I got to Chicago’s Riviera Theatre too late to catch Leah Flanagan‘s solo acoustic set, but I did see that she had a good number of people paying rapt attention to her as she played her last song.
Midnight Oil, on their final tour, had packed the venue. The Riviera always seems to be about fifteen degrees warmer than outside of the building – and certainly more humid – and the night of June 10, 2022 was no exception. At least two people had to be helped from the main floor due to heat exhaustion during Midnight Oil’s set.
The Australian powerhouses put on a killer show that lasted over two hours and had two encores.
The first thing you notice when you see Midnight Oil is that lead singer Peter Garrett‘s voice has lost none of its power. He was hitting high notes and punk rage screams right out of the gate on “Nobody’s Child.” They thanked the Chicago crowd, stating that the city had always been good to them throughout their career.
There were a lot of great cuts, both new and classics. “Truganini” had everyone jumping. “Gadigal Land” and “The Dead Heart” had everyone singing along. It was also cool to hear “Kosciusko,” an oldie but goodie, and, of course, “Beds Are Burning” is still as powerful as it was when it was first released.
There was also, as to be expected at a Midnight Oil show, plenty of political talk and activism. The band highlighted the plights of Native Australians and Americans, the climate change crisis, the absurdity of the U.S. health care industry, and the circus of our political climate.
“King of the Mountain” and “Dreamworld,” each in its own encore, had everyone pumping their fists and getting charged up to change the world – which is always what Midnight Oil have wanted us to do.
Don’t miss them if they’re near you, or even if they’re a long drive away. Again, it’s their final tour. They’ve stated that they will continue to make music, but this is your last chance to see them live. They’re not the kind of band to do multiple “last tours” for a cash grab. They keep their word.
The final day of Levitation France (June 05th) had the coolest weather, but there was no rain. The predicted thunderstorms all came overnight, and most of the rain came in the afternoon on Saturday, so we never had to wear our ponchos. The bands we saw that day were among the most varied in musical styles.
First up were the Japanese trio Kuunatic, who play music I can best describe as psychedelic traditional Shinto music mixed with some doom metal bass. It was their first time playing in France, so that made their set a little more special. Everyone in the crowd was intrigued by them at first and loving them by the end of their set.
Kuunatic getting us into a different headspace.
We took a lunch break (Yay, focaccia!) and then came back to the Elevation Stage to see Frankie and the Witch Fingers. My girlfriend hadn’t seen them before, and this would be the fourth time I had. To say their set was powerful would be a massive understatement. They destroyed that stage. The crowd was absolutely bonkers by the end of their set. Many, it seemed, had no idea what was in store for them and were almost blasted into shock not even halfway through their show. My girlfriend described them as follows: “They play like their hair is on fire.”
Frankie and the Witch Fingers melting faces.
Pretty much everyone did an about-face after their set to watch The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who played a good mix of new and classic material. I lost count of how many times some of them switch instruments. Audience members were calling for songs, or trying to have loud conversations with band leader Anton Newcombe in-between songs. Newcombe’s banter with the crowd was fun, especially after one man yelled, “I need more drugs!”, and Newcombe replied, “You don’t need more drugs. You need better drugs. If you had better drugs, you wouldn’t be yelling. You’d be mellowed out.” They sounded great. Top marks go to whomever engineered their set.
The Brian Jonestown Massacre with their requested “drug lights, not drug bust lights.”
The day, and the festival, ended with British post-bunkers Lumer playing a hard, rocking set. They’d been hanging out at the festival most of the weekend, and they looked like they were on a mission, possibly to rescue a skyscraper full of hostages or even some ducklings that had fallen through a sewer grate, every time I saw them walking somewhere. They all had this intense focus and looked ready to either fight or share a pint with you depending on the circumstances. Their live set embodied this the entire time.
Lumer illuminating the evening.
Afterwards, we got on the first of only two paid shuttle buses leaving the festival to go back to downtown Angers. This bus nearly sideswiped a road sign along the Angers streets, to the point where we had to yell for the driver to stop as he attempted to make a turn. He backed up and went through a number of additional one-way streets to get back on track to the downtown city center…where he proceeded to sideswipe two parking poles while attempting to make another tight turn. The wreck caused the glass in the rear exit doors to burst, and it appeared that the bus was stuck on the poles and unable to move. One festival-goer, with a beer still in hand, managed to remove the poles from the sidewalk so the us could make the turn. Only a third of us got back on the bus, either to return to a campground (the only other stop it was scheduled to make) or, like us, to see how this crazy trip would end. Thankfully, it ended with us at the city center without further incident.
The post-festival transportation is my only complaint about Levitation France. There were plenty of buses going to La Chabada, but only three returning on Friday and Saturday nights and only two on Sunday night. Plus, the odds of finding an Uber driver late night in Angers are slim to none. I don’t know if the festival can convince Angers to have more late buses (especially for those who can’t or don’t intend to stay for the whole evening – most of the buses didn’t arrive until the final act was done each night) next year, but that would be a great upgrade to an otherwise fun festival.
Next year will be the tenth anniversary of Levitation France, so the lineup will surely be one to behold. Start brushing up your Français now, and get ready for Levitation Austin on Halloween weekend!
When in Angers, you should check out the Apocalypse Tapestry at Chateau d’Angers. It’s one of the most doom metal things ever made.
Day Two (June 04th) of Levitation France was our busiest day of the festival. There was a small worry of rain and thunderstorms hitting the festival all three days, but it stayed away on Friday and had hit the area on Saturday afternoon. The skies looked clear for Saturday evening, and, thankfully, that turned out to be the case. We walked in for about the last third of a set by You Said Strange, who were highly popular judging by the number of their band shirts I saw at the festival that day.
You Said Strange getting strange on the Reverberation Stage.
Up next were Death Valley Girls. I hadn’t seen them live since the Psycho Music Festivallast year, and they’d written a couple new songs since then (with a new album due in 2023!). They came out, battling the sun beaming directly into their eyes, and put on a heavy, spooky set to counter the light pouring over them.
Death Valley Girls battling the sun and casting spells.
I finally got to introduce myself to them afterwards, which was a delight. We’d only “known” each other through mutually followed Twitter feeds until that time. They’re currently on a three-week European tour and will have a big U.S. / Canada tour this summer (as well as a return to Psycho Music Festival). Don’t miss them.
Some blogger / radio DJ with Death Valley Girls
We then zipped across the lot to see Gustaf. I’d been itching to see them, as I heard their live shows were as fun and weird as their album, Audio Drag for Ego Slobs, and I had heard right. They were just as quirky and sharp as I’d hoped.
I’m not sure if Gustaf or the crowd were bouncing more during their set.
We took a food break (Thanks, BBQ food truck!) and then returned to the Reverberation Stage to see the legendary Kim Gordon come out and rock a mini-skirt better than most women half her age and rock a guitar and stage better than most anyone in the game. It was great to see someone exude so much sensual, raw power.
Kim Gordon flat-out ruling.
Australian rockers Pond were up next and put on a fun, energetic set. Their musicianship was tested and on full display when one synthesizer broke only a few songs into their set. They had to adapt their set list on the fly and play songs they hadn’t intended, and did it without missing a beat.
Pond, changing like chameleons from song to song.
Japanese psych-rock legends Kikagaku Moyo were next. In case you weren’t aware, they are on their final tour for a long time – possibly forever – so don’t miss them if they’re near your town. They sound great as always and dazzled the crowd for their whole set.
Kikagaku Moyo
The festival closed with Canadian electro-industrial duo Pelada, who, if I heard right, were booked a bit at the last minute. They got the entire crowd dancing, with singer Chris Vargas owning the stage (and crowd) from the first moment she appeared. Tobias Rochman‘s beats were a wild switch from the trippy psych-rock and post-punk of the day. Watching douchebag guys being intimidated by Ms. Vargas was one of the highlights of the day.
Pelada dropping beats and spitting fire.
It was a fun day all-around, and the next day would bring psychedelic Shinto music, a band that plays like their hair is on fire, some psych-rock legends, four men on a mission, and a bus ride that will be talked about at the festival for years to come.
It was my first time back to Levitation France in a few years, and it felt great to be back in Angers and at another Levitation music festival. This was my first time attending the festival at the La Chabada venue, which was composed of two outdoor stages facing opposite of each other, a food truck area, and an indoor merchandise booth. One of the many things Levitation France does better than most other festival is to offer affordable, tasty, non-alcoholic beverages for purchase. The lemonade and apple juice (really more like apple cider) there were top-notch. I wish festivals in the U.S. offered stuff like that. Here, it’s usually just an overpriced bottle of water or a can of Mt. Dew.
Day One of the festival (Friday, June 03rd) started off with a small bump when the lineup order had to be changed due to Dry Cleaning having to cancel their festival appearance. That was a bummer, as I was keen on seeing them for the first time. I hope they’ll be at the main Levitation festival in Austin, Texas this October.
So, we started off the festival by catching most of Stuffed Foxes‘ set. They’re a group of friends no older than twenty-two, I think, and they threw down a wild set of loud rock to get everyone ready for a wild weekend.
Stuffed Foxes stuffing us full of rock.
Up next were Albinos Congo, who played a fun set of post-punk with a bit of psychedelia thrown into the mix. Their drummer was sharp, using fills to excellent effect.
Albinos Congo
We closed Day One with Automatic, who hypnotized the crowd with their synth-punk / krautrock set. A funny moment was seeing them leave the merchandise area not long after their set, as they had a flight to catch or had to get on the road for their next gig, and watching their surprise when so many people applauded for them as they left.
Automatic playing alongside a beheaded Silver Surfer.
We were a bit exhausted by the end of their set, so we cut out early in order to be well-rested for the next day, which we knew would have even better attendance.
Coming up next, I finally get to introduce myself to a band I’ve been promoting for a while, see some dynamite legs, watch a band adapt to an equipment malfunction, see some psychedelic legends on their final tour, and watch a woman enthrall a crowd.
I went to the first of two shows A Place to Bury Strangers, Glove, and Ganser were playing at Chicago’s Empty Bottle beginning on the evening of Memorial Day. The holiday Monday night crowd was small, as many people were still returning home from the weekend or still gone on vacation, and due to every restaurant in the area being closed. I had to walk over twenty minutes to find an open Jimmy John’s.
Shame on you if you missed the show due to being hungover from a backyard barbecue or stuck at some family gathering full of drama and your bigoted uncle rating while he spilled mustard on his shirt. You missed a wild show.
Chicago’s own Ganser were first up, and they put on a solid set of post-punk that had influences of Joy Division and The Cure all through it. Their guitarist, Charlie Landsman, seems to play like he has no idea what he’s doing, but that’s kind of the point. My friend, Rafael (bass player for Chicago death metal band Asphyxiator), marveled at the sound Alicia Gaines got out of her bass throughout the whole set (“Her bass tone is really good!”).
Ganser
Glove were up next, and they reminded me of a heavier version of Ladytron. The throbbing synth beats mixed well with their post-punk guitars and krautrock vocals. Their set grew a bit darker as it went on, which was all right by me.
Glove fitting well on stage.
APTBS as always, came out and demolished the place. I wondered how loud it was going to be, as they’re one of the loudest bands out there and the Empty Bottle is a small venue. Sure enough, my feet were vibrating by the time they got to the heaviest version of “Oceans” I’ve heard them play.
Oliver Ackermann in his natural element – using a strobe light to play his guitar like its a washboard.
One of the best parts of APTBS‘ set was seeing how much fun they were having. Ackermann told me early in the evening that he was happy to be back out on the road and seeing everyone. He and his friends, the husband and wife duo of John and Sandra Fedowitz, were grinning through a lot of the set and having a blast as they melted faces and minds. You can always tell who is attending one of their shows for the first time because they always have the same “What the hell is happening?” look on their faces. I saw a lot of that.
A Place to Bury Strangers exploding heads in Chicago.
Go catch them if you can. You won’t regret it.
Keep your mind open.
[Thanks to Steven at Dedstrange for the press pass!]
Recorded in 2019, Live at Freak Valleyby King Buffalo is a well-mastered and engineered document of a powerful set at that year’s Freak Valley Festival. It’s a great introduction to King Buffalo’s live sound if you’ve never heard it before and will make you want to seek them out at the nearest venue as soon as possible.
“Sun Shivers” sets off the show by launching us away from Earth’s gravity and into the endless sea of stars leading to the sun and beyond. They waste no time and get right to the cosmic riffs. “Longing to Be the Mountain” is a reference to a Chinese story about a stonecutter working on a mountain who desires to become the grand mountain that seems to be above all people, things, and concerns. He’s granted his wish but soon feels a tapping at his base. He looks down to see another stonecutter there chipping away at him. The stonecutter was caught by his own ego and delusions The song is a powerful as the lesson.
“Every day is the same,” they sing on “Repeater,” a fourteen-minute mind-melting experience that covers both existential ennui and Zen presence. By the time you get to “Orion” (“Can you hear me through the smoke and the haze?”), it feels like you’re drifting past his belt of stars. It’s a stunning track that must’ve been quite an experience for the lucky Freak Valley attendees.
“Kerosene” twists and turns around itself like some kind of heavy metal Escher drawing. They mention that A Place to Bury Strangers is up after them (which you can see here) before they get to the closer, “Eye of the Storm.” It’s a great closer that bridges the gap between stoner rock and desert rock for over ten glorious minutes. They encourage us to embrace the void without fear, for the eye of the storm is often the safest place.
Fort Wayne was the place to be on May 10, 2022 if you were a fan of Primus, Battles, or Rush. No, Rush wasn’t playing, but Primus, apart from playing a full set of their music, played Rush’s A Farewell to Kings in its entirety as a second set.
There was a big crowd, as it was the first time Primus or Battles playing in Ft. Wayne, and it was great to see young and older fans alike there to see the show. Battles were first up and the two gentlemen put on a math rock clinic for their set. Ian Williams doubled on synths and guitars and John Stanier, one of my favorite drummers of all time from his work in Helmet, wowed the crowd, and I lost count of how many time signatures they played in during their set.
Battles dazzling everyone with more rhythms than we could almost handle.
Primus, who’d held a Q&A with VIP fans earlier, came out next and got everyone fired up right away with “Those Damned Blue Collar Tweekers.” They then ripped through a set of classics that included “The Toys Go Winding Down” and a live version of “Mr. Krinkle” that sounded so good it was like being in the studio with them. They also played their newest single, “Conspiranoia,” which is delightfully weird and psychedelic.
Primus and blue collar tweekers ruling the town.Conspiranoia!
After a brief break, they came back with the Rush set. Apart from them having to do one song as an instrumental due to frontman Les Claypool having a bit of a scratchy voice (and wanting to save it for his vocals during the encore), they pulled off A Farewell to Kings without a hitch.
A king’s crown for them and us.
As if two sets weren’t enough, Primus then came back for a four-song encore that included “My Name Is Mud” (which hits even harder than an aluminum baseball bat live) and “Jerry Was a Race Car Driver.”
It was a good show. It’s sometimes easy to get lost in Primus’ weirdness and lose sense of how good they can play. A live set by them is an instant reminder of that.
Congratulations to the young man who scored this set list. Thanks for letting me take a photo of it!VIP swag! A tumbler / thermos and a signed VIP-exclusive poster!
Chicago’s Riot Fest has released the full lineup for their 2022 festival, and there are some heavy-hitters this year.
My Chemical Romance and Portugal. The Man will bring in a big crowd on Friday, but the powerhouse headliner this year is Nine Inch Nails (and The Misfits are not slouches by any means). Other must-see acts include Bauhaus, Bad Religion, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, The Joy Formidable, and Lunachicks.
Tickets are already on sale, so don’t wait. Take sunscreen if you go. It was hot and sweaty there in 2021.
The annual Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas, Nevada (August 18-21st, if you count the Psycho Swim pre-party on Thursday) has released its full lineup. It features death metal, rap, psychedelic rock, and even funk freak-outs.
Get to the pool early if you’re going to Psycho Swim. It, and every chair, cabana, and table will fill up quick that day. The pool will also be packed.
The Black Angels have announced a cool tour through the western United States starting June 02nd in Denver and wrapping up twenty-three days later in Las Vegas. Bass fuzz maestro Dion Lunadon is opening for them, and eight of those shows (including the finale in Las Vegas) has The Black Angels and Mr. Lunadon opening for Primus, no less. Tickets are already on sale for these dates, so don’t miss out on them.
