CHICAGO | On Tuesday, March 24, dark and ethereal singer-songwriter Chelsea Wolfe, played the decadent Vic Theater alongside the droning tons of metal duo Divide and Dissolve. Chelsea Wolfe, born in Northern California, has pioneered her unique style of metal-influenced rock music since the late 2000s/early 2010s, becoming an iconic figure in Goth culture. Wolfe’s 2024 record, She Reaches Out to She — released on February 9 of this year — is one of her most esoteric and ambitious releases as it showcases her delving into trip-hop influences with syncopated percussion over vivid lyrics. Wolfe’s incredible performance at the Vic solidifies her as a generational talent, who continues to evolve in sound and production.
The crowd at the Vic was filled with generations of alternative music fans in the city, it felt like a homecoming for lovers of Gothic music and culture. The stage was set by Divide and Dissolve — a thematic rich and politically motivated duo based in Australia, that have a distinct focus on indigenous cultures and colonization around the world. The political message of the music resonated with the Vic audience who broke out into chants when guitarist/saxophone player Takiya Reed referenced both American colonization and the rising death toll in the Gaza Strip. Their music channeled imagery of drone and stoner metal groups in the likes of Boris and Sleep; with distortion-soaked chords playing over the hulking drawn-out percussions from drummer Sylvie Nehill. Being one of the youngest people in the crowd, I quite enjoyed Divide and Dissolve’s unique sound, as they found themselves in some brilliant and rich musical pockets during their set.
Following Divide and Dissolve, Chelsea Wolfe and her band arrived on stage they were met with massive applause from the audience. When looking at the faces around me during this performance, it was obvious to see just how important Wolfe is to so many individuals. The set itself mostly included cuts from the new record and featured heavenly falsetto vocals layered over heavy and dense instrumentals. Faces were lit up as Chelsea Wolfe powered through her dynamic set. The night’s theme was full-audience immersion, made possible by the incredible lighting during the performance further reflecting the sentiment and emotional energy of each song.
Wolfe began the show solely on vocals delivering note-perfect singing, over her band’s captivating and somber textures, pulling out her guitar. The drum sound was incredibly electronic despite it being an acoustic kit, which I found interesting. The sound quality of the venue was also worthy of note, as I got to watch the audio engineer work toward the end of Chelsea Wolfe’s set. While I had been a fan of Wolfe’s music years ago, specifically her record Abyss, seeing the songs live made me delve further into her recorded material. It was a privilege to see such an influential and unique artist at their very best — and although it was my first time — it definitely won’t be my last seeing Wolfe perform.
Make sure to check out Chelsea Wolfe’s tour dates in your city! Thanks so much to the Vic Theater and Pirate Radio for getting me out to the show.
Thank you so much to the Vic and Pirate Radio for sending me out to cover this show, you can catch Chelsea Wolfe + Divide and Dissolve in a city near you.