In the grip of a dark and gloomy Chicago winter’s day on March 16th, I had the pleasure of being able to see Weatherday and Your Arms Are My Cocoon put on a great performance at Subterranean. Despite the chilly weather and frustrating CTA delays that threatened my arrival time, I grabbed a coffee on my way there as a lifeline for the long St. Patrick’s Day weekend. The coffee proved to be essential, helping me appreciate the energy and excitement pulsing throughout the venue.
CTA delays caused me to miss the opening set by Sweet Bike, but I arrived just in time to catch Summer 2000’s set. I had never heard them before, but I enjoyed seeing their set, with a sound combining emo, twinkly guitars, and great riffs. One of their members stood directly in front of a mini keyboard, loaded with all kinds of fun sound effects to play during and between songs. After seeing their set, I felt inspired to practice guitar more.
Up next was Your Arms Are My Cocoon, a classic (and fast rising) emo band from Chicago. Their set was great, showcasing a lot of skill together with several newer songs of theirs. Despite not recognizing a single one of their newer songs that they played that night, their set was still captivating and made me want to dive into their newer discography. Their first EP offers a great snapshot of their sound, with a great mix of sad songs with twinkly guitars, and more upbeat fast paced songs and screaming, all tied in with a bit of melancholy.
Finally, Weatherday took the stage in what marked their first show of the entire tour. Having missed them last year when visa issues forced them to miss their first few dates of Panchiko’s tour, this performance felt like a long time coming for me. They delivered a great set, combining a balanced number of fan favorites and unreleased tracks from their upcoming album. The crowd (and pit) instantly erupted as they launched into “Come In,” one of my personal favorites that happens to also be their most popular song. “Come In” has followed me for years throughout my life, and it never gets old or loses its impact. With a great upbeat tone, shouting vocals, and shimmering guitar, I always find myself coming back to it, so I was super happy to be able to see it live – especially with Weatherday making the journey all the way from Sweden.
I found all of the bands’ performances at Subterranean to be great, proving to be a fantastic end to my St. Patrick’s Day Weekend and a start to my finals week. Be sure to check out Your Arms Are My Cocoon’s newest album, along with Weatherday’s newly released album Hornet Disaster. I highly recommend catching Weatherday on one of their upcoming tour stops!