And your ears shall hear…

It wasn’t easy getting to Riis Park, and it was even worse getting home, but that’s another story. Housed deep in the middle of the 56-acre park on Chicago’s Northwest Side in the Belmont-Cragin neighborhood, the first annual Reset Festival was our destination, and we were greeted with terribly long lines that stretched the perimeter. We waited patiently, hoping we wouldn’t miss any of Idles’ set, which was one of the main reasons for heading there on a Sunday with a ton of rain in the forecast. Speaking of rain, the aptly titled L’Rain and her experimental band were canceled due to the wet stuff, which left me wondering how the lines could still be so long. Don’t they plan for this? Don’t they put a lot of thought into moving large crowds through the entrance so that when you pay hundreds of dollars for a festival, you don’t stand outside waiting to get in while the band you paid all that money for has already started their set? It’s called logistics, people!

As we made our way in, we could hear the intense punk rock of Idles, and we scrambled to get closer to the noise. The pounding of the skins, courtesy of drummer Jon Beavis, had us marching like ants toward the stage and into an incredibly energizing version of “Colossus.” If you know the band, then you’re familiar with the mosh pit-inducing chant of “Goes and it goes and it goes/Goes and it goes and it goes.” You’ll shout the phrase, “I am my father’s son/His shadow weighs a ton,” and you’ll laugh at the rap-like metaphors Mr. Motivator Joe Talbot uses, including my favorite, “I’m like Stone Cold Steve Austin/I put homophobes in coffins. I’m like Fred Astaire/I dance like I don’t care.”

Idles never disappoint, and they played through the rain, holding our attention with a raucous set. Lead guitarist Lee Kiernan runs around the stage like a little kid possessed while Talbot spits water into the air, swinging the mic around like a yo-yo. While these two inspirational characters hold eyeballs, the importance of the rhythm section can’t be understated.

As Talbot once explained, his band has “that motoric, engine-like drive in the rhythm section” that makes each song sound like a bomb is going off. On rockers like “Car Crash” and “Mr. Motivator,” Adam Devonshire’s blustery bass bounces off of Beavis’ big barrel bins, which leaves plenty of room for Mark Bowen to fill time and space. And that’s what these songs sound like, loud engines, growling, and roaring, then speeding to a halt. “Grounds” was the highlight of the day, with the catchy chorus of, “Do you hear that thunder?/That’s the sound of strength in numbers.” Other standouts included “Mother,” wherein Talbot describes his mother’s work ethic: “My mother worked fifteen hours, five days a week.” My mother did the same so this song is endearing to myself as well many others who saw their mothers give everything up for their children.

The boys also led us through several of their newer songs from Crawler, including “Meds,” “The Wheel,” and “Wizz.” Before the hardest working rock band in the world left the stage, the crew from LCD Soundsystem joined them on-stage for “Rottweiler.” James flailed around exploring the space while Nancy and company filled in the empty spots, making the song sound bigger and more LCD-like with each note. This moment was definitely a highlight of the day and I was impressed with how well the two bands collaborated.

Jamie T was squeezed into the middle of the show, warming up the crowd before LCD came on. He DJed a set that kept spirits up while we tried to find shelter from the endless rain clouds blowing through. Some of his mixes were really fun, while other parts gave us time to use the restroom, grab a beer, or try samples of seltzer.

The weather cleared up for LCD Soundsystem, and the dance party was underway. This was my first time seeing the band, and my expectations were exceeded. They opened the show with an incredible version of “Get Innocuous,” and then, after teasing us with Kraftwerk’s “Computer Love,” they delivered a fan favorite, “I Can Change.” It felt so good to hear this song live. As James broke into the first verse, it was like a part of me was always waiting for this moment. I was taken to another plane singing, “Tell me a line, make it easy for me / Open your arms / Dance with me until I feel all right.” Though I was surrounded by people, I wasn’t afraid to dance, and this was my overall feeling about the ReSet Festival. Even though it was raining and a gloomy day at times the crowd exuded a feeling of freedom that I don’t get at a lot of concerts. It was like no one cared what you were doing, or no one was watching. As I write this I’m struck with the thought that it could be the combination of the bands as well. LCD and Idles are two units that have no airs about them and this feeling of independence carried over into the crowd.

“You Wanted A Hit” became a total jam session where the band showcased all of the moving pieces, and different instruments. “Movement” drifted into Idles territory, delivering a heavier punch. “Tonite” is one that stood out to me, which I wasn’t expecting, as it was never one of my favorites on record. But live, it sounded fuller and was a nice change in energy from some of the upbeat songs. “Losing My Edge” was the sleeper though, as Mr. Murphy made us all laugh and ponder who was there first and who is the hippest of them all. “I’m losing my edge to the art-school Brooklynites in little jackets and borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered eighties.” Also, “I was the first guy playing Daft Punk to the rock kids, I played it at CBGB’s./Everybody thought I was crazy. We all know I was there, I’ve never been wrong.” There are so many great lines in this song and the band never sounded better. This was another highlight from ReSet.

“Dance Yrself Clean” was the pinnacle of LCD’s performance. All I saw as I looked around was a sea of people dancing and singing, what a feeling. “Someone Great,” “Home,” and “All My Friends” were standouts in their own right, and their Joy Division cover of “No Love Lost” was another fun moment where Idles’ Adam Devonshire joined the band on bass. I was hoping for some “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House,” but “New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down.” was a good replacement.

In my eyes, and ears, ReSet was a success. I liked the spot and felt like the sound was decent. We left feeling good though we had to walk 5 miles east to order an Uber, which would be my only complaint to the promoters. Make this event more accessible and figure out the logistics so we don’t miss one minute of Idles, capiche?