From Mackenzie

March 14th came and went quickly but the things that occurred throughout the day have stained my memory ever since. Plague Bringer is one of my favorite grindcore bands and on that Friday, I took the chance to see them play live. I let my friend Mikie in on their music and he liked what he heard, so he came up to Chicago to share the experience.
Mikie arrived and we hopped on the blue line, riding in anticipation all the way to the California stop. Back on the sidewalk, a bum steps in front of us, putting his hands up like a boxer and says, "Put em up, put em up." We laugh inside at his drunkenness. It's Saint Patrick's Day weekend and we are more drunk people around us than desired. Now we're walking around, without much of a clue to where we're going, just trying to find The Green Lantern, where Plague Bringer is playing.
We spot The Green Lantern from across the street and cross anxiously, like little kids chasing a balloon, forgetting there is an outside world with cars and such. A bit confused, we arrive at the door leading up to a Mario Kart 64 style staircase which in turn led to a small room filled with drunk people, and people well on their way to getting drunk. This is not what we had expected. It's like a big party with badass bands playing.
We stood back and observed as Parsley Flakes performed their set. Their electro punk sound didn't fit my typical musical taste but I was able to take it in and appreciate it for what it was. Once they were finished, Lone Wolf and Cub played, another band I hadn't gone for. Their performance was heavier than Parsley Flakes but in my mind, all I wanted was to see Plague Bringer, and then it happened.
Lone Wolf and Cub wrapped up and it seemed to take Plague Bringer forever to set up. In the process, I let myself get pushed up to the front to where I actually had to try not to step on the guitar player's pedals. I looked to my right and remembered the guy standing beside me from The Black Dahlia Murder concert I went to last month. He was the guy who made fun of me for my Thursday sweatshirt and now he's drunk and acting like an idiot.
Plague Bringer has their laptop set up in the middle for their drum machine; they refuse to use a live drummer. In my opinion, it gives them more of an industrial sound. I try thinking of what else they can do by using the machine. Finally, they start the show, playing songs from their new album, Life Songs in a Land of Death. The floor feels like it's ready to collapse and there is a tiny pit started in this tiny room.
The show goes on and they proceed to play their first album, As the Ghosts Collect, the Corpses Rest. When the last song is played, the vocalist comes out to the crowd and sings in the middle of the chaotic fans. I've never seen anything quite like that. And then it was over. I looked at Mikie, we walked to the back room to buy some merch, and found our way back to the train station.