By Xanic Lopez
May 5th, 2014 marked the return of Queens of the Stone Age to Chicago since their show at the Allstate Arena with fellow bands 30 Seconds to Mars, Foals, Alt-J and several more. The show was held at the Aragon Ballroom located in the North Side of Chicago. Because of high demand, the band performed a second show at the same venue that same week on the 9th.
Queens of the Stone Age have made their mark in the music industry since their introduction in 1998 with their first studio self-titled album “Queens of the Stone Age.” Since then, they have made five more albums and have been touring for more than a year since their release of their recent album “…Like Clockwork” released last year.
Fans had been lining up outside the venue hours prior to the show, hoping to get a good view of the band as they perform their favorite hits. The venue’s lights went down, showing the silhouettes of the band members and leaving the audience in anticipation as to what song they were going to open with. To the crowd’s pleasure, Jon Theodore, the band’s newest drummer, began the show with the recognizable and energetic drum intro to “You Think I Ain’t Worth a Dollar but I Feel Like a Millionaire.”
The band followed with hits from their new album such as the potent “My God is the Sun,” the optimistic “Smooth Sailing,” the transcending “Like Clockwork” as well as older well-known songs such as “I’m Designer,” seeming to criticize those artists who have sold out and the mellow love song “Make It Wit Chu.” Through the middle of “Better Living Through Chemistry,” the band mates entered an alluring, tireless jam session that left the audience in a trance.
The band closed with a thundering and vigorous performance of “A Song for the Dead” that seemed to have no end. Josh Homme, vocalist, Troy Van Leeuwen, guitarist, Michael Shuman, bassist, Dean Fertita, multi-instrumentalist, and Theodore gave a prime example that night that they had no means to end their determination any time soon.
