we are scene sickness.
the queer, asian-american, female-run music blog
straight out of chicago, il
latest
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A LOVE LETTER TO THE SHITTY BASEMENTS OF THE CHICAGO PUNK SCENE
GLAD: THE COMMANDERS OF SHE-MALE DOUCHEBAG SLUDGE-VIOLENCE (@glad.violence) Rain Lopez, Liz Covalt, and MJ Ultra conduct the wizardry that is GLAD: the she-male-fronted, douchebag sludge-violence band that transformed my connection with the scene forever. I met GLAD in an aforementioned “shitty basement,” dripping in other people’s sweat, and writing bullshit on any blank space I could find on the wall. I carved my initials into the interworkings of the low ceiling while I avoided making conversation with the various bassists in the room who dated my friends. But there was something instantly commanding about the way that GLAD started their…
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the drowns take chicago by storm!
As a Chicago-based punk writer, there’s an abundance of punk shows within arm’s reach at any given moment. Sometimes you don’t vibe with the show, sometimes you fucking love it, but at the end of the day, you never know how it’s gonna go! As for my advice? Well, a good rule of thumb is that when a band’s walk-on song is “The Day the Nazi Died” by Chumbawamba, you’re definitely about to have the time of your life. This past Friday, Chicago’s beloved Southside venue Reggie’s erupted with punk-scented glory as Seattle’s finest The Drowns played with opener Shitizen and headliner The Casualties…
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‘ICE OUT’ INTERVIEW WITH SINCERE ENGINEER, SMOKING POPES, AND LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION
Last Saturday, Chicago’s Bottom Lounge came alive with ICE OUT: a powerful showcase of Chicago’s vibrant music scene united in solidarity with Minnesota after the murder of Renée Good, a Minneapolis resident brutally murdered by an ICE agent in January 2026. The lineup featured local punk & rock legends, including Deanna Belos of Sincere Engineer, Josh Caterer of the Smoking Popes, and Stuhby Pandav / Pat Gilroy of Lucky Boys Confusion & OneLife. I sat down with Deanna, Josh, and Stuhby to talk ICE before the benefit show, where we grew to share our thoughts about Chicago, rock music, and…
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NO yabai’s, just “see ya later!”
YABAI: A versatile piece of Japanese slang meaning anything from “sick” to “WHOA!”, secondarily referred to as THE FUTURE OF CHICAGO PUNK! To the frequenters of the neighborhood scene, we know YABAI as the local punk band that makes self-proclaimed “evil music,” consisting of frontman Jesse Vasel, his brother Jaden Vasel on the drums, friends Austin Martinez and Elian Gonzalez both on guitar, and Mikey Marcuccelli on bass. What’s so much fun about YABAI is how apparent it was that we were all witnessing the future of the scene – spiky hair, killer style, and stage presence that could light a room…
scene sickness 