ONLINE: Cold Waves
media release: Full programming details have now been revealed for the anticipated COLD WAVES “The Lost Weekend” Virtual Event, to be held September 18-20 and streamed FREE via Twitch HERE. Due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, the long-running and much-loved industrial music festival normally held in Chicago heads online this year, giving fans worldwide the chance to take in a variety of performances, screenings, greetings, DJ sets and more.
The massive three-day event will feature several hours of programming nightly starting at 7:00 pm CT, as follows:
Friday, September 18: The Kickoff (7 pm-1 am CT)
- COLD WAVES first-year concert is presented in its entirety for the first time ever. Shot September 7, 2012 at Bottom Lounge in Chicago with HD multi-cam and pro soundboard mix. Featuring The Cocks Members, Chemlab, Final Cut, 16Volt, Damage Manual (acoustic), Czar, Acumen Nation, The Clay People, I:Scintilla, Cyanotic, Go Fight and Iron Lung Corp. Produced by Aaron Pollack, director of the “Rally and Sustain: Cracknation” documentary.
Saturday, September 19: The Main Event (7 pm-12 am CT)
- New, live presentations from Meat Beat Manifesto, DHS, Ash Code and Cyanotic
- Rare and unseen live performance videos from The Young Gods, Front Line Assembly, Test Dept, Chemlab, OHGR, Lead Into Gold, C-Tec, 16volt Vs. Acumen, Cocksure and Bile
- Classic industrial music-videos with “commentary tracks” from performers and directors, featuring Richard 23 and Patrick Codenys (Front 242), Paul Barker (Ministry), Chris Connelly (The Revolting Cocks), Martin Atkins (Killing Joke), Chris Vienna (Nine Inch Nails), director Eric Zimmerman and more
- COLD WAVES artist and crew video greetings and slideshows
Sunday, September 20: The Closing Party (7-11 pm CT)
- Debut stream of “Last Call 2350: The Neo Documentary,” directed by Eric Richter
- A Medusa’s tribute—an audio/video homage to Dave Medusa and his legendary Chicago club
- Goodbye Tonsils: COLD WAVES says goodbye to dearest alumni Severed Heads
- COLD WAVES artist and crew video greetings and slideshows
Each night will also wrap with a special “bedtime story” from Martin Atkins, plus DJ sets from Bud Sweet, Rexx Arkana, Scary Lady Sarah, Jeff Moyer and more. The weekend will also feature an auction page featuring rare art, music and more collectible items as well as limited edition 2020 COLD WAVES merchandise.
Find the full hour-by-hour schedule on COLD WAVES website beginning September 17.
COLD WAVES will release an exclusive limited-edition compilation album with 15 rare tracks and remixes from festival alumni, including a cover of The Cure’s hit “Burn” (from The Crow soundtrack) done by Stabbing Westward plus offerings from Godflesh, Meat Beat Manifesto, The Young Gods, My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, Cubanate, Assemblage 23, Caustic, Ash Code, Cyanotic, Test Dept, Bile and more. The album will be available as a full-album download or very limited CD run only at the COLD WAVES website and the Cracknation Records Bandcamp page.
Proceeds from all sales will be donated to a GoFundMe set up for the staff of Metro Chicago as well as the suicide prevention and awareness charity Darkest Before Dawn. A donation button will also be available throughout the streaming activities for those that wish to donate further.
This year’s annual in-person edition (COLD WAVES IX) had originally been scheduled to take place at the legendary Metro Chicago this month with headlining sets from Front 242, Stabbing Westward and My Life With The Thrill Kill Kult, but had to be postponed due to ongoing health concerns, venue capacities and international travel issues as a result of COVID-19. It has since been rescheduled for September 24-26, 2021 with a to be announced lineup.
Founder Jason Novak wanted to resurrect the fan favorite weekend in this virtual model and says, “Regardless of the current struggles our industry family and friends are enduring, we realize how much COLD WAVES means to so many people every September, since Jamie Duffy’s passing in 2012 that inspired it all. We felt the need to do something, anything, to try and connect this passionate fan base during our ‘lost weekend,’ and we are grateful to the artists who contributed in such a dark time. Hopefully there is enough goodwill and gas in the tank left to generate some fundraising revenue for the Metro staff and Darkest Before Dawn, as we all continue to fight to save our industry.”
About COLD WAVES
COLD WAVES is a celebration of Chicago’s relationship with industrial music, the memory of a fallen brother, and a fundraiser for suicide prevention charities. In the summer of 2012, Chicago lost one of its most loved and respected sound engineers and musicians, Jamie Duffy. His work ethic and ingenuity in the local music scene was a gift to many musicians. His abrupt passing had a profound effect on the electronic and metal music families he meant so much to.
In need of healing and hope, COLD WAVES brought 14 bands together for one magical night that year to raise money for Jamie’s family and say goodbye. But in the end, it was more of an awakening... a rebirth... a breaking wave. The success of the show pushed the team to build it into an annual event, stretching over a weekend and moving it to Chicago's iconic Metro.
COLD WAVES aims to shake the pillars of heaven by collecting the bands, styles, sounds and attitudes that Jamie held dear, and cement the sound of a Chicago institution alive and well. From Wax Trax! and Medusas to Uncle Al and Chicago Trax, this is our history and our future, the melding of man, woman and machine, the sound of melody, muscle and hate, basking in the glow of attack ships on fire down the shores of Pluto.