These photos of Cult Of Luna were shot at Chicago's Bottom Lounge. I met the Swedish band in 2004 on their first US tour, where they spent a few days at my house in Chicago before embarking on a opening slot for Mastodon. Roughly 10 years later, they returned to Chiccago, and I got to shoot a few songs. Sadly, many of the landmarks (mostly Mexican restaurants, cafes and bars)have since changeed hands, been torn down or gone out of business.

Arriving a little late (due to parenting duties) they were already onstage, about to start. I got to surprise Erik (guitarist) with a friendly wave from the crowd. Afterwords, we spent a few hours in the bar nextdoor discussing the things you'd expect... parenting techniques, the difference between Swedish and US pizza, and sharing funny stories about our children. Typical heavy metal band discussions.

Erik told me that this would his last year with the band, as we was taking a break to focus on being with his family more. I'm not sure what the future holds for Cult Of Luna, but if you ever get a chance to see them, I suggest you go. This show stuck out as one of the single best sounding shows I've seen in my entire life.

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