THE GHOST INSIDE IGNITES CHICAGO

With Queen at Live Aid, Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock ’69, and Led Zeppelin at Royal Albert Hall might be some of the greatest concerts of all time, one that most people might not mention is The Ghost Inside Live at the Shrine. Personally, that is still my favorite concert of all time and frankly, I was worried that seeing The Ghost Inside again wouldn’t live up to that one magical night. I was quite wrong. The Ghost Inside is one of the best live bands around today with one of the most dedicated fanbases. While nothing can compare to their show at The Shrine, The Ghost Inside’s performance at Concord Music Hall in Chicago on April 25, 2024, came pretty close.

Great American Ghost kicked off the night with a heavy setlist and a gripping performance. Their seven-song set included a few tunes from their EP Torture World, Power Through Terror, and they even played an unreleased song. The new song “Hymn of Decay” was great to witness live! However, because no one had heard the song before, the crowd had a difficult time interacting at that moment despite the band’s incredible energy. That being said, later on in their set, lead singer Ethan Harrison jumped down from the stage and entered the mosh pit. After separating the sea of people from the “Wall of Death,” Ethan stood in the center of the pit as bodies came crashing together around him. Overall Great American Ghost were great to finally see live and I can’t wait to see them in the future.

The next band on the lineup was the greatest Scottish band of all time, Bleed From Within. Based in Glasgow, Bleed From Within has been constantly releasing very heavy songs with insanely catchy riffs. They were hit pretty hard during the pandemic but have come back in full force. Honestly, their set was so epic, I would have gone to just see them play despite their set only being six songs long. Seeing them play “Levitate” live was truly one of the best moments of the night. The crowd was enthusiastic from start to finish and they even supported Scott Kennedy as he stood on top of them at the end of their set. Mosh pits chaotically swirled throughout the set as heads banged and audience members belted out the lyrics in unison.

Next up was Paleface Swiss. According to their Spotify bio,” The neutrality Switzerland is known for globally does not apply to PALEFACE SWISS. They came to destroy.” That was very true during their set at the Concord Music Hall in Chicago. The subwoofers absolutely blasted the crowd as the band played what felt like constant breakdowns. The crowd was very engaged during the set as they started an insane circle pit. However, the audience seemed to enjoy Bleed From Within’s set more. Paleface Swiss was very energetic and engaging but the intensity of the subwoofers was pretty overwhelming.

Finally, The Ghost Inside came on stage and the crowd went crazy. Every song they played kept the crowd hyped, moving, moshing, dancing, and screaming the lyrics at the top of their lungs. The show also sounded great which made the experience more meaningful. The Ghost Inside primarily played songs off of their records Dear Youth and Get What You Give. They also played a few songs off of their amazing new record Searching For Solace which was wonderful to see. With Chicago being a major hub in the metal community, the atmosphere in the crowd was intensely passionate and intimate. The intensity of the audience shifted back and forth from raw energy to being still and fully present in the moment. After their fatal bus crash in 2015, The Ghost Inside rose from the ashes and started touring again with an incredible amount of support and success from their record label Epitaph, other bands, and their devoted fans. Their show was phenomenal from start to finish but I think seeing “The Great Unknown,” “Dear Youth (Day 52),” and “Dark Horse” were my favorite songs of the night. The band’s sixth album Searching For Solace is one of their best works to date and will continue to push The Ghost Inside to new heights. While nothing can beat The Ghost Inside’s show at The Shrine, their set at the Concord Music Hall in Chicago was amazing and won’t be forgotten.