Three grueling days of Riot Fest couldn’t stop eager fans from stepping out for another aftershow on Sunday night. Sleeping with Sirens played their final Chicago headliner of 2023 with a rowdy set that took Concord Music Hall into the early hours of Monday morning.
Sweaty festival-goers and local fans pushed as close as they could get and the band did the rest, sauntering onstage to “Apathetic” and “Kick Me”. Crowdsurfers flung themselves towards the front with a vigor that was unexpected for the late hour, but SWS fans will never leave this band hanging.
After a wildly energetic first half, singer Kellin Quinn and guitarist Nick Martin slowed things down for a brief acoustic section that included the setlist staple of “Roger Rabbit”- signature vocal runs and all. Quinn also expressed how special this headliner was to the band and, as a treat, they pulled out their cover of Goo Goo Dolls’ “Iris”.
Once the fans recovered from such an emotional moment, the setlist got heavy again with “Bloody Knuckles” and the final “Do It Now, Remember It Later”. Naturally, the guys wouldn’t leave the venue riled up like that and they returned for a three song encore that concluded the show with “If You Can’t Hang”.
It was another successful Riot Fest weekend and this aftershow put a cap on a wonderful time had by all in the streets of Chicago. As always, SWS will remain on the road and promised to return to their Chicago fans in 2024.
Check out all the photos from the show!
Story and photos by Olivia Khiel
