- Last night was a small miracle in planning and scheduling. I was really pleased to have been able to make it down to Pilsen to see the Iceage and Population show at Empathy Lounge -- and then up to Enemy in time to catch Pharmakon and Deterge. ACxDC opened the first show with a blast of classic power-violence that got the crowd in the 100+ degree space moving a bit violently by the end of their short set. Population played a slightly abbreviated set, which sounded great, and the urgency of cruising through the songs was a positive factor. I really enjoy when they inject a more intense energy to their set. Raw Nerve and Iceage switched order. I was sorry to miss Raw Nerve but it was for the best last night. Iceage came on -- looking like a pack of heatstroke victims -- and the crowd pretty much went mental as soon as "White Rune" kicked in. The set was fast, furious, and extremely high-energy, with a harsh dose of feedback layered over the slicing guitars. With the band playing at floor level, singer Elias moved quickly and confidently into the volatile pit, taking a mic to his mouth and giving a bit of blood to the crowd, most likely as they hoped or expected. No doubt, reputation preceded the band and the crowd certainly got what they wanted, and more. And compared to some of the awkward live videos circulating online, this was a band that played confidently and knew the dynamics of their well-crafted songs. It will be interesting to see them tonight, on a stage, and over such a great sound system. There will definitely be a different feel to the whole thing. So, then it was off to Enemy, with enough time to catch Jim and Margaret's sets (sorry Zach!). Jim's set was much like last week at Burning Fleshtival (minus at least some of the oppressive heat), but over Enemy's four speaker set-up, the sound was that much crisper, clearer, and stronger. Jim is really at the top of the his game right now with Deterge, with a really potent blend of venomous power-electronics and brooding death-industrial. Excellent! Margaret was up next/last and similar to Jim, she took her triumph from last week's festival set and brought it to an even higher place with crushing sound and such great interaction with the audience. It was great to have her back in Chicago for the third summer in a row -- and it ruled to see her two weeks in a row! Last night was fucking great. What can I say? Aside from the intense heat, I got to see some of my favorite performers and I got a great advance view of tonight's headliners...
