The Idobi Summer School fest hit Chicago for the first time to bring a packed, early show, of pop punk and alternative bands to the Concord Music Hall. Aimed as a new fest with the intentions of getting those bands just on the cusp of getting into bigger venues on their own, the chance to get there with other hot acts for a lower priced ticket. With 4 bands sharing the co-headlining spot and 2 opening acts doors were opening earlier than they would for a normal show, yet as the first band took the stage the room was quite full.
Letdown kicked off the show with their brand of alt rock. With darkened lights the band set a mood and the crowd was ready for it. Having sing alongs as an opening band on a 6 show bill is no easy feat but Letdown handled it. Honey Revenge was next and the crowd came out in force for them. Singer Devin Papadol commanded the crowd well smiling and dancing around even getting into the crowd at one point. They played a majority of their set featuring songs from their debut album that dropped this year “Retrovision”. Its clear to see that Honey Revenge is only going to be getting bigger and bigger.
The Home Team were up next as 1 of 4 co-headliners and the first band to get a 45 minute set. Playing heavy off their latest record that dropped a few weeks back titled “The Crucible of Life”, the band was firing on all cylinders and the crowd as all for them. Touring rather heavy and gaining traction quick partially thanks to social media the band showed why their the next big thing with singer Brian Butcher vocals being spot on compared to their recordings.
Tiktok heavyweights Magnolia Park were next and showed truly how diverse their sound is. While their tiktok hits make them come off as your typical pop punk act they are much more leaning on the metalcore side for most of the set. Mixing pop punk, metalcore, hip hop, and even some electronic music into one big pot they had the crowd moving and crowd surfing around as the band brought in numerous guest spots for vocals including Devin from Honey Revenge.
Scene Queen took the stage next and was honestly my least expected set of the evening. Scene Queen mixing pop vocals over metalcore riffs and intertwining the songs with elements of pop, country, hip hop, and whatever that Warped Tour act Millionaires was in the late 2000s into what she has called “bimbocore”. The crowd though was here for her every step of the way screaming alone to every word, having what she called a “twerklepit”, and just genuinely being all for her set. Being only a 3 piece band where she is the focal point she commanded the crowd with ease and had fun on stage playing with the crowd and her band making this a nice surprise of the evening.
Closing out this long night though was none of than Stand Atlantic. Moving on from more a poppy type pop punk to a harder alternative band the band did a 180 from Scene Queens brightly lit set to a darker vibe with some heavier tunes behind it kicking off straight into “WARZ0NE”. Fans got to hear quite a bit from the bands upcoming release “WAS HERE” that drops at the end of the month as well as an all star get together in the form of a Linkin Park hit (as singer Bonnie Frasier had a major hit covering the song with Linkin Park themselves making it a rumor she would be taking over the band as singer even). It was a great end to a great night that showcased bands who in a short amount of time will be headlining this venue on their own.
Photo Gallery : Honey Revenge – Concord Music Hall (07.30.2024)
Photo Gallery : Scene Queen – Concord Music Hall (07.30.2024)
Photo Gallery : Magnolia Park – Concord Music Hall (07.30.2024)
Photo Gallery : The Home Team – Concord Music Hall (07.30.2024)
Photo Gallery : Stand Atlantic – Concord Music Hall (07.30.2024)
