Concert Review: Architects North American Tour Chicago IL at Riviera Theatre with ERRA and Holywatr

Holywatr

Due to arriving 10 minutes late to the show because of the five hour drive and traffic from Louisville to Chicago I wasn’t able to capture any pictures due to the venue’s policy. Nonetheless I got to just watch and soak in the performance from Holywatr amongst the crowd much to my delight. The Los Angeles outfit elated the crowd with a decadent display of emotion as every song was a well choreographed pirouette striking the perfect balance between ballad and banger.  Having never listened to them before I was pleasantly amazed at the way the crowd was seemingly enjoying every second as if it was their own headliner. As I told vocalist Patrick(Holy) later that night, they leave an incredible first impression. His performance of soothing melodies and soul crushing screams left me amazed as he at one point sang while surfing the crowd, almost getting dropped and still not missing a note. A wonderful performance from a band I will start following very closely from now on…

ERRA

I simply could never get tired of seeing one of my personal Mt Rushmore bands. ERRA since the moment I found their music will always be home. The set started with the ruthless extraterrestrial mechanical cacophony that is “Snowblood” from their 2020 self-titled album which is a “10/10 Certified Hood Classic” amongst the modern metal scene and what feels like the answer to the perplexing question of “What if Transformers recorded a metal album?”

They continued with many songs from their diverse catalogue with new and old favorites such as “Crawl Backwards Out of Heaven” and “Skyline”. Every time they tour their production value continues to improve. A fantastic light show, and impeccable sound mix allowed vocalists Jesse Cash’s passionate singing and JT’s brutal screams to echo through the theater perfectly. In addition to their prior music, they added their new single “Gore of Being“ which has probably the catchiest chorus of the summer with Jesse’s untouched ear for melody. ERRA never cease to amaze with how tight every single member is and how technically proficient they all are as performers. They are my favorite band and for many others as well they will continue to occupy that one special place in our hearts.

Architects

Making their return to the North American Midwest, Architects packed the iconic Riviera Theatre as they steamrolled through most of their newer catalogue including their latest album “The Sky, The Earth & All Between”  having the crowd buzzing from start to finish. Finally getting to hear “Curse” live was a real treat as it’s my favorite song they’ve released since “a new moral low ground”. Sam’s vocals were in top form, the bands energy was infectious and the crowd was absolutely nuts for a Tuesday night. “Royal Beggars” and “Doomsday” which are a couple of my favorites from the “Holy Hell” album have been a staple of their live shows for quite a while now and it warms my heart to hear them still played to this day. We were blessed with a soft portion of “Gone With The Wind” which had been out of the rotation for years for obvious reasons, however the opportunity to hear thousands recite the late Tom Searle’s unspeakably powerful and heart-wrenching lyrics felt to be a mass catharsis for everyone in attendance. We appreciate them in so many ways for that. A trifecta of “Blackhole” “Seeing Red” and“Animals” to end the night made sure everyone went home with smile. A beautiful night of music in the Windy City to alleviate the mediocre and mundane of life outside the enchanting four walls of the historic Riviera Theatre.