Three years of waiting. Disappointments. Covid. Racists. Idiots. Greed. etc. The waiting was tough. Really tough. But hot damn putting on the third Zegema Beach Records Fest was quite possibly the greatest weekend of my life. Every band fucking slayed. The people were super enthusiastic but also safe and respectful. Merch was bought. Laughs were had. New friendships were cemented forever. It was, for lack of a better word, perfect. Sure we had a couple of bands who had to drop, but we managed to get a few replacements and just left the rest behind. No hiccups. No assholes. Only one minor technical issue. It was bliss. I can't wait to see ya'll again next year, but in May!!! Chicago. May. 2023. ZBR Fest #4.
A quick but hefty thanks to Dave Cullen (who took a large organizational role and pretty much booked this fest, I love you dude), Seb Alvarez, Vanessa Valadez, Andy Klingensmith, Wyatt, the Brians, Trilly, Jacob, and the Beat Kitchen staff. All-stars, the lot of ya.
Here's Dave Cullen's (ZBR USA / Crowning) cut of the fest using actual knowledge of filming and editing. You should probably watch this first if you haven't seen it, as my videos lack in comparison to the video element. That being said, the sound quality on some of mine is pretty great, I caught different songs, and I even managed to snag a few unreleased jams.
For my videos, you'll find a wrap-up/trailer video of each day first which I've embedded below. Further down is a review of each band along with a full video and a link to their bandcamp.
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Pre-Show
June 10th, 2022
Empty Bliss
Chicago, IL
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DISPERSER
I had not previously heard this local band, as they were added by Vanessa and Dave so I was eager to catch them live. As the opening band, and as a band in general, they were very awesome. The two-piece play a disjointed, angular and mathy take on hardcore using vocals, a guitar with poly-shifter pedal and drums. The members were awesome and the drummer was super entertaining, perhaps due to the headband.
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Yet another band I knew nothing about but was stoked to see aaaaaand was from Chicago. The three-piece used to be just drums and guitar but recently added a vocalist who also plays some sort of floor synth / foot bass contraption. What are two words I'd use to describe this band? Hmmmm...mesmerizing and mind-fuckery. Very complex/original drums and guitar with shouted/wailing (and sometimes sung) vocals that cut through everything. Oh and that goddamn floor bass was impossible not to look at.
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I became aware of this Chicago band when they sent me their EP to release on Tomb Tree and became instantly smitten. The angular and quirky nature of the instrumentals coupled with yelling/screaming has a "What if Wow, Owls played math-rock vibe".
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LIFE IN VACUUM
My good friends from my Ontario days made the international trek to play both this pre-show and Day 2, and they certainly didn't disappoint. Opting for the pre-show to drop all their heavier/older jams, we were graced with "Van Life", "You", and "Apartment", none of which were played on Day 2. Their poppy, punk take on post-hardcore and noise rock is unparalleled as they have been honing their sound for well over a decade at this point.
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After releasing one of my favourite records of 2021 it was an absolute no-brainer to ask this local band to play, and I was additionally stoked to finally get to see them for the first time. Playing material from their self-titled album as well as a new jam, their unassuming, quiet, and generally diffident demeanor as humans transforms into a frenzy of confidence and technical prowess. I was blown away. Also, I have their new album. It's incredible. 12" before the year is out.
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Day 1
June 11th, 2022
Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL
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SCENARIO
https://youtu.be/OaYdujN72Rc
So this band released their debut EP on Zegema and it was sick and all, but nothing could have prepared me for how utterly awesome this opening band was...to the point where I'd posit that they were the best and most enthusiastic opener I've probably ever seen. And I told them so. Seriously, couldn't have started ZBR Fest any fucking better. Riffy early 2000s-esque screamo in the vein of Hot Cross, Funeral Diner, and Birthday Boyz. P.S. I've heard new material!!!
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Another band I was kind of semi-aware of but not well-versed in, Chicago's PAINS fucking destroyed. Easily the heaviest band of the entire fest and the only one that got a pit going. Their explosive, grindy, deathy, hardcore/metal really hit the spot...then punctured my eardrums.
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This band had been on my radar for years so seeing them play material from the early LP as well as their new stuff was a sight to behold. For only drums, a guitar, and one vocalist these fellas make some seriously massive/mathy noise in the vein of Dillinger Escape Plan, Psyopus, and Tony Danza Tap Dance Extravaganza. The guitarist also makes pedals which he had for sale. Very nice dude.
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Featuring members of some pretty rad bands, Florida's HORSEWHIP whipped my fucking ass. I had no idea they'd sound so massive live, and with the loss of one member and the addition of another (on second guitar) their new unit is a step or two above their previously released LP, but wait till you hear this new split we got cookin'...holy shit! Live they kind of sounded like These Arms Are Snakes meets Furnace. Mesmerizing and devastating, a deadly concoction.
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Local ZBR house-band CROWNING took the stage next and ripped through a buncha songs with minimal banter. They looked like they were havin' a great time, their stage presence was fantastic, and they sounded righteous. Sharing members with Greed Worm and Frail Body (and ZBR USA), this five-piece has more material that they recorded along with their Naedr split...so a new release is imminent.
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Yes, we did book a group of magicians for ZBR Fest. They're called EDHOCHULI and they're from Pittsburgh. They manage to make these absolutely mind-boggling sounds with their instruments and mouths to the point of absurdity. It's absurd. They're absurd. This review is absurd. Lovely people, though.
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Holy shit. Hoooolyyyyyy shiiiiiit. Another band that we released their 12". I knew it was amazing. I was told they were even better live. I was informed correctly. Super emotional set, tons of movement, prodigious jams - shit I think the audience was almost as spent as the band by the end (no, not really). This South Carolina band were one of my faves, as their post-hardcore/screamo style mixed with stellar humans is an unbeatable combo.
I can't believe I hadn't seen this band before, but I'd just never had the opportunity. They fucking brought it and efficiently ruined the audience in less than 20 minutes. They played every song off the new EP (maybe they missed one, I can't remember) and were flawless in their delivery. This past week they even played with Thursday, so if you haven't checked them out by now you have officially procrastinated long enough. Bandcamp linked below you silly.
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The most entertaining band in screamo certainly did not disappoint, and reuniting with the drummer I know them most with, it was just extra special. Touring on their 7" lathe /50 and the pre-cursor to their upcoming 12"LP 'Salvation Through Misery' on October 7th, the hug-prone GILLIAN CARTER ripped through their set and included some new jams (including the video embedded below!) which were the heaviest Gilly material to date. Absolutely stoked on that new full length! Oh, wondering why this video seems so different from the rest? I misplaced my video camera for this set and had to rely on my (apparent) shit phone. And then because the file was in a different folder in my computer it was accidentally removed so all I have is a clip of it. :(
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Anyone who 1) made the trek and 2) stuck it out until the end of the night, were graced with the one and only full performance of the band's upcoming cd/cassette/12"LP releasing December 2nd on Zegema Beach Records. It was 40 minutes of bliss, catharsis, beauty, and chaos, as the New Jersey quartet showed why their new album will be one of the best of 2022 and beyond. Mixing their own take with influence from Kidcrash and City Of Caterpillar, by the end of the year you'll see MASSA NERA everywhere.
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Day 2
June 12th, 2022
Beat Kitchen
Chicago, IL
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https://youtu.be/yz_n1vcoVYcGiving the festival a fresh sound and break from all the screaming was Milwaukee's chamber folk rock quartet SOCIAL CATERPILLAR that boasts some seriously sick screamo roots. Falling somewhere between Manchester Orchestra and Songs: Ohia, their violin-fueled rock turned a tad more electric on this night, as they played two new songs (both electric as opposed to acoustic) and the dual-vocal harmonies were spot on. The song below is from their previous full length which definitely is one of my favourite of 2022.
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It'd be kinda redundant to describe the band all over again, but they played great and everything was clear, with them playing new songs exclusively. I've heard the LP and it's the best thing they've ever done. Couldn't be more stoked for that release!
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On the heels of two fantastic 12"s, Milwaukee's three-piece slayed with a bass-heavy set featuring all three members sharing screaming duties. This band gives me a lot of feels, and hot damn they are super nice people as well, it was awesome to finally meet them in the flesh.
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We had magicians on Day 1 and a wizard in the house on Day 2, cuz Lucio is the Gandalf of screamo. His Capsule-inspired guitar is mindboggling, so getting to see that live was fantastic. He had a group assembled for the tour and both the bassist and drummer executed perfectly. Aeryn from Massa Nera also showed up for some vocals...and that just happened to be the song I took a video for!
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Featuring fill-in (I think?) vocalist Brock from Shoto and Pack Sounds, the juggernaut that is LOCKTENDER didn't lose a step during their year's of inactivity, and Brock is the perfect fit for this band's sound aaaaaaaand has a helluva stage presence to boot. I really hope they do more music as 'Friedrich' is by far the best of their releases and I'd love to hear them develop that sound even more.
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Wooooooah baby this band brought more energy that I would have imagined possible whilst playing that beautiful noodle soup that they do. They kind of remind me of a North American version of Cassus doing a Kidcrash/Eyelet thing but definitely have their own take on it and I fucking love it. Everything they have released has been gold so let's hope they continue doing what they do.
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HEAVENLY BLUE
I may have released songs "I" to "X" by Youth Novel, but I had never seen them live. HEAVENLY BLUE seemed like the next best thing, but after seeing them perform as both bands at ZBR Fest (which was otherworldly) I came to the conclusion that the new incarnation trumps the old one. Wanna see me lose my shit whilst holding a camera? There ya go. P.S. this song in the video is "IV" by Youth Novel.
*additional video*
Bandcamp (Youth Novel)
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Straight up, after their set we had a "What The Fuck Was That" group meeting in front of the stage where about 10 of us stood in a circle and just said "What the fuck was that? That was was amazing. So. Fucking. Amazing." The local band gave us an exclusive double-EP set that was the perfect match for this audience, as after they played I saw white 12" LPs everywhere I looked. I even yelled out, "Who just bought a Meth LP? Hold'em up!" and five people around their merch table cheered and held up copies. Seriously, perhaps the most ridiculous set of the fest.
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Ma Boyz. Goddamn. I've seen this band basically open shows and fests but we had them close cuz fuckin' HAWAK yo. They released one of the best screamo records ever with 2021's 'Nước' and followed up in 2022 with two new gems on the Cube split 12". Boasting members of Matsuri and Leer (to name a few), this revitalized three-piece played so fucking well that the audience demanded an encore. The band had no more songs lined up, so they just played the opener again and everyone went more apeshit than the previous time. It was amazing. What a way to close out the fest. I love you guys.
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Still hankering for more Zegema Beach Records Fest videos? Woah, seriously? Okay then, uhhhhh...lemme nab some links:
And here's a few pics from the fest. Thanks again to all the bands who played, the people who came out, and anyone who listens to screamo.
The fest was so incredibly intimate. The feelings are still with me months later. Thank you
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