ST XIII Wrap Up!

The 13th edition of Scorched Tundra was one for the books. ST XIII cast a wide net of heavy music –  with a range of bookings and pairing seeing groups paired together in a uniquely complementary manner. There were a number of exclusives: Osi and the Jupiter made its Chicago premier on Friday while Thursday attendees witnessed Nicole Dollanganger perform material from Married in Mount Airy for the first time on US soil.

There were a number of non-musical firsts this year. Bryn Gleason’s art was featured on a a limited edition risograph poster with 100% of the proceeds benefitting Life Span. In the run up to the festival all Chicagoland Kuma’s Corner locations featured a unique band burger celebrating the festival, in addition to the namesake Scorched Tundra burger.

Putting on an event of this complexity involves a number of different people whose roles range from being engaged with the event year round to working their tails off all weekend. I wanted to give thanks to the following participants:

-Bands + Crew: Candy, Nicole Dollanganger, Without Waves, Cloakroom, Osi and the Jupiter, Luggage, Portrayal of Guilt, Firebreather, Gag and Ak’Chamel.
-The Empty Bottle: Thank you to everyone from the music division that has supported this event since ST VI in 2016, the production staff, bartenders, sound engineers and everyone else that clocked in during the weekend. You played an important role in facilitating a fantastic weekend in a safe, friendly environment.
-PBR and Jim Beam for their support in this event.-Bryn Gleason for her visual work, constant inspiration and for familiarizing me with Life Span’s important work.
-Metropolitan Brewing for teaming up on another successful year of Humbucker!
-Steve Seebode for design and web support.
-YOU for buying a ticket, picking up a shirt or poster, and deciding to spend your hard earned cash to support independent bands, venues and promoters. Your active support is essential in maintaining a thriving independent venue ecosystem.

Final visual impressions of ST XIII provided by photographers Manuel Velasco and Brian Santostefano.