By Bryan McCabe
20 years! That is how long I had been waiting for this night. 20 years, more than half of my life. I was supposed to see The Blood Brothers two days after I graduated high school, but as expected, grandiose teenager plans fell apart at the last minute. Fast forward a few years later, The Blood Brothers announced that they were breaking up and the opportunity to see them just hadn’t ever worked out for me. Other than a few shows in 2014, it really seemed like the band was done for good. When they announced their first tour in a decade, I told myself there was absolutely no way that I was going to miss this band that was such a huge influence on my musical tastes.
The historic Thalia Hall in Chicago was quickly filling up to max capacity as local hardcore band Stress Positions took the stage with a fury. For half an hour they delivered a ferocious wall of sound that was just the warm up for the havoc that was to come later in the night.
The moment The Blood Brothers stormed the stage, any illusion of a polite, stationary concert evaporated. Vocalists Jordan Blilie and Johnny Whitney unleashed a whirlwind of manic energy, a relentless exchange of screams, shrieks, and surprisingly melodic bursts. Blilie stalked the stage like a caged animal, while Whitney, his voice a raw and visceral force, spent nearly as much time immersed in the crowd as he did on stage.
Their signature blend of hardcore punk, art-rock, and outright weirdness was in full effect. Tracks like “Ambulance vs. Ambulance” and “Love Rhymes with Hideous Car Crash” were delivered with ferocious intensity, the complex rhythms and jarring time changes coalescing into a cohesive, if chaotic, whole. The rhythm section, anchored by bassist Morgan Henderson and drummer Mark Gajadhar, provided a relentless, driving force, while guitarist Cody Votolato’s angular riffs and dissonant chords amplified the sense of controlled chaos.
Unpredictability is The Blood Brothers’ defining characteristic. You were constantly kept on edge, never knowing what would come next—a sudden tempo shift, a jarring scream, or a fleeting moment of unexpected beauty amidst the noise. Even sporting dashing fur coats thrown from the audience wasn’t out of the question for Blilie and Whitney. Their live show amplified this unpredictability tenfold, creating an atmosphere of constant tension and release. While their music isn’t for the faint of heart, embracing this chaotic sonic assault is an undeniably incredible experience.
The Blood Brothers may be defined by their chaos, but from the first chords of “Set Fire to the Face on Fire” kicking off the show, to the entire sold out crowd singing “Everything is gonna be just awful when we’re around” as they closed out this incredible night with “The Shame”, there wasn’t a moment where I wanted to take my full undivided attention away from this dream come true. If they decide to do a second leg of this tour, do not pass up the opportunity to see them. I will do all that I can to see them again if they come anywhere near me again.
