Near the beginning of this show Joey - with his eternal cosmic wisdom - stated something along the lines of "this is one for the history books." While I don't know if 6/13/2023 will be a Red Rocks '22 level event, it will certainly go down in history as a very solid and intriguing show.

The conditions of 6/13/2023 were challenging to put it lightly. The Chicago residency's weather was hit and miss and the final night was arguably the worst. Most of the day the Weirdo Swarm was met with harsh rain and a semi-occuring wind. Many fans hid in the Salt Shed's various buildings but the adventurous stayed outside at the stage or hid under umbrellas eating and drinking. In some ways it was surprising that Gizz decided not to move indoors but by the time they got on the weather had begin to pass and they made it clear that they were energized.

We start with a bang with a sampling of the band's metal works with a "Gila Monster" that worked the crowd, a "Converge" that could break some necks and "Planet B" and "Mars For the Rich" giving Infest fans exactly what they were searching for. However where one might guess that another metal tune like "Hell" would come up next, we ended up getting an unexpected "Plastic Boogie" which was as heavy as it was surprising. Following this the band debated whether it was time for a synth set but due to the weather they decided to hold off. Stu grabs his trusty flute and begins "Hot Water" which is a delightful, crowd pleasing romp but as the song winds down he picks up his Yamaha and begins the Laminated Denim banger "Hypertension." This song has always been a highlight in their live shows since it's debut and 6/13 was no different. While Galea worked the visuals giving the band a familiar yet chaotic backdrop, Gizzard shot for the sun and went there with insane highs that stood out during the residency. The Joey fronted track "This Thing" was next and won over everyone especially by it's ending groove. "Magenta Mountain" was next and was a crowd pleaser. Next however was what set this show apart from everything before it - the live debut of their ten minute jazz opus "Change." Admittedly I can't say this was as well performed as the rest of the songs as it felt at times like a true work in progress tune - which is something the band essentially admitted beforehand. It's a long song with many changes. That said it was a big moment of the show and ultimately one of my favorites due to it's gravity. Afterwards Gizzard gets sidetracked and almost plays their final song before correcting and allowing Cook to sing the lovable Omnium ditty "The Garden Goblin" which the band got just right. Finally the band wrapped up with a killer version of "The Dripping Tap" which had fans crowdsurfing throughout its entire duration.

6/13/2023 was a show that might be legendary for those who decided to face the weather rather than blame it. There was no mud like Woodstock '99 but what fans got was a great set that covered just about anything you could ask for on this tour. A perfect, fun yet uncomfy end to the ordeal that was Chicago '23.

Coming around to writing this review late, each time I thought about doing so, something came up, and well, here we are a few weeks later with this show about to be streamed on Nugs the day I write this. Que sera sera...

This Chicago run was the first ever multi night run I have ever done for any band. I was supposed to see Phish's NYE run at MSG this last NYE, but my mom gave me COVID for Christmas, so I had to sit that one out. This is to say, by night 3 I had finally established the lifestyle cadence of a multi-night run. Unfortunately weather had other plans, and decided to muck with the best laid plans of Mice and Men...

I had spent the day at the Adler Planetarium, where I caught the Dark Side of the Moon show. When I went to the food court to get lunch I noticed that the slanted glass windows all had water streaking down them... at... well frankly an alarming rate considering I was about to go to an outdoor show. Getting to Salt Shed from the Planetarium was an adventure, as it was still raining (though downgraded to slightly harder than a drizzle at this point), and Uber/Lyft spun for 20+ minutes as everyone in the city was frantically searching for a ride to their afternoon plans. Eventually I got to the venue after a 50+ minute ride (...somehow) with a very nice driver, and just as I started walking into the metal detector in the security line that "slightly harder than a drizzle" turned into a full on downpour. Well, I guess in the words of the salt company that used to own the venue: when it rains... it pours...

In my continuing reporting on Kamikaze Palm Tree for these reviews, this night I felt sad for them. Basically nobody was out in the main concert area for their set. Those who were, were those getting ready for the mosh pit, the most dedicated Gizzers out there. After grabbing food (and lots of water) from various food trucks and water stations, I found a spot under the "Premium Access" balcony with a small bench, where some very nice people kept my spot for me when I ran to the restroom etc. After 2 nights of standing front of soundboard, I was grateful to get a nice, dry seat, and spent most of the show seated. Highly recommend sitting during shows, 10/10 would recommend.

Gizz takes the stage and gives those Moshers what they've been waiting for with a 4 song metal opener, I can only imagine what it must have been like to be in that pit in the rain, but well, staying dry also was nice. Then, the band changed things up with Plastic Boogie, a song Stu acknowledges is "a bit ironic" considering a good 90% of the audience was wearing plastic disposable ponchos. The band briefly toyed with the idea of "playing synths in the rain" before deciding against it, and moving on to an extra tasty Hot Water that slipped seamlessly into Hypertension, a track I really really wanted to catch, as Laminated Denim has quickly become my favorite Gizz album.

Stu calls for a stagehand to unveil the synths and we slide into a slightly synthier than normal This Thing, followed by a jammed out Magenta Mountain that gets pretty dark and heavy. Someone then says "Now it's time to Change things up" and I go "oh shit" and stand up right and witness the debut of Changes.

I've been lucky with debuts, I caught the debut of Lava in '22's Chicago show, 10/15/22 (if you want to catch a Gizz debut, see a show in Chicago when the day is in the teens... hasn't failed for me yet). The band nervously made stage banter to delay the inevitable "we don't know what we're doing", "we should probably stop telling people that", and kicks in to a version of Changes that differs from the original. Some sections seemed moved around, some parts extended, at one point it seems like perhaps Joey missed his cue and it was silent for a moment, but it was glorious. A 17 min debut of their most complex song. The crowd loved it.

Stu wants to move on to a victory lap with The Dripping Tap, but Cookie reminds them that "they have to do his thing first" and we get a by the numbers Garden Goblin, and then Stu gets his 19 minute Dripping Tap. At this point I leave the friends I've made under the balcony and get out there to party for a bit, and also slowly make my way towards the exit of the venue to catch a Lyft before everyone else (this did not work. The rideshare situation at Salt Shed is dire, they think they're being clever with a special road that acts as a Lyft line but they do a piss poor job directing drivers there, and there's so many people that it's difficult to have a phone conversation with your driver to find them... anyway, rant over). It's a fantastic closer, and another song I really wanted to catch. Worth mentioning is much like The River from N1, and the Drum Solo on Self-Immolate on Night 2, we get our third example of their Dead and Company show on 6/10 rubbing off on the boys. A blissed out very Dead-like jam kicks in around the 6 minute mark and lasts for a while before returning back to the composed parts of Dripping Tap. 

And that's it, a fantastic closer to a fantastic 3 night run at The Salt Shed. I grabbed a hot dog from someone slinging them outside, got my ride to my hotel, hung up every piece of clothing I could on the shower curtain to dry and got some sleep. I'm fairly certain the rain did a number on me, as for the next 5 days, I had a bit of a sore throat, but it was well worth it.

In terms of night rankings, I would say 2>3>1, but they really all do have great moments in each. A run so good it made me consider getting plane tickets and cashing in days off to catch the rest of the tour.