It’s barely dusk when pieces of Stray Kids’ history take the screens, videos zipping through dystopian ruins. In the rubble stands a bright red pennant bearing their emblem, going up in smoke to make way for a real-life battle flag of colossal proportions. The live band dives into a threatening medley of iconic Stray Kids overtures: cymbals swell over ‘MANIAC’ flutes, brutal drums back the triumphant horns of ‘Thunderous,’ and the tangy guitar intro to ‘LALALALA’ gets slumped down with a sinister twist. When the banner falls to reveal the Kids on a platform, they scan the crowd with the fiercest of game faces. Stray Kids have already staked their claim on Chicago, yet the show has hardly begun.
To call Stray Kids festival-ready would be a gross understatement. ‘S-Class’ and ‘Freeze’ commence the show at a deafening full throttle, and ‘Super Bowl,’ with its cheeky Top Chef swagger, follows suit. Led by a ‘Walk With Me’ ARC Choir sample (better recognized from Kanye’s ‘Jesus Walks’), ‘TOPLINE’’s boom bap essence meets militant drums, while the ‘Thunderous’ chorus gets a rude guitar riff awakening. Subtle, yet striking live band reworkings breathe new life into each distinctly noisy banger, recreating the feeling of hearing some of these songs for the very first time.
The same is to be said for the impact of the group’s execution. Changbin in particular shines on a festival stage, his booming staccato demanding attention across the entirety of downtown Chicago; it’s a perfect foil to Han’s effortless flow. On the vocal front, Seungmin improvises flawless harmonies with his own backing tracks in nearly every song, while I.N consistently brings his sunny tenor down to a low growl, every instance of both catching us all by surprise. The youngest has grown into a smug confidence, weaponizing his siren eyes to win hearts over. Meanwhile, Hyunjin is a man possessed on stage, his facial and body contortions intoxicating to watch.
It wouldn’t be a Stray Kids Lollapalooza set without a wardrobe malfunction, given Bang Chan and Lee Know both hoofed it hard enough to rip their pants last summer in Paris. Here in Chicago, Felix’s cropped vest comes entirely unbuttoned during a choreographed ab reveal in ‘Charmer,’ met with the loudest, most incredulous screams of the night. The faux pas fires him up so much, you’d almost think it was planned, if not for the ever-expressive Han’s shocked face behind him.
But for every electrifying and earsplitting moment, they take time to let up on the gas, too. Catching brief lapses in their hard-edged stage personas evokes a fondness for the members who, in spite of all their power and aggression, remain eight best friends simply having an absolute blast on stage. The oft stone-cold Lee Know’s eyes sparkle with a certain gratitude when he sings “I’m feeling blessed” in ‘ITEM,’ and Bang Chan’s smile couldn’t be brighter the entire night, even during the brooding ‘Lonely St.’ “Felix, how do you feel?” asks Han as the band chugs through a bass-driven outro to ‘My Pace.’ He’s met with an easy “YESSIR!”
Their joyful, limitless energy is infectious, reviving fans who lined up for entry as early as 11 p.m. the night before. Bang Chan does plenty to keep them on their toes.
“Unfortunately, this will be the end of our time here, it was nice knowing you guys,” he misleads, a massive grin giving him away before he can even finish.
Because of course, they’d be remiss to leave without performing ‘Back Door.’ The always-bouncy choreography reaches new heights on the Lollapalooza stage, with the Kids still finding gas in the tank despite nearing the end of their high-octane set. ‘God’s Menu’ receives one of the most thrilling live band treatments of the night, with grungy riffs emphasizing each piercing movement. Their goodbyes do nothing to fool the masses, who immediately begin chanting, “One more! One more!” the second they retreat backstage.
“We are willing to not end anything and go through the entire night,” Bang Chan promised at the start, and they kept his word by returning for another run, from ‘Chk Chk Boom’ to ‘MIROH.’ “We’ll be saying our goodbyes here,” he lies again. “Thank you, and we will be back.”
“We’re back!” Felix announces, hardly a minute later. A second ‘TOPLINE’ ensues, but the Aussie brothers still refuse to stop there. As for STAYs (their fans)? Well, the feeling is mutual.
“We actually have to go, so…yeah,” Bang Chan lingers after ‘Chk Chk Boom (Festival Ver.),’ his laughter shy as the Kids and their fans both idly twidde their thumbs on Grant Park’s metaphorical doorstep, on a date that they never want to end. “Stop pressuring me! There’s RULES here!”
Ultimately, they do wind up breaking those rules to the tune of ‘Haven’’s “Do whatever you want.” “I wanna stay with you,” Stray Kids and STAYs sing to one another, and the spirited song is a bittersweet, yet becoming finale. Still, it’s impossible not to want more: and for the equally as insatiable Stray Kids, this is only the beginning.
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