Motionless in White
With Alpha Wolf, After the Burial, and Knocked Loose
Byline Aragon Ballroom, Chicago IL
October 21, 2023
Photos & review Roman Sobus
This was to be the first time for me seeing Motionless in White. As I arrived at the iconic Aragon Ballroom, a venue that I frequented decades earlier, the line of fans stretched for more than a city block. The lobby was crowded with fans perusing the merch area and the floor was already filling up with little chance of getting up close!
The Australian rockers Alpha Wolf were the first up, playing a short 30 minute set, getting the early arrivals in the mood as others filtered into the ga floor. They did an awesome job, getting a mosh pit going before finishing their short set.
Minneapolis natives After the Burial followed with an equally short set, building on the energy of the previous set.
Knocked Loose made their stage appearance after a short break to set the stage and give fans a little time to replenish their energy with some refreshments. The Kentucky natives drew a serious following to the night’s performance and from the moment the first note was played, the party began in earnest. They are tight and definitely on the move in the right direction! The mosh pit opened in the center of the ga floor and grew in size with each song. Crowd surfers appeared, with as many as half a dozen at a time keeping security busy catching them as the ride ended in front of the stage! Smaller mosh circles formed in the hall’s outlying areas for those either unable or unwilling to thread into the main floor.
By the time the stage was being set for Motionless in White, the venue had filled to capacity and you could sense the fans’ excitement. The lights dimmed and a short film documenting the band’s preparation for the tour played for the audience. The moment lead singer Chris “Motionless” Cerulli stepped on stage he was in control! Opening with “Meltdown” from their latest release “, they rolled through the 18 song set, pausing only briefly due to a fan injury during “Reincarnate”. They brought Lochie Keoh of Alpha Wolf on stage for “Immaculate Misconception and Brian Garris of Knocked Loose for “Slaughterhouse”.
Since getting together in 2004, the band has released 6 albums so there is no shortage of quality material. The current lineup has Chris Motionless-vocals, guitarists Ryan Sitkowski and Ricky Olson, Justin Morrow on bass and Vinny Mauro on drums.
It was a solid evening of metal and I’m certain anyone attending was not disappointed. There are eight more dates left on “The Touring The End Of The World Tour”. Try to catch a show near you if you can!
