📷 / ✏️ : Tina Mead

There was a house show vibe as folks chatted not just in the twos or fours you usually see, but in growing gaggles and with the bands on stage. It was a local show with local vibes. But don't think that means sparse. From the first band, the crowd was thick with a sense of community; one built on good music and good times. The cheap beer didn’t hurt either.

As Crystal Killers took the stage, lead vocalist Devin Brezak immediately moved the mic stand off to the side and circled the center of the stage as if establishing the borders of his space. As the guitars jangled out the opening notes of  "Two of a Kind," he was a tiger circling its cage. The drums built anticipation and bassist Gio Reyes wasted no time letting his long hair don't  care mentality fly. As the song progressed, they brought the transporting hardcore vibes. Another jangling guitar interlude shifted them into a higher gear, and carried me so far away that when it ended, I had to shake my head thinking, “Wait, how many songs did they just play?”  

“Saccharine” slowed things down a bit. Brezak pulled over the mic stand and clutched it like a lover. It was the only stillness of his performance. Throughout the set, he was in constant motion strutting, kicking, jumping and reaching out into the room. He poured beer into his mouth and down the front of his shirt, letting it cascade to the floor. When he finally exhausted himself with the push on “Best Friends,” he laid in that puddle for a moment of blissful adrenaline (and beer) soaked stillness. It was a killer set, but the highlight had to be their closer, “Para Ma​ñ​ana” (For Tomorrow). It felt like a love song to the crowd as he shared the mic and they sang the refrain together, “You made it real,” devotion poured from his voice over the audience. The band sweat, moved and gave the song their last ounces of effort and the crowd loved them for it.

It was clear from the t-shirts and folks jockeying for position before their set, Demo Division was a crowd favorite. It wasn’t hard to figure out why - they made a big impression with a swift six-song set. First up was “See Through.” I loved the bouncy energy, the optimism of the music masking anxiety in the lyrics. Vocalist Carlos Jimenez really let us see what his lungs could do on the second refrain of “My Head Fell Off.” There was an aching urgency as he let loose, "Drag me down, drag me down, drag me down."

The band really hit their stride with “Fake It.” Eric Centeno started to show his moves, putting his whole body into his guitar playing. The crowd followed suit, breaking into the first mosh of the night. Closing out with “Free Smoke” was a stroke of genius. “Cause you left with everything, now I pass the time sleeping, smoking drugs is what I love, did you find your happiness right when you took your first hit.” I’m not sure if there is anything quite so cathartic as a punk torch song with the crowd joining in on that achingly uplifting refrain one more time, “smoking drugs is what I love…”

Scarlet Demore called the dispersed crowd back with banger, “Lost Dawg.” The audience wasted no time as they flooded the room and pressed the stage. The whole band was moving in the groove. G Passaro rocked back and forth with their bass. While Joel Smith strutted forward and back with his guitar. Cat Ayala sang with all the gravitas and emotive expression the music could muster. Guitarist Alex Gonzalez was a major force on the stage, hardly still for more than a few seconds, only when the music demanded it. When he soloed on “Peaches,” he gave the crowd a smirking, “Yeah I know you love my sweat” look. Ayala brought the song to a thunderous climax with an uncontrollable villainous cackle. She was fueled by the adoration of the crowd, by the joy of the band. She beamed it back at us, moving around the stage posturing and swinging her limbs however the music dictated. Watching her lose herself in the music was electric.

Drummer Angelo Santoyo drove the band to a blistering pace with ease on an as-of-yet untitled song that the band is currently referring to as “Song A/B.” Smith leaned into the power chords, and the release into a ska-rhythm was all the more delicious thanks to Passaro’s bass line. “Spiked Seltzer” was up next and it was no surprise that the crowd greeted this breakout single from their last ep with some moshing and a side of beer showers. The moshing would come and go for the rest of the set. Every vigorous beat brought on another bout. It grew in intensity until the posted “no stage diving” signs were finally disregarded and folks started to hop on stage and jump into the crowd.

Gonzalez wasn’t about to let the audience have all the fun, and the reason for his wireless guitar setup became infinitely clear as he jumped off stage and joined the fray. At first the crowd gave him space and enjoyed getting a closer look at his skills. But as he pushed into them, they gave him the impact and friction he was looking for. Scarlet Demore closed their set with “Funky Kid,” giving the crowd one more chance to bliss out with an intense crush of life affirming mosh.

As always, Chicago, tell us your stories. If you’re interested in contributing words, photos, or videos, let us know. We want the people to tell Chicago’s music story. Keep surfing, y’all! 

-Tina Mead