Photo by Tom Krohn.
Caiden Lake James of Twin Peaks came on stage at Lincoln Hall to open a bottle of champagne, drinking it, pouring it, and sharing it with the members of Post Animal — and whoever was standing at the front row that got hit with the collateral celebration. You see, this concert was also a celebration: it was Post Animal’s homecoming following the release of their new full-length record When I think Of You In A Castle.
As the quintet walked on stage, clapping and cheering filled the sold-out venue. Even before the band picked up their instruments, electric excitement pulsed throughout the room. The band then set the tone by locking into a brief, dark instrumental transition before diving right into the head-banging “Gelatin Mode.” And then the moshing happened.
Photo by Tom Krohn.
Especially during the heavy guitar riffs and solos in songs like “Special Moment,” “Victory Lap,” or “Dirtpicker,” the crowd carved out an impromptu battle royale mosh pit in the center of the audience or carried waves of crowd surfers. Rachel Zyzda, founder of Anchr Magazine, crowd surfed for her very first time at the age of 28!
With drummer Wesley Toledo’s percussive executions and with two to three guitarists weaving in and out at any given moment, the psychedelic rock band hit each note in sync with each other. They had not released any recordings since 2016’s Garden Series, and the time they’ve since spent creating both their live energy and their studio production has shown. And all their touring with Twin Peaks, NE-HI, and other high-energy Chicago bands rubbed off on them, too.
Photo by Tom Krohn.
The band went from sounding like early Tame Impala to Kevin Parker fronting Toto (in a great way). In other words, they left behind their dreamy haze sound in favor of pop precision, and their live shows reflect their refined focus and their penchant for heavy riffage.
While they have recorded and toured for a few years now, they're at the beginning of a fruitful career. Catch Post Animal this summer as they headline venues across the nation, or find them back home at Lollapalooza.
See more photos taken by Tom Krohn.