REVIEW: Chicago Open Air makes triumphant return despite hiccups

Severe thunderstorms couldn't dampen the spirit of fans at SeatGeek Stadium
Maria Brink of In This Moment plays Chicago Open Air at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, IL on May 18-19, 2019. (Shae Minton-Giles/The Pit)

With System of a Down and Tool leading the way, Chicago Open Air made its much-anticipated return to SeatGeek Stadium over the weekend. 

The two-day festival, presented by Danny Wimmer Presents, featured seven bands a day with such acts as Ghost, The Cult and In This Moment. Of course, an Midwestern outdoor festival in May doesn’t come without it’s challenges.  

Bring on Day 1.

It’s noon. You’re getting psyched. The weather for the day predicts slight chance of scattered thunderstorms around 3 p.m., however most of the day is pretty decent with a high up around 80 degrees. You are about to indulge in what should be a fantastic time filled with booze, great food and an onslaught of heavy metal music that will surely leave you beaten, sore and hard of hearing by the end of it.  Fast forward to 1:30 p.m.

BOOM. Lightning. BOOM. Lightning. Clouds roll in. Torrential downpour ensues.

The only people in the park are the security personnel, and the media crews lucky enough to get to a gate before security was pulled for safety concerns. Thousands of fans watched as their fun-filled, 7-band, loud and angry heavy metal day was cut in half by the wrath of Mother Nature. SeatGeek Stadium was belted with high winds, lightning, and rain for approximately 2 hours, delaying the doors until right around 4:30 p.m. Vein, Knocked Loose, and Code Orange were scrapped due to weather conditions.

Although the weather forecast was completely wrong and most found themselves underdressed, the show went on in full effect. The first band to finally take the stage is Beartooth. The fans, not to be outdone by the weather anomaly, show high spirits for the Ohio natives with chants cursing the morning’s storms, moshpits, and crowd surfers. Chicago Open Air was finally here.

Next up is Meshuggah. The heavy metal juggernauts delivered in perfect form to the animals in the crowd showing off their experience and talent developed over the last 20 years. This was still just the beginning though.

Ghost followed the heavy metal act with a performance unrivaled on Day 1. Papa Emeritus and his ghouls performed on a cathedral-esque set complete with pyrotechnics, opera worthy vocals, and a ghoulish pope wielding a saxophone.  Definitely a set to remember. Still one more band to go.

System of a Down is a band unparallelled in their style, vocals, and overall musicianship. They continue, decade after decade, to deliver exactly what their fans expect. Timeless singalongs, heavy riffs, immaculate percussion. Overall, their set was exactly what was expected.

For some fans, Day 1 did not end with System of a Down. The Metro in Chicago hosted an after-party featuring Vein, Knocked Loose, Code Orange, and Harm’s Way. They even scheduled the show at 11:30 to give fans enough time to leave SeatGeek stadium and make it downtown in time for the set. Big props to The Metro for the last minute show to make sure these guys got to take a stage.

Fever 333 rocked SeatGeek Stadium during Chicago Open Air on Sunday. (Shae Minton-Giles/The Pit)

Day 2.

Clouds start rolling in again. A dew drops turn into a downpour. Doors are delayed a half hour again due to rain, but luckily Mother Nature wasn’t so angry today. FULL DAY OF MUSIC COMMENCE.

New Zealanders Alien Weaponry takes the stage at 12:45, pushing the sets back a mere 10-15 minutes for the day. The teenage trio killed it with a heavy twist on traditional music from their hometown incorporating a haka and Polynesian influence in both stage presence and lyrics. We hope to see these kids do great things.

Michiganders The Black Dahlia Murder pounded the stage next and delivered a heavy assault on the crowd.  The combination of blinding speed on the strings and superior endurance from the drums, die-hard death metal fans were sure to be delighted, or enraged. In a good way. Whatever emotion works for them.

The fans were thrown for a loop when Fever 333 took the stage. Easily the most energetic, insane, and overall intense performance of the day (if not the entire festival), the supergroup featuring members of letlive., The Chariot, and Night Verses, beat a heavy political message into the hearts and heads of the crowd with crazy antics and an abundance of crowd interaction with the band. Did we mention the final song was performed on top of a building? Or the circle pits around the guitarist? If not, you need to go see it for yourself.

Maria Brink is a genius. In This Moment was flawless. Between the color contrast of the outfits, the crushing drum sound, and the stage props to follow, the performance was one of the most tedious for their stage crew. Kudos to those roadies that made that performance possible. We are all grateful for your sacrifice. And whoever decided that Maria Brink and her dancers needed to show of some skin, we applaud you too.

Next up. GOJIRA. The French titans gave a heated performance complete with fire and pyrotechnics. So much fire, that the guitarist burned his face the day prior, continued that show, and came to Chicago to perform again WITH THE SAME FIRE FILLED PERFORMANCE. If that’s not Metal, I don’t know what is.

The Cult. Originally supposed to be the The Prodigy, Keith Flint’s death shocked the community. The Cult signed on to replace them on the set, but made sure to pay their respects with their own rendition of “Firestarter.” RIP Keith. The Cult was pretty good too, though.

And finally. The Magnum Opus. TOOL. Maynard never disappoints. He can do no wrong. But what can he also do? Bring the first new TOOL music in over a decade. To fans approval, TOOL performed live their new songs, “Descending,” and “Invincible,” off of the new album set to be released later this year.

Overall, the festival was a success. It had it’s ups and downs, but the supporting staff and the fans made the best of every moment.

Speaking with fans over the course of the festival, most were disappointed in the bands on the bill citing previous Chicago Open Air events as much more robust with larger bands to fill the day, but overall didn’t go home unhappy. Hopefully the event returns bigger than ever. I know I look forward to it again. Though, it would be nice to have a media tent to retreat to. Who am I to judge though?

If you were lucky enough to make it out, make sure you let us know your thoughts! Tell us about your favorite bands, your high points, low points, and what you hope to see in the future!

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