By: Jenafur Schlangen
December 3, 2025
Chicago, Illinois

Seeing Avatar at The Riviera in Chicago on December 3rd was a first for me. Walking into the venue not quite knowing what to expect added a layer of excitement that hit the moment the lights fell and the crowd tightened together. Avatar, despite their drawn-out and dramatic entry, they did not bother with a slow build when the music hit. They ripped the night open from the very first surge of sound. The room vibrated with riffs that growled and bass lines that seemed to crawl up through the floor, and within seconds I realized I was in for something far more intense than I had imagined.

The band’s energy was relentless in the best possible way. Every guitar line cut through the room with sharp precision while the drums hit hard enough to echo off the balconies. Even from behind the camera I could feel the entire venue moving together, bodies leaning into the sound like we were all being pulled forward. It was the kind of show that made you forget the snow-filled streets and everything else outside the walls of The Riviera, allowing yourself to get swept up in the noise, the lights, and the sheer force of the performance. See for yourself in the video photo gallery below.

Johannes Eckerström was impossible to look away from. Seeing him live for the first time made me understand immediately why people talk about him the way they do. He prowled across the stage with a mix of mischief and menace, shifting from guttural screams to haunting clean vocals that felt almost theatrical. Blue lights, thick smoke, and sudden moments of near darkness made the set feel like chapters of a dark story unfolding in real time. Photographing him and the band in that atmosphere was exhilarating, the kind of challenge that reminds you why live music photography is so addictive.

By the end of the night I felt both exhausted and completely charged up. The cold Chicago air outside felt sharp after the heat and chaos inside The Riviera, and I carried the aftershocks of the show with me long after the doors opened. For a first time seeing and covering Avatar, it could not have been more memorable. Their performance was loud, emotional, theatrical, and entirely transporting, and I walked away understanding exactly why their fans show up the way they do. Highly recommend!

Avatar – OFFICIAL SITE
The Riv – OFFICIAL SITE