When Louden Swain announced last year that they would be playing a show in Chicago, Swain fans in the Midwest let out a collective cheer. Since the band typically plays shows outside of cons on the East or West Coasts, it’s difficult for many of us in the middle of the country to make it to any of their concerts other than going to “Supernatural” conventions. I’ve been a Louden Swain fan since around 2015 and attended several Saturday Night Specials, but the two shows they played last night at the Subterranean in Wicker Park, near Chicago, was an experience like nothing I’ve ever had at an SNS.
The night started with a 30 minute VIP for those of us who had purchased tickets. We all shuffled as close to the stage as possible and waited for the guys to come out on stage. For the next half an hour, fans were able to ask questions that spanned anywhere from “Who’s your favorite serial killer” to “Do you all write the lyrics for your songs?” Fun fact: Rob also told us that the venue we were in used to be a brothel. Many jokes were made, of course, and at one point in the second show, a few fans threw dollar bills on stage at Rob. After the Q&A, we lined up to get our picture taken with the band and waited for the first show to start.
I was fortunate enough to be right in front of the stage, so I was able to get some pretty good shots with my camera that I’ve never been able to get at an SNS. Yet another reason why this show felt more special than those. As a volunteer audio engineer, I also greatly appreciated getting to hear all the instruments in the mix and feeling the bass guitar and kick drum in my chest. For a small, kind of hole in the wall venue, the sound was actually pretty good and a lot closer to how I imagine Swain songs sounding when I listen to them in my car.
The band started off strong with Suit and Tie, then played several in a row off of their “No Time Like the Present” album. After the original version of Overachiever, Rob slowed things down and the band played the acoustic version of “Rock Song”, which has definitely become a fan favorite since the release of their acoustic album. They followed that one up with another fan fave, “Trigger Finger”, which Rob jokingly said was really about how he’s a good flyer.
We heard a few more familiar songs, then we were treated to two songs off the new album that Rob says should be out sometime later this year. The first, “Basement of No Hope” was written about a game of Rock, Paper, Scissors that Rob lost and ended up sleeping in a “kidnappy room” in a basement. They also played “Comeback Kid” from the new album which was one they debuted in Austin last month.
“Basement of No Hope” by Louden Swain.
They wrapped up the show with a couple of older songs like “Blind” and “Wave”, then played a couple more from “No Time Like the Present”, like “Amazing”, complete with lights from the audience, and “This is How”, which is one of my personal favorites off of that album and I love seeing Rob dancing around the stage. After a 16 song set, you’d think the show would have been over, but Rob told us we had been such a great audience that they were going to play one more song. After a little bit of on-stage chatter, Stephen came out from behind the drumset and joined Mike at the front of the stage for the guys to lead us all in a round of “Medicated”, complete with kazoos. “I bet the Subterranean has never had a kazoo solo!” Rob joked at the end. No, I’m pretty sure that was a first at that venue!
The band exited the stage and we all went back outside to line up for the second show. Thank Chuck it was in the ’40s and waiting outside the club was only slightly unbearable. The bouncers came down the line once more to scan out tickets and issue wristbands, then we were allowed back inside for show number two. Rather than heading back up to the front of the stage, several of us headed up to the second (technically third) level of the venue for a different view of the stage. Not having been to any other Swain shows, I didn’t have much to compare it to, but I definitely got some interesting shots that I never would have gotten at SNS! (Saturday Night Special)
A few minutes before 11:30, the band came back out on stage to start show number two. They started off with a couple of high energy songs, and kept things going at that pace with Eskimo and Gamma-Ray for a while until they slowed things down with “Help You” from a movie Rob did call “A Little Help”. They followed that up with “Silverspoon” and “Taxi Driver”, then played a song from the new album called “Letter”, which I really enjoyed, and even though they weren’t planning to play any repeats from the first show, they did end up pulling out “Basement of No Hope” again.
“Letter”, by Louden Swain
After playing “Crooked Wheel” and “Mama’s Jam”, which always gets a great reaction from the crowd, Rob asked if anyone had any requests for songs they wanted to hear but hadn’t yet. The crowd, of course, started shouting out several ideas, which the band couldn’t really make heads or tails of, but finally settled on “Poptart Heart”, then closed out the show with “Prom”, rounding out the second concert with another 16 songs, and no repeats. I think it says a lot about a band when they have enough in their repertoire that they can play two concerts in a row with 16-17 songs apiece and not double any of them up.
To the surprise of no one attending, Louden Swain brought everything to both shows and left it all on stage. They never hold back, and I think they even gave us a little more last night than what we see at SNS because everyone there showed up for Swain and nothing else. It was an amazing night and I look forward to going to another Swain-only show in the near future!
Written by Tiffany Fahy
