Chicago Open Air 2019:
SeatGeek Stadium, Bridgeview, IL, USA May 18 & 19, 2019
By: Jenafur Schlangen
I think it’s safe to say that the headlining bands (System of a Down and Tool, respectively) were the highlight of Chicago Open Air 2019. However, I would like to focus on the entire Open Air experience instead of concentrating on what we all already know: (1) System of a Down puts on an amazingly energetic, powerful, and memorable show; and (2) Tool always stuns their (cult-like) fans with a mind-bending laser/light show, accompanied with the typical yet intriguing antics of front-man Maynard James Keenan. So, now that we have that established…. let’s get down to the nitty-gritty of Chicago Open Air 2019. The Good – The Bad – and – The Beyond F*cking Hideous:
The Good:
**Show Stealer ** —- Alien Weaponry. This teen-aged 3-piece from New Zealand blew me away completely. Their raw energy, music style, and showmanship was beyond impressive and greatly appreciated by every single person in attendance, myself most certainly included. This was my first time being introduced to Alien Weaponry and I guarantee you that it will not be my last. They are definitely a metal band through and through yet they have this uniqueness about them that is incredible and, believe it or not, welcoming. I highly recommend you check them out right this second. A good starter song would be, “Hold My Breath.” Seriously….do it now.
**Show Stealer ** —- Fever333. This maniacal 3-piece exploded into the scene just a couple of years ago. They hail from the mean streets of Inglewood, California and their performance is nothing short of a full-on assault of the audio and visual senses. This was my second time seeing Fever333 and this latest show rivaled the first, a feat that I had once thought impossible. Vocalist, Jason Aalon Butler is an unpredictable madman on stage (or wherever he chooses to climb) and his enthusiasm is not only entertaining but is also extremely contagious. In terms of their music style, I would consider them to be 1-part Rage Against the Machine and 4,256 parts nitroglycerin. Do yourself a favor and make certain you check these guys out live soon. You’ll thank me for it, I promise.
• Ghost. This was my first-time seeing Ghost and I was not disappointed. Receiving constant radio play and maintaining a busy tour schedule, they certainly have their craft down to a science. There are usually between 5-7 members (“Nameless Ghouls”) backing vocalist, Tobias Forge (most recently referred to as “Cardinal Copia”) and their anonymity is only one intriguing aspects of this band. In terms of sound, I would label them as 2 parts Scorpions and 952 parts pure spectacle……shaken, not stirred.
• Beartooth – Gojira – Meshuggah – Black Dahlia Murder. All of these bands have one thing in common. They, without a doubt, can all stand proud as shred-metal masters. All four sets were packed with a level of timing and energy that is mind-blowing. *Special appreciation to Gojira guitarist, Christian Andreu, for giving the fans at Chicago Open Air a stellar performance. This, after he received direct facial burns from the band’s pyro set-up just one day earlier at the Sonic Temple music fest in Ohio.
• The Crowd. When you spend two full days wandering around a large music fest, such as Chicago Open Air, you get a chance to meet tons of people. I made it my mission to do just this. I wanted to know who they came to see, where they traveled from, and any other commentary they wanted to add…which became quite interesting, to say the least. Overall, with the exception of Tool on the final day, the majority of the people came to see Ghost. Also, the vast majority of people whom I spoke with had traveled from long distances, all just to be a part of Chicago Open Air. There were several who came in from other countries, i.e. France and Canada, respectively. (See pic of Andrea from Canada in photos…an obvious fan of Ghost.) It should also be noted that every single person I spoke with was pretty damn cool. #WouldBuyTequilaShotsForAll
The Bad:
• In This Moment. Listen, I really don’t like to trash talk anyone, let alone anyone affiliated with music. Because, after all, I love and respect music and the artists who create it. Buuuuuut, this just simply must be said: I have never been so disappointed seeing a band live than I was with the In This Moment. It sucks because I was beyond excited to see them for the first time. But the problem is this: There is not much music to their set. Their time is consumed mostly of costume changes and endless “spoken word performances” (a/k/a blither-blather) by vocalist, Maria Brink. All in all, there were no more than four songs played in their entire set. Honestly, I felt as though it was my birthday and nobody showed up for my party. Total disappointment.
• The Cult. I like The Cult as much as the next person but honestly, I just wasn’t feeling as though they truly fit into this type of music fest (which is no fault of their own by the way). Maybe it’s just me, but I really don’t consider this band to be “metal,” at least not in the comparative sense among the other acts on this fest’s bill. It was about a quarter of the way into their set, I felt as though vocalist, Ian Astbury and I were on the same page because he seemed a bit perturbed when the crowd wasn’t as enthusiastic as he would have liked or is used to experiencing. For me personally, after rocking out to seven extremely intense metal bands, The Cult’s set sounded like a lullaby and almost put me to sleep.
The Beyond F*cking Hideous:
• The 1st-day rain delay (Damn you, Mother Nature).
• The absence of The Prodigy (Damn you, Grim Reaper). RIP Keith Flint.
For the most part, Chicago Open Air is a premier live music festival that all should experience. Now, if only the fest organizers would go back to it being a 3-day event instead of only two. That way, we will all have more time to meet one another and rock the f*ck out.
Until next year….
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