Ratchet Saturn Girl", the crowd went even crazier and jumped wildly as he performed the energetic rap portion of the song. In the second half of the song, everyone calmed down and vibed out to the "Saturn" like the sound of the genre-bending song. 

Throughout the entire show, Aminé promoted self-love to the crowd, which made everyone feel even more connected and captivated with him. Toward the end, he performed more of his classic songs ("Reel It In", "RED MERCEDES", "Caroline") even mixed his song "Spice Girl" with a classic Spice Girl song, "Wannabe", and everybody went wild and sang along as he danced on the stage. 

Overall, Aminé put on a really exciting show. Along with the vast genre-bending setlist, his set had amazing visuals, high energy, and a lot of good vibes that resonated well with the crowd and kept everyone captivated.

Review/Photo By: William Smith

With one of the best days this spring that Chicago has seen, it was a perfect day for a concert. Ashe made her next stop on her “The Fault Line” tour at the Metro, located in the heart of Wrigleyville. This was, by far, the longest line I’ve seen this year at a concert with the line wrapped around the block and then some. I probably shouldn’t be surprised when dealing with an artist as big as Ashe with BACK-TO-BACK sold out shows!

Opening for Ashe was The Brook & The Bluff who hail from Birmingham Alabama. The band from the south got the night started with “Straws” off their self-titled debut album. Each member, multi-talented, were mic’d up for vocals and each took turns singing throughout the night. About half way through their set, a concert goer needed medical attention and the band stopped mid-song to make sure they were attended to. It’s always nice to see artists take concert goers safety in to account when needed.

The crowd had been restless since the beginning, and it got even more restless once the silhouette of Ashe appeared under the arch at the center of the stage. Ashe boasts a powerful yet soft melodic voice with energy that the crowd easily fed off of. From beginning to end, Ashe constantly engaged with fans at every square foot of the stage. Fans were handing Ashe flowers left and right that probably rivaled the amount of probably sold on Mother’s Day. One of my favorites from the night was her most recent single, released on May 6th, making waves through the airway was “Hope You’re Not Happy,” because who doesn’t have, that one ex that they hope never finds happiness again? 

Ashe has one more stop in Denver and then she travels across the pound to Europe to finish off her tour.

Photo/Review by: Connor Hannan

For the first time in what seems like weeks, the sun was finally shining down on Chicago just in time for the Lights concert at the House of Blues. Fans were already lined up around the building in the primary colored outfits for Lights’ “Baby I’m Back” Tour.

It was a small but mighty line led off with Tillie. I must say, Tillie is the most adorable, "potty mouth” singer I've seen live and it was amazing. Tillie was constantly engaging with the crowd and making sure they remembered who she was with her stellar voice and extremely catchy lyrics and melodies, such from her recent single “The Me U Kno". Tillie puts out a super energetic performance that easily got the crowd going.

I’ll be honest, I haven’t heard too many Lights songs prior to seeing this show… and damn... I’ve been missing out. Live, Lights puts out a stellar performance from beginning to end. The energy she gives in her performance is contagious. It’s no wonder why she has such a loyal following with her amazing voice and extremely catchy hooks and drops. She started off her performance with “Prodigal Daughter” off her most recent album “PEP.” And she didn’t disappoint fans and played some of her most popular songs such as “Giants,” “Love Me,” and “When the Summer Dies.”

I wasn’t listening before, but I definitely am now.

Be sure to catch one of her upcoming shows!

05-07 Toronto, Canada - History
06-30 Lake Cowichan - Shakedown 2022
04-22 Squamish, Canada - Constellation Festival 2022

Review/Photos By: Connor Hannan

The Nowhere Generation Tour made its way to The Rave/Eagles Ballroom in Milwaukee, WI on April 12th 2022. The Rave prepared for the big night by opening up the Ballroom to it’s full capacity set up. It’s a good thing they did because the ballroom was PACKED from wall to wall.


First up was Stick To Your Guns. STYG hails from Orange County, CA and definitely didn’t start the night off slow. From beginning to end, STYG had the crowd restless with constant crowd surfing. Pennywise, a long standing punk rock band out of Hermosa Beach, CA, continued off that energy. It was cool to see a such wide range of ages enjoying the show. Also, probably the first time I've ever seen a 13 year old kid crowd surfing, haha. 

Finally, it was Rise Against’s turn to take the stage, and needless to say, they did not disappoint. This was the 3rd Rise Against concert I've seen, and every time, they always bring 110% effort and energy. Rise Against had a great set list with songs off their new record “Nowhere Generation” and classics that helped bring them to their rockstar status everyone knows every single word to. 

As always, it was a pleasure to see Rise Against again and see that they’re still going stronger than ever.

Review/Photo By: Connor Hannan

Death of a Tour, showcasing Nova Twins, Royal and the Serpent, and Grandson made a stop in Chicago's SOLD OUT Bottom Lounge on April 3rd. 
All the way from London, England, Nova Twins gave the crowd some great opening energy. The thunderous rock duo opened up their set with one of their newer songs "Antagonist" quickly followed by "Wave". Despite only playing seven songs, Nova Twins did a very solid job as the opening act and could easily be playing longer sets as headliners themselves. Their set was finished off with their furusitc sounding song, "Taxi".
Ryan Santiago, professionally known as Royal & the Serpent (RATS), was direct support for this tour, and for good reason. RATS' lyrical themes seemed to resonate with the crowd, as they sang along to songs expressing their battles with depression and anxiety like songs "I Can't Get High" and "Better". Royal & the Serpent gave the fans a treat, covering "Mr. Brightside" by The Killers and finished off the set with her viral song "Overwhelmed".
The first city to sell out Grandson's Death of a Tour, was Chicago, so this one was extra special. Jordan Benjamin, AKA Grandson opened up his show with the ever so powerful song "6:00" other hits included his recently released song "Kult" and "Rain" before Grandson walked off stage and changed out of his HEADCOUNT shirt and into a suit and tie, becoming his alter ego, X. Grandson noticed three fans in the crowd dressed up and wearing masks of him, his guitarist Ramon, and drummer David. He decided to bring them onstage for them to show off their awesome attire. The crowd at the Bottom Lounge was high on energy, with moshpits in the middle and everyone else screaming out loud with their hands in the air, not one body stood still. After the song "Stick Up" Grandson and the band left the stage but left the fans wanting more. Chants from the "grandkids" as the fanbase is called, asked for more songs from Grandson and he delivered. He came out for two more songs, closing out with 'Blood// Water" and a dive into the crowd from Grandson, who had to get on top of the bar to elevate himself high enough to be caught by the crowd. Despite the 18 songs played and all the sweat and energy left on stage, Jordan found himself outside of the venue, doing an acoustic set of a couple of songs and taking the time to talk to and meet some grandkids in the pouring rain. 
Grandson and the rest of the acts definitely gave the Bottom Lounge something to remember in what was a powerful night of rock and roll and chaos.

Review/Photo By: Heriberto Gallegos

​Norwegian black metal legends, Mayhem, brought the Sanguine Sodomy of North America tour to The Vic Theatre in Chicago, this past Friday, April 1st. Mayhem was scheduled to co-headline the tour with Swedish black metal band, Watain. Unfortunately, a couple of days before the tour was set to start, Watain announced they had problems with obtaining their visas and had to drop out of the tour entirely. 

Midnight, led by vocalist/bassist Athenar brought the energetic and blasphemous sounds of blackened speed metal, opening with their song "Black Rock 'n' Roll" the masked trio played 45 minutes worth of their discography, with some of the crowd favorites being "Evil Like a Knife" "You Can't Stop Steel" and the closing song "Unholy and Rotten"
While the crew worked on putting the finishing touches on Mayhem's production, fog filled the theater giving an already eerie vibe a boost. Mayhem vocalist, Attila, came out, cloaked and masked, to the sounds of their song "Falsified and Hated" from their latest album, Daemon. There were 3 acts in their set, with short intermissions for wardrobe and backdrop changes. Act 1 finished up with Voces Ab Alta and Act 2 quickly started up with the famous "Freezing Moon" riff off of their first studio album, De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas. The band's light show definitely shined in the last 2 acts, being only back-lit, Mayhem's unique look and sound made for a great sight to see. For act 3, all 5 members removed their cloaks and masks, giving it their all on stage. True Norwegian Black Metal is still alive and well, as Mayhem showcased that almost 40 years later, despite multiple member deaths and changes, they can rock the stage. 
Mayhem said they would be back to the USA soon, whether that's with Watain if they solve their visa problems or not, is yet to be seen. Whatever the lineup is, it'll be a killer time. 

Review/Photo By: Heriberto Gallegos