Neck Deep | Chicago, IL
Neck Deep’s Live in America 2024 tour came to an epic conclusion on February 25th at The Salt Shed in Chicago. The tour featured Higher Power, Bearings, Drain, and “generic pop-punk band” Neck Deep. Many people waited in line for hours before the show, making new friends, hanging out, and some even making friendship bracelets.
Higher Power opened the event, followed by Bearings. Both bands were a great way to kick off the night, with sets full of crowd surfing.
Drain took the stage to a sold-out crowd and vocalist Sammy gave a disclaimer “if you don't know who we are and aren't really into getting pushed around, go ahead and move to the side - no judgment here, people just like to get rowdy for us.” They opened with “Feel The Pressure” and “Watch You Burn” and the room erupted into a massive pit. Partially through the set, he talks about how he thought he was going to get arrested the last time they played Chicago (the band had a famously eventful Riot Fest set). Sammy is one of the most energetic vocalists while on stage, he even stated as the band closed with “California Cursed” that “usually we play to 30 people and they are all on my back and I don't actually sing this song, but I'm going to sing it tonight.”
The band everyone was waiting for finally took the stage, Neck Deep. Even though it was the last night of the tour, they showed up to play one of the most fun pop-punk shows, showcasing a good mix of their discography. Opening with “Dumbstruck Dumbf**k” and “Sort Yourself Out.” Ben took time between a few songs to say some things about capitalism and the state of the world, “in my opinion, punk rock should always be a little political, just a little bit. You can’t stand for nothing because it’s fucking lame to stand for nothing as you sit and watch as the world burns…” then followed up the speech with “Don’t Wait” and “We Need More Bricks.”
As they were starting the final song “December,” Ben said ”I forgot to mention that this was going to be our last song.” The crowd started to boo, and Ben started to say “that’s exactly the reaction we wanted because that means you want more! But you have to believe this is our last song, that's crucial… you know what to do!” They came back out for three more songs - “STFU,” “Can't Kick Up The Roots,” and “In Bloom.” Before playing the bands final song, Ben spoke to the crowd one last time “Chicago, not only is this the last song of the night, but this is going to be the last song of the whole tour. I'm sad for all of this to end! This has been the most fun we have had on tour in a long long time… Chicago, do you have one more in you or what?”
Neck deep left a lasting impression on Chicago, as self-proclaimed super fan Hana (who was at the barricade all night) stated “I was intrigued by the way Neck Deep uses their platform to speak on some big topics” and “I LOVE a Neck Deep show, but am always surprised by the bands they bring with them. I think I fell in love with Bearings today! And my highlight was when Ben was practically in the crowd!”
