Photo Gallery: Viagra Boys at The Salt Shed • Chicago
“He says he don’t believe in science/He thinks that all the news is fake/And late at night he sits at his computer/And writes about the things he hates.” If you need a sense as to where the left-leaning Viagra Boys are coming from philosophically, this verse from “Troglodyte” isn’t a bad place to start. The Stockholm Sweden six-piece certainly resides in life’s darker spaces, and sadly, as of late, they have no shortage of external, societal fodder to accompany their raucous soundtrack. So when lead singer Sebastian Murphy barked the aforementioned lyrics from the stage of Chicago’s recently christened indoor version of The Salt Shed with exhaustive aplomb, his sincerity and disgust could in no way be questioned.
The musical bed behind him was a combination of post-punk, jazzy freakouts that somehow still forced you to groove. Arguably, the band is currently peaking. Their 2022 release Cave World drew critical raves, and their live performances have become renowned for their equal parts unhinged spleen venting and dance party bacchanalia. And on a snowy Friday night in The City By The Lake, that tradition rightly continued. And did so loudly.
Category: Featured, IE Photo Gallery
