The “djent” veterans’ first tour in four years featured two-night residencies in select cities.
Earlier this year, progressive metal band and “djent” pioneers Periphery announced they would be embarking on their first tour in four years, opting for smaller venues for a more intimate setting. Chicago would be one of many stops, and the band would be hosted by none other than the city’s most intimate of venues, Bottom Lounge, seated in the West Loop neighborhood directly under the L tracks. Bottom Lounge is no stranger to the busyness of Chicago, as it is less than 2 miles from the downtown, but the 700-cap concert hall is the perfect host of both local and nationally known musical acts. During the first half of this tour, Periphery selected several cities in which to perform two different sets over the course of two nights–they would spend November 12th and 13th at Bottom Lounge, along with opener Mike Dawes.
Armed with only an acoustic guitar and a pedal board, Dawes delivered an entertaining 45-minute performance, offering his mesmerizing fingerstyle guitar-playing and a charismatic stage presence. It was almost like a combination of a standup routine and an acoustic rock show, as the performer provided his own spin on everything from Van Halen to John Mayer to Bob Dylan. He then requested the audience to perform a “wall of hugs” as opposed to a “wall of death,” where the crowd would split directly down the middle and, on his count, hug each other–certainly the most wholesome part of the night.
Halfway through his set, Dawes invites Periphery vocalist Spencer Sotelo for a cover medley of “I Want It That Way” by the Backstreet Boys, “Wonderwall” by Oasis, and “When We Are Together” by the 1975, which Sotelo dedicated to his wife, before Dawes closed his set with “All Along the Watchtower.” As a staple of this tour, the English guitarist’s skill, talent, and charisma took center stage during his opening set.
November 12th would see the first of two completely different sets by Periphery, and the “Night One” setlist would be something to behold for long-time fans and a perfect introduction for new fans. This list featured an eclectic mix of songs from every single one of their studio albums and several of their EPs, a plurality of them (including the first three “Ragnarok,” “Facepalm Mute,” and “Make Total Destroy”) coming from their second album Periphery II: This Time It’s Personal. The band then shifted into newer territory, playing specific standouts “The Scourge” from Juggernaut: Alpha and “Reptile” from 2019’s Periphery IV: HAIL STAN. The members would also take some time in between songs to discuss the ones that have meant the most to them throughout their career, with Sotelo introducing “Facepalm Mute” and guitarist Jake Bowen introducing one of their latest “Zagreus” from Periphery V: Djent Is Not a Genre. However, the crowd would erupt once the deep cut from their self-titled debut album “Insomnia” was introduced, when the band would give yet another standout performance.
As the night began to slow down, Periphery would once again bring out Mike Dawes for a haunting and beautiful acoustic performance of “Scarlet,” with the crowd singing back to Sotelo as he and Dawes dominated the stage for an unforgettable four minutes. Not long after, their 90-minute performance would be coming to an end, but their final song (“No encore,” the band specifically announced) would almost serve as their final three, as they chose the 12-minute song “Dracul Gras” from Djent Is Not a Genre as the curtain call. While not everyone was able to attend Night Two, Periphery’s first night in Chicago after four years left a stunning impact on new and old fans alike, and one can only hope this band may end up favoring intimate venues once again in the near future.
