Fontaines D.C. performs at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Oct. 9, 2024.
Love comes in many forms and during Fontaines D.C.’s headlining stop at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Oct. 9, the Irish rockers shared their passion for polished post-punk with a sold-out crowd. On the heels of the release of their latest album, Romance, the band – Grian Chatten (vocals), Carlos O’Connell (guitar), Conor Curley (guitar), Conor Deegan (bass), and Tom Coll (drums) – reintroduced themselves with a more expansive sonic palette that was beautifully explored throughout their 2024 release.
Opening with the title track of the new album, Fontaines D.C. reveled in the foreboding tension of the tune as each band member made their way onto the stage. Flashing strobes accentuated the clanging composition over which Chatten hypnotized with his distinct version of sentimental lyricism. Later, “Death Kink” – syncopated and strong – was an early fan favorite as was “Bug” with its Britpop aesthetics.
Fontaines D.C. performs at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Oct. 9, 2024.
Classic Fontaines D.C. songs were also highlights of the set as “A Hero’s Death” offered hope for a more fulfilling future. Skinty Fia tunes like “Jackie Down the Line” and “Big Shot”– its steady drums juxtaposed against melodic guitars – also had fans singing out loud throughout the packed venue. Some of the best crowd moments of the night came during Dogrel songs as the relentless pace of “Big” and the frenetic energy of “Boys In the Better Land” inspired crowd surfers to climb atop the packed audience.
The band kept their stage banter to a minimum, opting to let the music speak for itself. Although they made sure their support to end the bombing in Gaza was amplified by their words, as well as visually as O’Connell hung a Palestinian flag from his keyboard and displayed a “Free Palestine” sticker on his guitar.
Earlier in the night, the evening’s opener, Been Stellar, further steeped fans in a post-punk atmosphere with an undercurrent of grunge and a dash of shoegazey instrumentation. “Scream from New York, NY,” “Sweet” and the deliciously fuzzy “I Have the Answer” commanded the crowd during the NYC five-piece’s set.
Been Stellar performs at The Salt Shed in Chicago on Oct. 9, 2024.
When breaking down the best songs of 2024, Fontaines D.C.’s genre-bending Romance single “Starbuster” must be in the conversation. As infectious as the rhythm is when listening to the studio recording, it is somehow exponentially more irresistible in the live setting. Intense and danceable, the song sent the entirety of The Salt Shed into a trance of “momentary blissness” during the encore where there was no choice but to surrender to the music.
Check out photos of Fontaines D.C. and Been Stellar performing at The Salt Shed below and click here to pick-up tickets to future tour dates. More information can be found at Fontainesdc.com.
(Photos by Laurie Fanelli)
