Warm Love Cool Dreams 2026: Day One

Warm Love Cool Dreams Festival just wrapped up in Chicago and we have a lot to share about Day One! The Salt Shed opened its doors on May 23rd to let fans roam the entire venue. The setup was complete with indoor and outdoor stages, a food court, a market, an arcade, balcony viewing areas, and a tree-top lounge (that had its own stage).

I showed up early and watched as the place slowly began to fill with eager concert-goers.

As we all milled about and explored the venue, the fog of Lake Michigan obscuring the skyline slowly began to lift revealing the skyscrapers behind it. Starting off the weekend in the indoor stage was Kumo 99, a high-energy electronic duo, blessing the fans who showed up early with a relentless blend of industrial beats, punk aggression, and shouted vocals over relentless rhythms.

Following the first act, was YHWH Nailgun on the outdoor stage. This experimental band provided a fusion of no-wave, industrial percussion, and avant-garde rock. The dense rhythmic music was matched perfectly by the lead singers movements onstage, evoking a feeling of unpredictability.

Back inside was the Norwegian pop-R&B duo known as Smerz.

Their set was minimalist, yet grandiose, giving a feeling of intimacy and elegance that contrasted with the first two acts of the day which felt more aggressive. While Smerz did their thing downstairs, up in the Tree-Top Lounge was where London-based songwriter Mark William Lewis performed from on high. His set was moody and atmospheric, which worked perfectly against the skyline backdrop of the third-story stage.

Next up on the outdoor stage was post-rock forerunners Tortoise, whose set consisted of an intricate combination of jazz, dub, electronica, and experimental rock. Before long, it was already time for the final set on the indoor stage, which drew the largest crowd so far. Pixel Grip, a dark electronic trio, blasted fans with their aggressive, sleek, and danceable tunes featuring heavy synth pop and industrial influences underneath dramatic vocals.

Finally, closing out Day One outside was The Jesus and Mary Chain.

The legendary Scottish noise-pop pioneers showered the crowd with walls of guitars that felt like waves crashing against listeners’ ears. All in all, it was a great day for a festival with one of the most diverse and interesting lineups that I’ve experienced in a long time. Stay tuned for our coverage of Day Two!

Photography by Sean Rider

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