This past Saturday was a special night as The Salt Shed opened its doors for its first-ever indoor show. Pursuit of Dopeness was lucky enough to be there as well as document the night, being a part of Chicago’s first taste of what’s to come for the future of our live music scene.
The first to ever grace the stage of the Shed was Chicago’s very own EDM group Levity who were having an absolute blast bouncing around on stage. They’ve got a wide range of cool sound design as they come up in the local Chicago electronic scene with a fresh take on what you could call future bass. Live, they seemed so happy to be there and it translated straight through the music, as the whole thing was super positive and high energy. Next up was Ahee, whose personality was out of this world, sporting alien imagery and heavy bass that definitely got the room hot. Green strands of fabric hailed down from both sides of his hat that waved with the length of his hair- godly in the name of bass. A super fun set that brought a lot of excitement. Before the main event was Eazy Baked, a duo who also rode the bass train and absolutely melted face. With a darker tone than the previous set, Eazy Baked put on a thriller with heavy sub, deep wobbles, and good times. Super tight set. All the openers were really great and I highly recommend checking all of them out next time you get the chance. And a big thank you from myself to the openers for spinning tracks off Quest for Fire.
The bill was headlined by electronic duo Big Gigantic. Known for the saxophones and drumming in their live sets, Big Gigantic put on a stellar show consisting of live playing and mixing that built a cohesive set that was fun throughout. They had a cool setup too, one massive LED background, kind of like a miniature Brooklyn Mirage, and each of them on either side of the setup. They were teasing a bunch of super funky unreleased stuff and some throwbacks that brought me years back with a major hit of nostalgia. “All of Me” feat. Logic and ROZES will always be a banger. It’s been a while since I’ve caught a Big Gigantic set and after Tove Lo was postponed, it was cool to see BG get the opportunity to debut such a cool new facility.
The complex was once home to the Morton Salt Company, represented by the umbrella-wielding girl in a yellow dress that greeted me every time I entered the city going East on I-90. Just years ago, a long, rectangular room housed mountains of salt, but now holds thousands of concertgoers in a multi-layered indoor facility. The back wall of the concert hall is lined with premium stadium seating. The sound and production in the Shed are cutting-edge. The indoor building itself is a really cool layout, albeit sometimes a little too narrow with peak foot traffic. Overall though, I had a really good experience at the Salt Shed and I found that it ran incredibly smoothly on its first night. Its accommodations are definitely a talking point in its charm. Leaving the venue at the end of the night, at the base of the front door was a group of around 15 bonfires lit and set up with lawn chairs that had people winding down and hanging out in 30-degree weather. Next door sat the construction of Goose Island’s future 312 Restaurant. It all feels so homey, like somebody’s backyard, and it’s consciously set up in a way to create lasting memories for years and years to come. With such a large, versatile open space, I’m really excited to see how the space gets upgraded over time, and I cannot wait to come back during the summer.
Check out our photos from the memorable evening below!
Photos and Words by Arthur Siwek for Pursuit of Dopeness
