‘GOING OFF THE RAILS’ With Dead Poet Society
‘Going off the Rails’ with Dead Poet Society:
Dead Poet Society 4.28.2024 - Chicago’s Bottom Lounge
Photos by Nicholas Alexikakos for Dual Muse Magazine
Written by Nicholas Alexikakos for Dual Muse Magazine
~5 Minute Read
Dead Poet Society did not just release an album this year when they dropped their new album FISSION on January 26th, they released a weapon of mass destruction like their very own Trinity Project. FISSION is visceral and sinks its teeth into any soft spots that the Boston-based group may have had previously, intent on tearing them to shreds instead of just licking the wounds clean. Each song making its 2021 debut -!- sound tame and polite in comparison.
When I first listened to FISSION, I knew that whatever tour Dead Poet Society had hidden up their sleeve would be just as explosive, and just as bombastic as the album itself. My suspicions were confirmed upon learning that one of the openers picked for the tour was a band called Silly Goose, hailing from the heart of Georgia, and they would be opening for the Chicago show. I have only ever seen Silly Goose once, right after exiting the venue of Badflower’s final show on their Asking for a Friend Tour, where Silly Goose was ripping a gig on top of a hitched cargo trailer that they were also selling their merch out of. If anyone was going to bring the energy that the new era of Dead Poet Society demanded, it would be them. They had the hunger and the drive, plus a sound that matched the intensity of FISSION. I couldn’t have been more excited for The FISSION Tour if I had tried to be.
I. FUSION
The room was packed before Silly Goose ever took the stage. Voices buzzed excitedly over whatever song was playing over the PA before growing to a dull roar that detonated the moment that Silly Goose took the stage. Chicago’s Bottom Lounge was on its feet and moving from the first note of Silly Goose’s set, and the energy did not drop for a single second once they started.
I couldn’t count on one hand how many crowd surfers or circle pits I saw during the opening set. I probably couldn’t count on two, truthfully. Bodies were flying in unprecedented numbers. Even the band joined in; at one point, the vocalist piggybacked the bassist around one of the multiple circle pits all while still playing the song they were in the middle of performing. Crowdsurfers were being tossed over people’s heads left and right, especially during the performance of one of Silly Goose’s new songs, entitled “King of the Hill” (which is a fucking fantastic song name, if I do say so myself). The circle pit seemed to get bigger and bigger every time I looked at it, until it spanned from the front of the crowd to the very back, like a beast that couldn’t be tamed.
They wouldn’t be called Silly Goose if there wasn’t some silliness that ensued, though. Towards the end of their set, Silly Goose announced they would be giving the crowd a new and unreleased song called “Torture.” I regret to say that I really don’t have much commentary on the song itself, but you’ll have to forgive me— during the middle of the song, Dylan from Dead Poet Society came on stage with Silly Goose. He didn’t perform the song with them, which is what I expected. No, instead, he jumped around the stage and brushed his teeth while they performed.
It isn’t difficult for me to understand why Chicago had enjoyed Silly Goose so thoroughly. The four of them have an unparalleled charisma that they give 110% of the entire time they’re on that stage. Despite there being a year difference between when I first encountered Silly Goose to now, the vivacity they exhibit is still the exact same, if not surpassing what grit they had before. Beyond that, their music is just catchy as shit with memorable titles and honestly some of the coolest cover art I’ve seen in a minute. I honestly feel that this band will go places someday. I couldn’t have been more thrilled to have seen them open this tour.
II. FISSION
If Silly Goose brought the house energy to a hundred, Dead Poet Society blew that number up to a thousand. Opening with “Hard to be God” was a power move I wouldn’t have expected in a million years, but it was a fantastic choice. It set the tone for the rest of the show: loud, angry, ready to tear the rafters down with our bare hands.
I’ve had the privilege of seeing Dead Poet Society eight times before The FISSION Tour, but I can confidently say that their performance at Bottom Lounge was by far the best set of theirs I’ve been able to catch. Everything was on point, as if they’d spent the last few years on the road taking time to perfectly craft a show that leaves shrapnel in your veins after they walk off stage. As a crowd, I don’t think any of us were prepared for the bombshell that Dead Poet Society had refined and built for us. “HURT,” which is a song already charged with enough energy to power the Windy City by itself, ended with the sharp crack of broken glass as someone dropped and shattered their entire drink during the circle pit. That didn’t stop the house from giving Dead Poet the energy they were after though— any crowdsurfer that was dropped was back up in less than 30 seconds, and the pit for “.intoodeep.” was a maelstrom of sweat and skin flashing blue and red unlike anything I have ever seen. At least half the crowd joined in for the final circle pit of the night, and that’s not an exaggeration.
The setlist we were given was just as dangerous as the band’s performance. I mentioned they opened with “Hard to be God,” a song that caused the crowd to move like the ocean at high tide, and while the set was stacked with some of the best songs off FISSION, peppered between heavy hitters like “KOET” and “I hope you hate me.” were some fan favourites (“.CoDA.” and “.SALT.”) as well as an older song called “Animation” that I was pleasantly surprised they pulled out of their book of tricks. If only they would play something from Axiom… I’m only partially kidding!
Dead Poet Society’s welcome back to Chicago was a delightfully warm and exceptionally loud one. There wasn’t a single person in the house not moving along with the beat or shouting the words back at the stage. They continue to pave their way through this scene with absolutely no hesitation as if they’re not afraid of anything save for not summiting, something that is apparent in the way they carry themselves like kings (or should I say Gods?) across that stage. Like they own it. The FISSION era is a shining example of Dead Poet Society at their very best, live and on record, and it would be incredibly unwise for anyone to miss them at their peak like this. I’ve not had such a good time being thrown around in a crowd like this in a while. Grab a ticket to your nearest show on The Fission Tour here— they’re on the road until June 1st! And don’t forget to check Silly Goose out on Spotify, because you never know when you might leave a show and find them atop a trailer tearing shit up the way they always have.
Find Dead Poet Society’s touring dates here, find them on Spotify, Twitter, and Instagram as well. Find Silly Goose on Spotify, Twitter, and Instagram as well.