IDLES @ Riviera Theatre - Chicago, IL
Photos and words courtesy of Alyssa Leicht | October 8th 2021
British-Irish punkers IDLES’ October 8th show at Riviera Theatre in Chicago was the second night of their COVID-delayed Ultra Mono tour, and the house was packed. In addition to 2020’s Ultra Mono, the band’s lengthy set spanned earlier albums and to the joy of many in the crowd, included a generous preview of their upcoming album Crawler, out in November.
A tightly packed and intensely energetic crowd moshed and nodded along to IDLES’ performance, mesmerized by the band’s beautiful ability to conjure catharsis and camaraderie in a room full of strangers. That quality was on full display as the audience shouted out lyrics in perfect unison with lead singer Joe Talbot, song after song.
Gustaf, a Brooklyn-based art-punk four-piece, brought their dancy rhythms, arch humor, and impeccable lyrics during their opening set at the beginning of the night. Lead singer Lydia Gammill has a must-see stage presence and a refreshingly original sound that feels like a combative, grimier Talking Heads but with more earnest romance. Gammill got some extra love from the crowd for her melodic flute performance in the truly beautiful number, “Happy,” a track from their debut release “Audio Drag for Ego Slobs.”
At the end of the night, the sweat-drenched crowd lost their minds to a full-ensemble iteration of IDLES’ “Rottweiler,” with Gustaf joining in and consuming the stage with a raucous tandem performance of the final number.
