By Eric Centeno

Photography by Zeltzin Vazquez

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Thursday night — it’s the last day of the week before the weekend and all bets are off. Well, that’s usually the case for most, but for the Chicago hardcore scene, last Thursday was a night we’ll all remember for years to come.

A ridiculously stacked seven-band bill featuring DRAIN, Pain of Truth, Ingrown, Restraining Order, Stand Still, Porcupine, and Instill lead to a sold out night at Cobra Lounge, a local fan favorite for stage dives and chaotic, energetic sets.

Restraining Order

Every set was so much fun within its own right, but Restraining Order were the first to get everyone off their feet. Bodies were thrown around left and right as they kicked the set off with my personal favorite “Something For The Youth”. Restraining Order arguably had the most crowd participation of the night and we look forward to them returning to the stage here in Chicago in the future.

Ingrown

Ingrown from Idaho followed up with some of the most exuberant two-step/slam riffs you’ll ever hear. How one band can have such an immense sound with only three members is beyond me. Primarily performing songs off of their recently released LP “Gun”, Ingrown made a lot of new fans Thursday night and proved to everyone that they are a force to be reckoned with in hardcore. I expect a lot of truly great things to come from this group.

DRAIN

DRAIN finally returned to the stage in Chicago for the first time in 4 years. The band is currently on tour in support of their instant classic 2020 LP release “California Cursed”. Known for their extremely wild and party-filled sets, this show was no exception. In addition to fan favorites “Feel the Pressure” and “Army of One”, DRAIN also performed not one, but two new songs from their forthcoming record which is set to be recorded in 2022. We all look forward to that as well as them returning to Chicago for yet another unforgettable experience.