In what should become a regular thing, yesterday Cobra Lounge hosted a Sunday matinee show when Sludgeworth headlined the second of their two record release shows, the first being the night before. It only took more than three decades, but the band has just released a brand new studio album! Not since the days of the CBGB Sunday matinee shows has this been a thing, but it needs to be again here in Chicago! Someone make this happen!
First up was Josh Caterer, who is the singer of the Smoking Popes. For his solo performance it was just Josh and an acoustic guitar. He played an assortment of Smoking Popes songs. Josh is a great crooner and has such a smooth, soothing voice, so it’s always great to hear him sing Hearing acoustic versions of Smoking Popes tunes is pretty neat and they translated well to that stripped down presentation. Josh played a little over a half hour and it was very enjoyable.
Next up was The Brokedowns. These guys hail from Elgin, IL and have been around for the last couple of decades. These guys played some really high energy, fast punk rock. It wasn’t hardcore, just fast paced melodic, sometimes sing-along punk that packed a great punch. The guys were hugely entertaining not just for their good songs, but for the between song banter that had a lot of people cracking up. The whole set was just a lot of light hearted fun with some great tunes to accompany it.
Hot off the heels of their show the night before, Sludgeworth took the stage once more to celebrate the release of their first new album in 35 years! If that length of time isn’t crazy enough, what’s crazier is it’s every good as, if not better than their classic early material! It is like time stood still for these guys and they are every bit as great now in middle age as they were in teenage! That’s something rare and very special!
The band opened up with “Together Not Together”, which was their new single they released in 2024 and it sounded amazing. This band has always been fantastic performers and it was clear that they practiced well and were beyond ready for these high profile record release shows. It’s a great song and a very fitting opener. The crowd was all smiles and people were even singing along.
Sludgeworth played a lot of songs from the new album, but they’d weave in an old favorite every couple of songs. The setlist was very well planned out and the pacing was phenomenal. It also proved how timeless their sound is, and how great the new material is as it stands alongside the beloved favorites and you’d be hard pressed to be able to choose what was the better material because it was all so great. It truly was a flawless set and this band will go down as a band that set the benchmark of how to reunite and make a new record that matches or bests their beloved back catalog. Sludgeworth is a unicorn in the punk scene, a band with such great songs and even greater people, where their shows are not just shows, they are special gatherings of like minded people with something connecting them. It’s more of a family gathering of all the best family members more than just a punk rock show. There’s something in the air that is unique to a Sludgeworth show, and we’re lucky to be able to experience it again, but even better.
The band played for a little over an hour, which totaled 18 songs. Each one was delivered flawlessly and each one made the entire audience smile, sing along, and dance. It was the best way to spend a Sunday afternoon. If you see the new Sludgeworth album in a store, buy it immediately, it will be the best thing you pick up this year, and if you ever get a chance to see them perform, do whatever it takes to make sure you’re there to witness it!
