Midwesterners know springtime to be a time of limbo. Will it be nice out? Or will it snow, rain, or hail? On the morning of 101WKQX’s PIQNIQ, massive storms swept through Chicago’s south suburbs, prompting many to believe the day would be ruined. But, as luck would have it, by the time Lucky Boys Confusion strolled onto stage at 1 PM, the rain had stopped and held off for the rest of the day.
PIQNIQ boasted huge bands for (nearly) every music taste, although the audience was overwhelmingly teenagers and college students, no doubt excited for the school year to end on a high note. Synth-pop group Joywave premiered their brand new song “It’s a Trip,” and lead singer Daniel Armbruster led the crowd in deep breathing beforehand. “We can do this,” he calmly and dryly said before performing the new single flawlessly.
The biggest surprise of the day? Sum 41 still kick so much ass. The pop-punk group have been around since 1996 and perform over 300 times every single year. They headlined PIQNIQ’s smaller stage, which suited them fine, as they were able to utilize the massive parking lot space and get several circle pits going at once. Lead singer Deryck Whibley also grabbed three fans from the front row (who had been waiting all day to see the band) and brought them up on stage to watch the rest of the concert up close.
On the main stage, Bleachers closed their energetic set with “I Wanna Get Better,” and hundreds of fans sitting on the lawn ran together and jumped in unison. This moment was one of the highlights of the day–Jack Antonoff’s joyful lyrics flooding the back of the amphitheater as the sun set behind a throng of dancing people. Every band came onstage smiling, and every fan gave their all. PIQNIQ was a perfect start to festival season and has quickly become a quintessential spring event in Chicago.
