Swanfest 2025 – Chicago | Dance Gavin Dance Set the Aragon on Fire

If you’ve ever wanted to step into a fever dream of riffs, sweeps, and nonstop energy, Swanfest 2025 was the place to be. Held at Chicago’s legendary Aragon Ballroom, this year’s edition felt like a chaotic family reunion—except louder, sweatier, and packed with more riffs than one brain can handle.
I pulled up early, camera gear loaded, and the crowd was already spilling in like they knew what was about to happen. The Aragon’s old-world ceiling and castle-like architecture gave the whole thing a surreal vibe—like post-hardcore meets medieval ballroom. It was beautiful and a little unhinged. Just how I like it.

The Crowd & Chaos
By the time doors opened, the line had wrapped around the block. Inside, the energy was immediate. People weren’t just hyped—they were ready. From the moment the lights dimmed, the crowd erupted. Crowd surfers, moshers, fans screaming every lyric like they wrote it themselves—it was that perfect kind of chaos where you lose track of time and come out drenched and smiling.

Phones were up, hands were flying, and honestly, if you didn’t leave that room sore or hoarse, did you even go?

Dance Gavin Dance – The Main Event
DGD hit the stage like they had something to prove, even though we all know they never really need to. Will Swan looked like a man possessed, ripping through riffs like the guitar was just an extension of him. Jon Mess was an absolute animal—stomping, thrashing, throwing down those guttural screams that shake your spine. Tilian’s vocals soared through the Aragon like a punch wrapped in silk. Smooth and sharp at the same time.

They opened with “Synergy”, and the floor immediately became a wave pool of bodies. Setlist blended new cuts with the classics—“Care,” “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most,” “Head Hunter,” and “Chucky vs. The Giant Tortoise” all hit like uppercuts. And yeah, when “We Own the Night” dropped? Pure madness.

The lighting rig? Clean and dynamic. The audio mix? Loud enough to feel it in your bones, but tight enough to pick out every note. Honestly, I don’t know how they manage to sound that good live, but here we are.

Final Thoughts
Swanfest 2025 was more than just a show—it was a statement. A night that proved post-hardcore still has a heartbeat, and Dance Gavin Dance is the one holding the defibrillator. The Aragon turned into a pressure cooker of sound, sweat, and community, and for a few hours, nothing else mattered but the music and the moment.

10/10 would shoot again. Would mosh if my gear wasn’t in the way.
Next year? I’m bringing backup batteries and a neck brace.

Insert Tilian in a power stance with backlight haze pouring in. Absolute wallpaper energy.