There was no resting for me after Riot Fest because the very next night I went to one of my favorite clubs in the city, Reggie’s, to see Kylesa. After being totally blown away by them when they opened for Mastodon in the spring, I simply had to see them again so there was no way I wanted to miss this, no matter how tired I was!
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth
The Atlas Moth, who I had never heard of and as a result didn’t know they were from these parts got things started. They were pretty noisy and very heavy with mid tempo sludgy guitars. They kind of sounded a bit like a bluesy early Isis at times and also sometimes even more noisy. Their singer had a crazy handlebar moustache too! About two songs into their set and I was already eying their merch table in search of any vinyl. My fix came in the form of a 7″ single they had for sale. Sure I am unemployed and cash poor, but I had to have it so it was a birthday present to myself! I’m definitely going to see this band play again, they made a fan out of me for sure.
Red Fang
Red Fang
Red Fang
Red Fang
Another band I was unfamiliar with, Portland’s Red Fang, took the stage next. They were heavy yet much more melodic and had a 70s retro vibe to them too. I’d file them perhaps in the stoner rock category. Their songs were super catchy and the band was a bunch of solid and talented musicians. The songs had a few tempo changes and some unique styling and they too made a fan out of me and I’d like to check out their records someday. My friend Jon who went with me to this show was really taken by this band as well.
Saviours
Saviours
Saviours
Saviours
Saviours
Saviours made the journey from Oakland, CA to bring their form of metal to the Windy City. They had a stoner metal thing going for them too with dual layered guitars and some Motorhead-esque sounds but much more intricate and full. As much as I liked the two bands that preceded them, Saviours blew them off the stage and I wish they would have played even longer! The singer had all these huge tattoos too and must have spent most of his life under a tattoo gun getting all that work done!
Kylesa
Kylesa
Kylesa
After a long setup process that included setting up two drum kits and a sound check, Kylesa took the stage and I was prepared for awesomeness. I think the best invention in music was the idea someone had to have two drummers play together on stage. Kylesa subscribes to the theory that two drummers equals twice the power and they are correct.
Kylesa
Kylesa
Kylesa
The two drummers started playing and the guitars kicked in and the band was firing on all cylinders from the beginning. Their sound is so huge, so thick and so powerful that their records, while extremely good, can’t come close to capturing that feeling that you get when seeing the band live. The two guitar players weave their sounds in and out and the wall of sound that comes out of their amps is simply stunning. The bass player is a ball of energy and he never stops moving around and banging his head while he pounds notes out of his instrument without ever stopping or slowing down to catch his breath. I think his energy could power a small automobile alone.
Kylesa
Kylesa
Kylesa
The two males and one female took turns with various vocal parts and all of them sound like they are summoning some mystical demon from far below the earth who would come and unleash violent fury on the world. I was surrounded by people banging their heads and being blown away by the magic these five Georgians were summoning on the Reggie’s stage. The sound was perfect as was Kylesa’s performance. After they stopped playing the crowd wanted more so they gave us one more song before they had to close the club for the evening.
After a week of fine shows that preceded this night, my seven day run of shows ended on the highest note possible: four great sets by four excellent bands in an excellent club. What a week!
