Magma in Chicago, April 10, 2015

Last night, Magma played in Chicago for the first time since 1999. Like the show that took place 16 years ago, the group sold out a small venue to fans that came from all over the midwest.

The lineup was an eight-piece, featuring Stella Vander (voice), Isabelle Feuillebois (voice), Hervé Aknin (voice), Benoît Alziary (vibraphone), James MacGaw (guitar), Jérémie Ternoy (piano), Philippe Bussonnet (bass), and of course Christian Vander (drums, piano, voice). They hit the stage of Reggies Rock Club at about 9pm and played for nearly two hours.

The set list consisted of Köhntarkösz, Mëkanïk Dëstruktïẁ Kömmandöh, Slag Tanz, and an encore of Zombies, a nice mix of the old and new. As my friend Raymond Benson, who introduced the group, noted: Magma is a force of nature.

Fantastic show and here’s to hoping they return soon.