Photo Gallery: Converge and Cloud Nothings at House of Vans

Brassneck | August 25, 2019

This past weekend saw the final installment of the Vans House Parties. The Chicago location of House of Vans has curated a half a dozen or so events through the 2019 spring and summer seasons and chose, like their swan song, to not go gentle into that good night. The West Loop multi-use venue most decidedly brought the noise with a performance from East Coast Hardcore punks Converge that, quite simply, left nowhere to hide. The entirety of the main floor immediately erupted into a shapeshifting mosh pit.

The waves of crashing bodies would not subside until the music went silent. They also brought with them Cleveland, Ohio’s Cloud Nothings, who might not possess the ferocity that the evening’s headliners did, but their brand of indie noise rock undoubtedly matched them decibel for decibel. It was also the inaugural evening for “The Spirit of DIY,” a campaign launched to celebrate the spirit of creating something from nothing, much the way skate culture punched its way into existence some four decades ago when surfers moved their boards from water to the concrete. The endless summer may be waning, but you can bet the curators of House Of Vans is already eyeing next year’s schedule.

Words and photos by Curt Baran