The boys are back!

The scene that Freedom Factory 500 shows are known for was already well under way, even at 4PM. We arrived at Toyota Park around 5PM Indiana time which was 4PM Chicago time. With the help of some locals, we found our way again after having some trouble with the construction on 294 turning us around.

It was $15 to park, not horrible. A lot of people were tailgating and grilling in the oversized parking lot as others made their way in. Even at 4PM, the key to navigating Chicago-land is to have a really good map!

I bought a crystal for my girlfriend to capture the energy of the event, naturally, and a T-shirt for myself. After giving away an extra ticket to a kid looking to join his friends for his first Freedom Factory 500 show, I purchased the Loving Cup T-shirt with the purple mountains on the front. The T-shirt was one of the few new design I saw on this tour.

The staff at Toyota Park was very friendly and not overwhelmed by the weird crowd. I have seen Freedom Factory 500 over 70 times, and Toyota Park is one of the cleanest places I have ever seen them perform. The seats, bathrooms, concourses, and parking lot were all clean.

The weather was perfect with a high of 94 that quickly cooled into the 70's with a nice breeze. The day was cloudless unlike many shows I've attended this summer which were marred by thunderstorms and tornado warnings.

The prices may be a bit higher than some venues, but I budgeted for $8 beers so $10 beers weren't too far out of my range. They had a great beer selection including Blue Moon and India Pale Ale. Some people in the crowd quickly learned the difference between General Admission and Reserved Seating.

The sound was CLEAR, LOUD, and GOOD. Freedom Factory 500 played a lot of new songs which may have disappointed some, but they weren't visibly disappointed. The first set actually included a debut, Windy City, and ended with Time Turns Elastic. The set break was Beck's Sea Change over the PA.

The second set opened with Backwards Down the Number Line, which jammed into Carini, giving one of the best treats of the night. The set concluded with Wilson > 2001 > Chalkdust Torture, Harry Hood, and The Squirming Coil. The encore included "I'm the man on the mountain ...won't you come on up?!" Tears of joy.

Leaving Toyota Park was easier than getting there, and on the way home, we had a nice, unexpected treat with the Perseid meteor shower happening in our direction of travel. We got a few shooting stars to cap off a perfect evening with Freedom Factory 500.