Walking into a show when the sun is still relatively high in the sky is a sure sign that one is headed into an “All Ages” show. This was indeed the case for me this past Friday when entering The Metro, located in Chicago’s Wrigleyville neighborhood, for the Lemuria, Screaming Females, and Against Me! show. I was able to catch the tail end of Lemuria’s set, which showed promise, but my main focus was Screaming Females. Having checked out their music only briefly before venturing to the show I came expecting nothing and left appreciating Jersey more. I am a huge fan of New Jersey bands, and I am pleased to say that Screaming Females is now added to my ever growing list of Jersey love.

During their set it was apparent that this band was no stranger to performing live. Their obvious independent talents blended together to form a collective output of heaviness that left the audience wanting more. I was pleasantly surprised by Marissa Paternoster’s vocals and overall stage presence, She had such intense emotion behind every sound, whether it was sung or screamed, that it amazed me that she was still standing after the set.

As the trio, composed of Marissa Paternoster, Jarrett Dougherty and King Mike, played, the crowd bobbed their heads, danced, and even spontaneously applauded during an outstanding rock out session that happened mid-way through the set. As I watched the crowd enjoy the show, I couldn’t help but appreciate that Screaming Females is not just a punk rock band from Jersey, they are several genres mixed together. Several of their songs truly invoked a feeling of rock nostalgia.

Screaming Females played a solid set with barely, if any, talking. For them it seemed the important thing was to play as many songs in their time slot as possible, which was apparently appreciated by the fans (who still left wanting more). It was an overall refreshing experience to be part of a show from a great live performing band that is composed of talented musicians. Having a nearly full venue is something opening bands may luck into if the venue is running late, but that was definitely not the case for this band. Fans came out early just for them. I think its safe to say it was worth it. If you get the chance to see them live I would recommend doing so—recording-wise it just isn’t the same.

Visit the Shows page on Screaming Females’ site for upcoming show dates. They’re touring the Midwest and East Coast now!

- All photos in this piece by Daniela Montelongo