Ministry – Chicago Open Air Festival 7/15/16
Chicago Open Air Festival 2016
Gojira Live Chicago Open Air Festival 2016
Stranded
Gojira Chicago Open Air Festival 7/16/16
Gojira headlined the second stage on the second day of the festival. Given the intensity and ferocity of their performance, they should have headlined the main stage. Gojira mixed older gems with cuts from their new album Magma. The standout of the set was their current single Stranded (https://poppedculturemedia.com/2016/07/22/gojira-live-chicago-open-air-festival-2016/), which worked an audience  of roughly 5000 to create mosh pits within mosh pits. Who would have thought that four guys from France could bring a testosterone fueled, chaotic, darkness to life and to the top of the Billboard album chart.
https://poppedculturemedia.com/2016/07/22/gojira-live-chicago-open-air-festival-2016/
In This Moment – Chicago Open Air Festival 7/15/16
In This Moment shows have become predictable, yet reliable and consistent. You know what you’re getting and still every time seems like your first time seeing them. Maria Brink is the consummate show woman and it’s hard to find a better guitar duo than Chris Howorth and Randy Weitzel. Noticeably absent were Tom Hane’s thunderous drums. The set covered the highlights of the band’s last two studio albums Blood and Black Widow. Each song takes on a life of its own with Maria and the Blood Girls aiding in the interpretation. Another solid performance from a band that should be headlining arenas in the not-to-distant future.
Rammstein – Chicago Open Air Festival 7/15/16
Rammstein has secured its place in the pantheon of rock deity, headlining a series of festivals across the globe. Rammstein’s appearance at the Chicago Open Air Festival marked the band’s only scheduled show in the U.S. Rammstein demonstrated the power of music and its ability to transcend cultural and language barriers. 99.9% of the concert was performed in German, but that didn’t stop the crowd from chanting along. The show would have been simply awe-inspiring with just the band playing alone. Add to the mix a seemingly unlimited production budget and the show becomes a phenomenon akin to one of the seven wonders of the world. Yes, it was that good. Words do not do justice in describing a Rammstein show. It has to be experienced to be believed.
Ramm 4 Live
https://poppedculturemedia.com/2016/07/22/rammstein-live-chicago-open-air-festival-2016/
Engel Live
Butcher Babies – Chicago Open Air Festival 7/15/16
The Butcher Babies were relegated to a morning side stage appearance, but that did not deter the band, or the thousands of fans, from making it an event. The Babies administered a half hour long sonic kick to the groin. The mosh pit was not for the faint of heart, as the band encouraged fans to circle pit and crowd surf, especially during Jesus Needs More Babies for His War Machine. The Butcher Babies demonstrated why their days as a side stage act are numbered and that main stage stardom is just around the corner. Â These guys are going to be big. Really big.
Chicago Open Air Festival 7/15-7/17/16
It’s hard to say the first “annual” Chicago Open Air Festival went off without a hitch. However, the annoying logistical issues were overshadowed by a needless fatality on Friday evening during Rammstein’s performance.
The line-up, for the three days, featured an eclectic mix of old and new hard rock/metal. The highlights featured the only U.S. performance by Rammstein and veteran road warriors Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, Korn, and Marilyn Manson. Equally noteworthy were the attention grabbing, in-your-face second stage performances from the Butcher Babies, Carcass, Gojira, and Drowning Pool, the later of whom were joined on-stage by 82 year old America’s Got Talent star John Hetinger for a horns up rendition of Let the Bodies Hit the Floor. It just goes to show that metal is fun for the entire family!
Feel The Metal 
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