Words and photos by TimelandIsWacky

The Build Up

The anticipation for King Gizzard's '23 Chicago Residency shows was an exciting time for me as a massive fan. I had been ready for this run for a real long time; they had easily become my most anticipated shows; and of course the band was going nuts as they usually do.
Bootleggers had only recently got a bit more than they could chew with a massive box set containing nine hours of music from the shows at Red Rocks the previous year. The release is a favorite due to its sheer size and the quality of the performances, though it seems relatively limited due to its size. It’s hard to press a record let alone a nearly nine hour long album box set.
We also had two PetroDragonic Apocalypse singles by the time of Chicago: the heavy crowd pleaser Gila Monster, and the face melting epic Dragon.
However, the build up wasn’t without a tinge of sadness either. Broderick Smith - singer, songwriter, actor, musician, and father of Gizzard’s Ambrose Kenny-Smith - passed away in April of 2023. Gizzard’s roots were most definitely influenced in multitudinous ways by Smith’s own work, and his passing certainly influenced the mood of the tour, particularly as they had arranged for him to perform alongside the band for the final show at the Hollywood Bowl.
It was only the middle of 2023 but all this had already given Gizzard fans had more than enough to speculate on. Fans also wondered about some older songs that might be brought back or played for the first time — something that I think ended up defining the tour in a way.
The Weirdo Swarm also found ways to make the tour stick out more, they began to create their own meetups for each residency in hopes of finding new friends and to sell/trade/buy custom-made goods from independent creators. I even took part and made some cassettes to hand out for free, though as you’ll see the weather held me back from really heading into it. The Weirdo Swarm had always been uniquely creative and 2023 was the first year fans took the incentive and created a fully fledged ‘lot’ culture for the whole tour.
If all of this wasn’t enough the performances kicked off STRONG.

The Caverns were the first and each night was fierce. June 1st saw a legendary set that had fans dying for more alongside the debut of a new song called Supercell.
The next show was also strong with many fan favorites, and the debuts of Converge, and the Changes song Astroturf.

The third saw a move outdoors but was also 'drag night'. Fans and the band themselves donned dresses, hats, lipstick and more for the set in protest of Tennessee's archaic Adult Entertainment Act which limited and restricted drag performances in the state . Surprisingly, the protest became a celebration when the bill was overturned the day prior. As part of the event the band sold pins displaying our favorite gator friend sporting the colors of the trans pride flag with money going to the ACLU. The show was yet again fantastic and in addition to the show of solidarity, a highlight was the debut of 'Witchcraft'.
The final night of the Caverns stood out as it was the mythical 'acoustic night'. While there was some bad weather that day, fans were greeted with a stand out setlist of deep cuts, fan favorites and a very funny Billy Strings impression by Joey. With The Caverns lit ablaze the band moved on to Red Rocks for three shows.
June 7th saw a heavy start with a cool electric version of Sense, a smooth middle and a rambunctious end as well as the live debut of Hate Dancin’.

The next day had two shows with the band stating there was a surprise between the sets for those who bought tickets to both. Fans at the early show got a very consistent set with a shocking performance of Satan Speeds Up which hadn’t been played since 2014. Then we got the surprise, Petrodragonic Apocalypse played in full on vinyl for the audience over the speakers - giving fans the first opportunity to hear their newest metal tale. The late Red Rocks show (which was somewhat tempered yet again by bad weather) wasn’t full of surprises but was incredibly strong from a setlist perspective, and served as a great closing run.
It was around this time that Nugs announced the shows would be livestreamed on their service following the tour, leading to speculation about potential bootlegs in the future.

It was now time for Chicago.
The band most likely got into town on the 9th and hung around the city before their first show on the 11th. On the 10th they attended a White Sox game against the Miami Marlins where the Sox unfortunately lost five to one. Later that night, some band members attended a Dead and Company concert at Wrigley Field (and others The Cure). I actually happened to be at both Dead and Company shows, where I bumped into a few other King Gizzard fans. Our Gizzard shirts got a few nods from the Deadheads. One man came up to me and asked how to get into the band. My response was “you just gotta check out the Gizzverse Guide at KGLW.net!”
I must say that Gizzard got insanely lucky. I don’t want to do a full set dissection for Dead and Company but they got it good. That was probably one of the best shows and setlists I’ve ever seen. There’s a lot of talk about how Dead and Company were 'slow'. If you believe this - give the Help On the Way > Slipknot > Franklin’s Tower from that night a listen, but the full show deserves to be heard.
I’m not one to believe in the spiritual but something changed that night — in the city where 27 years ago Jerry Garcia played his last show — and Gizzard members got to see it.
That aside, I had my work cut out for me. I had two massive Dead and Company shows followed by three Gizzard shows and a fan meetup all in the span of five days. I had done three in five before but this was a lot and by the end of that Dead and Company show I had already begun to feel the weight of it. My throat was torn up after a night of cheering and singing. I knew that tomorrow was just going to tear it up more but for now all I could do was rest. The next day was going to be big. The first Chicago residency show at a venue I’d never been to on a gorgeous summer day. It was also the day of the fan meetup at the Off Color Brewery. What could go wrong?

Night 1 (2023-06-11)

As soon as I stepped outside on June 11th I noticed that things were not the same. The previous two nights had been beautiful, warm but with a nice breeze that made it feel comfy. You may have sweat a bit on the 9th under that burning sun, but as soon as it was gone it was smooth sailing. The 11th was the opposite. The breeze that swept through was bitter, probably dropping things down to forty degrees Fahrenheit - a far cry from the pleasant Chicago summer. At times it even rained. I was staying in an AirBNB for the shows and had forgotten my jacket at home. I totally planned to bring it, it was an honest mistake. So without it, I ended up doubling my clothes with flannel and a long sleeve bought on the day. Not perfect but it worked. But wait, why are you doubling up? Isn’t the show indoors? Nope. The Salt Shed had moved the band outside after overselling tickets months prior. We could have been warm and covered - but we weren’t because of that. At least the Off Color Brewery will be fine. They’re supposed to be on the outdoor patio. Wait, outdoor patio? Uh oh.

Before heading to the brewery I had to stop by a few of my favorite record stores.
Take this as a small guide if you’re ever in Chicago looking for Gizzard. Within walking distance of each other on Milwaukee Avenue are Reckless Records and Shuga Records. Reckless carries a lot of music, movies and games, and while I didn’t see much Gizzard there they had a good selection of bootlegs. Shuga is way more invested in Gizzard however, carrying a bunch of albums from throughout the years, their own bootlegs and turntable slipmats as well as a few promotional posters for Nonagon Infinity, Murder of the Universe, Sketches of Brunswick East and Gumboot Soup that I had to grab. I also grabbed a bootleg copy of 12 Bar Bruise manufactured before the album was reissued on vinyl.
When I got to the brewery some fans were - for some reason - sitting outside in the strongest wind. Walking up a ramp and entering the front door, the place was noticeably packed. Tables with different vendors were lined up against the walls. Behind the tables however were a bunch of benches and a bar where the Weirdo Swarm, well, swarmed. It was honestly a bit much for me. It was hard to walk around and it was loud. Sensory overload. The original plan knocked out by the weather would have certainly worked out better but as an improvised thing it wasn’t bad, just stuffy and chaotic. That said, I ended up grabbing a few things. Got to say hello to a friend from the Dead and Co show again and bought some stickers, picked up a show poster I had bought from AlteredTees (which looks absolutely gorgeous) and bought a Gizzard 'Steal Your Face' tie dye from a vendor that I unfortunately do not remember the name of, sorry.
I hung around for a bit, gave the incredible taper Mystery Jack one of those previously mentioned cassettes on the way out and went to The Salt Shed.

A line had already formed by the time I got there and for the first time I experienced what this new venue would be like. Two lines sat next to a brick building which straddled onto the shed itself. On the left was general admission, on the right was the VIP/premium tickets which is what I was lucky to get that night. While there was a bit of confusion about what the VIP/premium tickets were, the deal was this: Premium tickets get you access to an upstairs balcony area of the Salt Shed with its own TVs displaying the stage, great seating areas, a lookout over both stages, your own bar and a bleacher area down on the ground. It was honestly a good amount of stuff to add on and is worth it if you’re seeing a show there.
General admission was just on the ground floor which to be fair has a lot of great amenities. I can only say good things about The Salt Shed as a venue.
It’s run by the same people who own Thalia Hall (where I had seen The Murlocs the year prior) and The Empty Bottle. Both are great Chicago venues. The Salt Shed is just another slam dunk. Outside of the tiny bit of confusion in line about premium tickets, it’s a tight operation. It’s incredibly clean for one. I noticed multiple people sweeping the floors and checking the garbage bins at each show.
The sound is surprisingly good for an outdoor stage.
The curated stores at the venue were cool and a bit surprising. There’s a boutique clothing store, a store for the venue with other venue merch; the strangest of them was a guitar store called Fret12. Everything was roped off so you couldn’t just play anything but it seemed they had some high end stuff. A lot of PRS (which I’m personally not a huge fan of) and some strange but very expensive instruments and amps. The demo rig was nice too with some boutique amps and a whole pedalboard. I’m not sure what the logistics of having a guitar store in a venue are but it was fun to look around in there.
The food options are nice. Near the entrance of the venue there were all these food trucks with different unique food options including seafood. The venue has their own food stalls inside of shipping containers, even with a vegan pizza place. While I opted to eat before the shows I think the venue really gave a good variety. No fourteen dollar bland hotdogs here.
The scenery is great. Being on the river gives you a nice look at the Chicago skyline with great views of the John Hancock and Willis (Sears) Tower. It’s incredibly picturesque and you can really get some top tier photos if you try.
What’s cool about the venue outside of it’s view is that they left a lot of the remains from when the Salt Shed used to be an actual salt shed. Silos, funnels, and trusses are all still there. I’ve really soured on the whole 'this factory is now a hip venue for the cool kids' thing but this place really still felt like an old industrial site. I felt the same way about Radius when Gizzard played there in 2022.

On top of it all was easy parking and free water! I know it might sound like I’m being paid to say so many nice things but it really was a breath of fresh air.
I’ve been to so many venues where things are mismanaged and where everyone is confused but The Salt Shed had everything down to a tee from security to the actual experience you pay for. It was a great time however the weather was still nasty. At times it felt the best course of action was to run inside of the shed itself. I ended up sitting in there until the opener came around (we’ll get there) and even by the time they showed up it was still a bit much. The best you could do was find a spot and block out the wind.

I should also mention the merch situation. Dedicated fans know that the fight for show posters is a big thing and Chicago was no exception. Galea’s offering for the residency was this gnarly illustration of a wizard with an evil-looking vulture on his shoulder. Could these two even be King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard? There were three color variants - each for a different night. I knew going into it that I needed to be prepared, so I grabbed a cardboard poster tube I had laying around. After entering the venue I immediately got in line which had already grown long only about two minutes after opening. The foil posters are what everyone wants but I’m not a poster nerd so I got the green, pink and orange variant on the first night. I love it a lot. The funny thing is that if I had got in a tiny bit sooner I probably could have gotten a foil. Right before I got up to the table I saw the final foil get taken down and rolled up, leading to an audible crowd reaction.
Outside of the posters the band had tons of vinyl and a good variety of shirts and accessories including the trans gator pin from Tennessee. I won’t talk about the merch booth going forward but I will say two things. First I ended up buying more than I wanted to. Gizzard does that to me. I really only wanted the poster but I ended up buying more on the third night. On the way out I realized that hanging in the tent was the poster from the Red Rocks ‘23 shows. I had to go for it and I’m glad I did. I also ended up buying a copy of I’m In Your Mind Fuzz on vinyl and to my shock it was a 2014 Castleface pressing. Sweet.

I do quickly want to mention that the women’s rights non-profit Calling All Crows tagged along with Gizzard throughout the residency tour. Unfortunately I do not know where they were stationed and I didn’t stop by. I believe they were next to the merch booth which would have made it hard to go over. The only other spot I think they could have been was in one of those storefronts. I don’t have too much to say about it, I just thought it was worth mentioning because the cause is important and I’m glad Gizzard allowed it.

Okay, let’s talk about the opener, a strange indie band from Los Angeles called Kamikaze Palm Tree. They were the main opener for the residency tour (DJ Crenshaw sometimes did a set) and I remember that people hated them since the tour announcement. They were described as 'without rhythm' and 'not fun' which I found incredibly intriguing. I have a pretty wide range of music that I listen to. I can certainly handle a discordant tone or two. I’m a fan of The Residents for crying out loud. I listened to some of their stuff before the show but not enough to be familiar with them. When it was all said and done and their set wrapped up, I couldn’t disagree more with those initial descriptions.
They’re incredibly rhythmic and a new type of fun. Kamikaze Palm Tree isn’t the best band in the world or anything but I really liked what they were putting down. It was like seeing Nico backed up by Captain Beefheart’s Magic Band. The band has a real talent for making earworms. Check out a song like The Hit or Flamingo — they create these unique rhythms and overlay it with nonsensical lyrics and some unique instrumentation. Good Boy is on the opposite end but also works out well with its sparse instrumentation and wimpy guitar sound. The band didn’t have the most amount of stage presence but they certainly had a strange vibe about them. The lead singer and occasional drummer Dylan Hadley had these huge eyelashes while singing in this beautiful, somewhat monotone voice while occasionally letting out a yelp like in the incredibly catchy Sharpie Smile. The guitarist Cole Berliner was adorned with a Gibson SG or Fender Jaguar and moved around in this strange way that’s hard to put into words.
Alongside the core members were Josh Puklavetz of White Fence and Sofia Arreguin of Wand - both bands worth checking out. I won’t review every set by KPT but as the shows went on I noticed that I grew more and more interested in the band’s various intricacies. I started feeling the songs rather than hearing them. I went from observer to fan.
That’s more than I can say for many openers. I can’t say they were everyone’s cup of tea (during the first set a guy came up to me and said something like 'you think Gizzard is just fucking with us with this opener?') but I came away from this band with more interest in their work than I had started with. They’re a good band who deserve a chance, I hope the audiences gave them one; more than those who saw their inclusion as a prank of sorts.

The weather hadn't improved for Gizzard’s set that night. I planned to watch the show from the top balcony but I realized it was too cold and instead made my way downstairs and watched from under the bulky metal steps leading upwards. In fact the weather was so bad that the video screen behind them had been partially disassembled due to the wind. You could even see fans buying multiple T-shirts and wearing all of them on top of each other. Miserable conditions.
If I had to explain that night’s setlist with one (compound) word, it would be: set-up. The band was playing as well as they do but I had a lingering sense that they were gearing up for the next few nights and saving many big hitters.
The show started microtonal and was kicked off by a competent Pleura led well by Joey which got the crowd in the mood. On that same note was O.N.E. which kept the mood going while also keeping us limited to L.W.. The first stand out of the night followed, a rocking and irresistible version of Nuclear Fusion. That night’s 'nuclear fusiooooooooon' intro was sung by an audience member named Seb who crushed it with a guttural growl and brought the band into the infectiously groovy 2017 jam. From there we had another Joey-led moment with Minimum Brain Size which worked well and was our final moment with the microtones for the night.
Picking up their down-tuned metal guitars we got a massive sandwich with Gaia > Motor Spirit > The Great Chain of Being > Gaia which was dedicated to John Mayer, and by extension Dead and Company.

For me this is where it picks up a bit. Gaia is such a crowd-pleaser, but the way the band complicated things made it way more interesting. Motor Spirit picked up on its second Tool-inspired part and certainly moved in a way the rest of the residency didn’t. The big surprise was The Great Chain of Being - an often overlooked metal jam from 2017’s Gumboot Soup that stood out for being so unpredictable and heavy before leading back into Gaia for one final explosion. If you listen to dankski’s tape of the show you can hear the crowd reaction and it is certainly euphoric. Following that epic sandwich was Witchcraft which was nailed just right. What sticks out to me hearing that version now, is how distinct the time signatures are in it and you can really hear Cavs and Lucas cut through the mix. The ending is especially notable. If you weren’t a fan of that song before 6/11/2023, you were certainly afterwards.
That said, nothing in my mind could have beat the next song - the elusive Satan Speeds Up. It had just reappeared at Red Rocks before but it was certainly a diamond in the set. A bit rough at times but it really made me wonder why it took so long for it to come back. At the time it was the song’s third known appearance in Gizzstory and it better not be its last.
Keeping with Stu’s flute vibe we got a snappy rendition of Trapdoor. The outro is a lot of fun on this one. This is ultimately eclipsed by the expansive and Dead-influenced version of The River that followed it. It started calm and floaty before making its way into the verse. Average so far but as always the fast middle is where The River goes from gorgeous to show-stopping. The band’s increased tempo paired with Amby’s loud harmonica playing kept me on my feet like I was watching someone walking a fine tightrope. The band is dynamic on this one, going from heavy metal craziness to the song’s usual chill vibe. After an explosion of sound the band finds their way into the Deadhead zone with a soundscape reminiscent of the Dead’s Space jams. There’s no real rhythm and the band just noodle around before slowly making their way into a two-chord jam heavily reminiscent of the Dead’s Fire on the Mountain which leads us back to The River standard but not before a euphoric, hammer-on driven breath of air. The outro is the cherry on top of an incredibly strong rendition of what is often a highlight. I’ve seen a few say that this was the definitive version and while I personally disagree (and choose Red Rocks ‘22) it’s hard to say it didn’t deliver. As a Deadhead its flare certainly was a nice treat and the way The River exploded during its middle was mind-melting. If any song was the song of the night, it was The River in all of its twenty-four-minute glory.

It’s hard to follow that up but we got a few more. Evil Death Roll came in at twelve minutes and was its usual 2023 jammy version with an incredible middle section that is better than I remember it being.
Magma was the one Ice, Death, Planets, Lungs, Mushrooms and Lava song of the night and I have to say I was surprised with it. That album never really did much for me, but that Magma was bouncy, high energy and cataclysmic. This one beat you down when you weren’t expecting it with an energy that rivalled the highs of The River.
It would have been a perfect closer but instead we had Boogieman Sam as the final song. The band played around with teasing lots of blues tracks in this jam and it did work, though sometimes it felt a bit lacklustre and meandering. I have to wonder if it would have been better after the metal set. As a closer it felt strange. Not bad at all, just a victim of circumstance. It had to come shortly after two of the biggest possible numbers. 6/11/2023 is strong all things considered, it just lacks some major players and deflates at the end.
I felt as if they were holding themselves back from playing some of the big classics - skirting around them to bring them up the following nights. I think that turned out to be true but it was a good set with some huge highlights in retrospect.

Leaving The Salt Shed the wind was still blustering and cold but the sound of popping heard around the brick walls somewhat distracted me. Coming out of two Dead and Company shows and about half a decade of jam band experiences, I knew what that was. Outside the gate around the valet-parked cars was a crowd, some tanks, and the occasional pop. The Nitrous Mafia had come to play.
Those outside of the jam band scene might not understand that name, simply put: it’s a bunch of guys with tanks of Nitrous Oxide gas who put it in balloons and sell it to those looking for a quick high. They can make thousands, and they really aren’t intimidated by the concert security guards. I’ve heard many stories over the years but if you’d like to know more I recommend John H. Tucker’s article for The Village Voice. Personally I don’t really care about people huffing nitrous — or doing any drugs really, I’m not a conservative 'think of the children' type. That said, I was a bit hung up on it. What got to me about it was symbolic rather than anything with the Nitrous Mafia as an operation. I remember stories told by Deadheads about the post Touch of Grey landscape. The Dead had this mainstream successful song on their hands and with it came a lot of newbies and a lot of people there solely to get drunk, get high and party. It all came to a head on the band’s last tour in ‘95 - which felt to many Deadheads like the end even before the passing of Jerry Garcia.
Not to say that the Nitrous Mafia being at The Salt Shed gave me that feeling because honestly I don’t think I could rationalize it compared to what the Dead experienced, nor do I think we’re at that point. It was true fans getting a quick high, and I can’t really fault them for it. All I can really say about it was that it felt like the first glimmer of a possible future where Gizzard falls into that pit. I think a party-centric Gizzard fanbase would end pretty badly. I guess you could say they were 'sipping on hedonism', eh?

Night 2 (2023-06-12)

Weather was certainly nicer, I can say that off the bat. From what I remember it was pleasant, not too hot or cold. For the 11th and 13th I got there pretty early but on the 12th I got caught up so I made it there about ten minutes before doors. Not a big deal as I wasn’t looking for merchandise. I only had VIP tickets for the first night so I didn’t get to check out the top floor of the shed anymore, no biggie. There was a girl wearing a shirt that read “support your local bad bitch.” That was sick.

The show itself was really solid and the first show I’ve seen from the band that lived up to the hype in my head.
This was my third time seeing them (first being Chicago ‘22) and I remember leaving thinking to myself 'that's the band I love'. Following last night’s set structure, they started with a microtonal section, although a bit shorter. Rattlesnake has always been a crowd-pleaser and as an opener it’s a good time. This was not the best version out there or anything but it provided a great start to the show and was a long sidewinder of a jam. The song slowly morphed into the final microtonal song Honey which was also pretty good. I’ve personally never been a big fan of K.G. and L.W. but for what it was Honey provided a nice conclusion to that part of the show. I was definitely more interested in the songs that followed.

Switching over to their synth set up we were greeted with Butterfly 3000’s Shanghai. This song has really seen a glow up live. I remember listening to its live debut and hearing how standard it was. Nowadays this thing has become a jam vehicle and Chicago’s Shanghai was no exception. Around twelve minutes in total, the band goes from these nice synthscapes to some energetic highs. Stu was feeling it, jumping around on stage and rocking himself next to the setup, you know it’s a good jam if Stu is dancing. The call-response stuff with Amby is cool too. “Throw your wings in the fire!”

Keeping with the more mellow tone set up with Honey we move onto two tracks from Changes: Hate Dancin’ and Astroturf. While these don’t deviate too far from what’s on the record, I found them to be personal favorites from the show, especially Astroturf with its funky sound heavily accented by Cavs' drumming. Amby’s speech during Hate Dancin’ got a good crowd reaction.
Following that was Down the Sink which gives Cookie a chance to say hello to Chicago. There’s a lyrical flub in there somewhere but it was a strong Gumboot showcase with an extremely strong ending jam.
With that came the end of the mellow section of 6/12 and it could only get heavier from there.
Amby makes a surprise announcement following Down the Sink: they’re about to play a song for the first time in history, though he slightly walks it back. Joey adds “I mean it’s kind of…” The band has to discuss the key of the song. It's new for them. What song could be both unplayed and also played? Well it’s the highlight of the night for me: Invisible Face.
This strange track from Nonagon Infinity has been played before but it’s been shortened and transitioned into The River (see Cabaret Vert ‘16, one of the best shows the band has ever played). As of now there is no proof that the band has ever played the song in its entirety, making 6/12/2023 its true debut. To be honest this isn’t the strongest performance and it’s clear that they’re still figuring it out. That transition into the next song Wah Wah is particularly rough. I can’t be too harsh on it though, the song is one of my all time favorites and they did a great job of turning it into a jam. The middle section delivered a cool twist that worked out well.
Continuing from Wah Wah in the vein of the album, the next song was Road Train. With this, the band played the final moments of the album for Chicago. The transition into Wah Wah set it off on the wrong foot, but Road Train certainly didn’t disappoint. Cavs’ driving drums led the band into one of the heaviest moments of the night and paired with Galea’s visual work it was a perfect end to the Nonagon diversion.
Maybe it got a bit too heavy because afterwards the band took a 'quick' break with Ice V. This was really solid and got the audience moving instead of headbanging. This was destined to be a live show highlight from its release and it certainly fulfilled that destiny this night.
Back to the more heavy end of things, the band dished out another trilogy, the Inner Cell songs from Polygondwanaland. Joey took the lead on Inner Cell and played those confusing riffs just right, as Cavs kept it in time. Loyalty followed and was as ominous as it could get with some nasty vocals before the final chorus, and a longer instrumental intro before the first verse. A rocking but occasionally flubbed Horology ended the trilogy and closed the only taste of Polygondwanaland Chicago would get.
With the threat of bad weather on the horizon, the band brought out Supercell which tore through the night with its loud drums and distorted guitar. It was good though the Self-Immolate that came out of it was more interesting in my opinion with its extended, almost Tool-esque drum solo that featured the band adding these mechanical guitar strums to the mix. The song proper was exactly what you’d expect, delivering what the doctor ordered on all fronts and featuring some throat singing as a nice bonus. By the time it wrapped up, Self-Immolate had reached ten minutes.
The final song of night two was a surprisingly short Am I In Heaven? that ended in rainfall. It was a good ending though one that you wished went on forever. The first show was kind of all over the place but this one had a good flow with some great song choices and exciting performances. Not the best of the residency (hint) but it left you satisfied. I think this one could end up becoming a fan favorite and a sort of underdog as time goes by.

I have a lot of good to say about 6/12/2023, but there was something unspeakably sad about it as well.
In the days following the residency, multiple outlets in the Chicagoland area ran the story that a man named Noah Enos who attended this show with a co-worker had gone missing after it concluded. His girlfriend began a search for him in the days afterwards. Fans tried their best in identifying where he could have possibly gone but nobody had answers. I believe the band even shared info about it all.
Unfortunately, his body was found in the river not too far from the Salt Shed on the 17th. As of writing there has been no conclusion to the story (alternative outlet) and there has been both a GoFundMe and a candlelight vigil.
The story is heartbreaking and I have a lot of feelings on it. I don’t want to dwell on it however out of respect, and all I can hope is that his friends and family find closure.

Night 3 (2023-06-13)

I was exhausted by night three. This was my fifth and final show in the last five days, which can really drain you. I think of it as a test of physical endurance.
That said, I was pumped for what was to come. Night two was the band I signed up for. High energy, tight and full of variety. This wasn’t the only reason however. As we drew closer to the gates opening word got out that the band had sound checked their ten minute album opener Change. Up to that point the song had never seen a live performance, and looking at the song it’s easy to understand why. With many moving parts, changing tempos and each member singing a part, Change is a bit of a sleeping monster. We had no confirmation, but it felt real and if it was it would easily be the highlight of the night. What wouldn’t be a highlight was the weather.
The 13th was arguably the worst it ever got. Gone was the wind, but in came the rain and it was heavy and I came prepared in a poncho. Gates opened a bit early from what I remember and I immediately went under the overhang above the entrance of the Salt Shed building. From there I watched fans line up one by one in the pouring rain attempting to get merch.

Going inside, workers swept the floors and tried to keep the rain out to little success. Everyone kind of sat around and waited for the weather to pass. I wondered if Kamikaze Palm Tree would cancel their opening gig. The rain died down a bit so I decided to take a walk around. I specifically wanted to go to the soundboard and check it out. Kamikaze Palm Tree did play, I believe they even debuted a new song as the opener but it soon became clear that walking around was a bad decision. During the middle of their set, the Weirdo Swarm met the heaviest rain of the day. I took cover under an umbrella near the venue’s food options and was occasionally joined by other fans. Others stood defiantly in the rain in hopes of keeping their spots near the stage or getting their merch. It was a wild situation. It died down a few minutes later but I was soaked and hung out inside until show time. I saw a group of guys dressed up in what I can only describe as stereotypical kids outfits. Propeller hat, rainbow shirt, overalls and lollipops. Those guys were hilarious. If by chance you’re one of those guys, I wanted to let you know that you’re a legend.
I spent most of this time in the Salt Shed store. They had a book about obscure Chicago music history. I flicked through it in the dark corner of the shop while glancing out the window at the stage. Rain decorated the window as I saw the roadies pace back and forth checking the instruments under the tarps and occasionally pushing puddles off the stage. Over the speakers I heard Hawkwind’s Assault And Battery/The Golden Void. I’m not sure why this scene sticks out to me. I feel very nostalgic for it. I wish I could read while watching the rain all day, every day.

It’s showtime. Rain has died down, the fans were into it, I’m standing almost directly under Mystery Jack’s microphone set up and the band is approaching the stage. Joey wore a black vest 'in solidarity' with the crowd. Stu was pumped.
After grabbing their metal guitars we were met with the hardest opener of the residency: Gila Monster. The chugging guitars kept spirits up while the chants in the song had the crowd screaming. Amby growled and snarled like a beast. In any other show Gila Monster would have easily been the highlight but this was only the start of what might be a contender for the best of the tour.
Converge was up to bat and it’s confusing but heavy time signatures had everyone on their toes while its final section slayed the crowd.
Next was a song 'fairly apt' for the weather: Planet B. This one ripped from beginning to end. Simple as that. A top tier performance of a top tier song. At the end of the song Joey said to the audience that this show would be one for the ages and I can confidently say he wasn’t wrong. That three song roster had already proven such but the band launched into a stellar Mars For the Rich which had the crowd singing their throats out. Infest the Rats’ Nest fans ate well that night and in a matter of four songs nobody could complain about the weather. It was like a monsoon that day but we just got Planet B so who cares? How do you follow that up?
How about the return of Plastic Boogie which hadn’t been played in the past seventy four shows? This is a solid performance. I always thought that song worked better live and 6/13/2023 was another example of why. Cavs is spot on, Amby’s harmonica soars and the chorus hits hard.
Moving away from the C# tuned guitars, the band questions whether they should move to the synthesizers. Ultimately they refuse as Stu grabs a flute and Lucas starts a familiar bassline. It was time for Hot Water and this was a good time. Extending into a ten minute jam, the 2014 classic was a bouncy crowd pleaser with some excellent improv from all members but the band then pivoted the track into Laminated Denim’s Hypertension.
This rendition is something else, probably the best version out there in my humble opinion. The jam here is intense and constantly building to a climax that is wilder than words could ever put it. There is a moment right before the final verse where Stu is working his way up the fretboard with the delay pedal making the most shrill but exciting sound I have ever heard at a live show. I got goosebumps hearing it at the show and I still get goosebumps hearing it now. Hypertension just killed it and like I said with Gila, at any other show it would easily be the highlight. Night three wasn’t done though.

That was the halfway point. So far, the show has been nothing but incredible and luckily the band couldn’t stop.
Next was another Fishing for Fishies jam, this time the Joey-fronted This Thing. The ending groove on this one is so much fun and it was a nice addition to the set.
Finally moving over to the synths we get a good Magenta Mountain that is overshadowed by what follows though it had a notably good solo.
The rumors were true. Change was here. Now I have to say something. compared to everything else in the show, this was weak. Throughout the song it was clear that it was still a work in progress. Long breaks between sections, a somewhat stilted delivery at times, it was rough around the edges. If we’re talking about what was technically the most competent of the show, Hypertension easily takes the cake and I’m more than happy to give it the title of .best of show'. That said there was something special about this debut. No matter how rough, no matter how stunted, this was like watching a star being birthed in the night sky. As a song, Change is a Gizzard masterpiece blending elements from the entire Changes album into a thirteen minute jazz pop opus. Seeing that song come to life and extending out to a bit under twenty minutes was something that felt unreal. This actually wasn’t my first debut as I had seen Lava a year prior, and debatably Invisible Face the day before, but without a doubt this was the most special. When it was all over, the band let out an exasperated cheer with Stu saying “that shit’s fucking hard” but nobody in the audience felt disappointed.

From there the band almost skips a track to their closer but thankfully they don’t. Cookie gets a final shot with “The Garden Goblin” which was fun. It’s a simple, floaty track but I love it a lot.
The set closer for the night was The Dripping Tap and as you could predict it was a great finisher. The band was into it, the crowd was surfing and at the end the rain came down one final time. Amby thanked the crowd for “toughing it out in the rain” and the band disappeared. It was only then that I fully realized how soaked I was. Even in a poncho I was drenched. My jeans took all the water in like a sponge and my shoes felt like stepping in a swamp. That’s life.

I don’t think this show will get the recognition others from the tour will get. It doesn’t have the uniqueness of the acoustic show or drag night and it wasn’t a follow up to something legendary like Red Rocks. The show is in the middle section of the tour before Remlinger Farms and Hollywood Bowl. It deserves to be recognized though. Hands down the best I’ve ever seen this band in person. Every second, every minute, every hour was a high for the band and the crowd played off of it.
The set construction was great, the performances were outstanding, the debut was special. I got out of The Salt Shed wet and tired but blown away. That was the power of King Gizzard. I look back on it fondly. The entire residency was something to be remembered if you were there but that final night was the stuff of legend. The rain paired with one of the best shows of the tour made for a highlight of the tour. Don’t sleep on this one. The biggest explosion of a finale you could have asked for.

Float Without A Home

After the Salt Shed, the band made their way to Carnation, Washington for the Remlinger (Rimlicker!) shows which ended up being its own muddy spectacle.
There’s a pretty good Invisible Face > Wah Wah > The River on the 18th as well as a nice Her And I (Slow Jam 2).

Petrodragonic Apocalypse was released at that time and was met with positive reviews from fans and critics. They wrapped up at the Hollywood Bowl on June 21st with a spectacular three hour marathon set, a touching tribute to Broderick Smith and a record fair with exclusive merch.
At the end of August, Gizzard decided to release more to their bootleg program. These included Demos Vol. 5 + 6, and fatefully for this project, Live In Chicago ‘23.
The release spans over five hours of music compiled from every single show from the residency in soundboard quality. Unfortunately, there is a cut between Gila Monster and Converge which is tied in elegantly with the sound of thunder, but in my opinion it’s the best way to hear these shows.
It was easy to think that a different tour stop could have been chosen for a bootlegger release (such as the Hollywood Bowl show, the only one not also released by Nugs), but obviously something about the experience stood out to the band as well as myself.

Editor note:
As far as typical releases to the Official Bootlegger scheme go, this one was a little different. While the band was still on tour in Europe, a simple Google Drive link was shared to access the necessary files. It was quickly found that some vinyl masters were missing, and the files were removed shortly after. At the time of publication, the full files have still not been released as a torrent like usual. If you would like to listen to the release, Bandcamp is a good option, and the songs have since been published on the sanctioned bootleg gizzard DSP accounts.

Those three days have proven themselves to be unforgettable.
Those who were there at all three gigs had a gauntlet of intense weather - either cold and rainy or pleasant and sunny. You either sat by the river and enjoyed a breeze or hid under umbrellas dodging the raindrops that hit like pebbles. The band hit on every base you could ever want to hear. Microtonal, metal, electronic, blues, psychedelic rock, jazz, jam, prog.
The shows - while sometimes a bit sloppy - always hit way more than they missed with highs so extreme that they could be some of the best moments in this band’s history. I think in a way the Chicago residency stood out the least in this tour. Big city, new industrial venue, nothing too unique compared to 'on a mountain' or 'in a cave'. If you haven’t given these shows a shot though I highly suggest you do, especially 6/13/2023 (which ironically is the only one without a fan recording on the Live Music Archive as of writing).
Going into it I was jealous of those who made it to The Caverns. Each set seemed to be highs for the band (that first night, sheesh) and it just kept building, not to mention the lot scene and the camping. Now looking back on it I feel silly. If I was given a choice between time travelling back to The Caverns and losing my memories of Chicago or keeping things as is, I would trash the time machine and throw it in the dump. It sounds cheesy (like a Hallmark film), but your memories and experiences matter more than set construction and camping in the forest. I’m sure those who went to those shows have a lot of memories and they’ll tie those experiences into their reviews. For me however, Chicago made me brave the elements alongside a bunch of like-minded people. The reward for that endurance was three good shows that changed me. There’s moments in those concerts that I’ll never forget: Hiding under umbrellas during the heaviest rain of the month. Standing drenched while looking through a book on music history in a dark corner of the venue’s store. Shouting “Gila! Gila! Gila!” while the band played. Having my jaw drop on the first note of Invisible Face. Figuring out why my phone wasn’t recording the Change debut right. Seeing those guys with the lollipops. Hiding behind a wall to escape the freezing Midwest winds. Talking to some random guy about Kamikaze Palm Tree and how 'it could be a prank'. Being in the most claustrophobic fan meetup possible. Saying hi to Mystery Jack and handing him a cassette. Seeing his microphone set up above my head on the 13th. Looking at road cases and Jason Galea’s marked chair. Admiring the Chicago skyline in all of its glory. Feeling my shoes get filled with water while hitting my leg with the soaked end of my jeans. Laughing at the John Mayer dedication before watching in amazement as the band threw Fire on the Mountain vibes into The River. Smiling when Stu worked his way up the neck of his Yamaha to make a siren during Hypertension.
These are things that mean a lot to me. This is a band that means a lot to me. I’m content with my choice.

I still don’t know why people were sitting outside during the fan meetup though. You guys were braver than the rest. You looked at the weather and thought 'no, I need more of that'. Legends.