On August 2nd, the Salt Shed housed a full-blown sensory overload courtesy of Remi Wolf. As the Lollapalooza crowds filtered off the festival grounds and into the industrial belly of Chicago’s most eclectic venue, something electric was brewing. With her signature explosion of funk, chaos, and color, Wolf transformed the aftershow into an alternate universe, where rules didn’t exist, beats were sacred, and self-expression came with a neon halo. This concert wasn’t a cooldown from the fest; it was the after-hours awakening.
Wolf’s setlist was a kaleidoscope of genres: alt-pop, funk, soul, and sonic weirdness blended into a sound so uniquely hers that it feels like a genre in itself. What sets her apart—and was wildly apparent on Saturday night—is how carefully her music is constructed. Every beat, every warped vocal layer, every burst of synth or brass is deliberate. Her attention to rhythm is intentional, yet the result is anything but boring. It’s messy, explosive, and alive.
What I really loved about Wolf’s set is that her voice is so elastic as it stretches, bends, and snaps back like a rubber band on a sugar rush. But what makes her so magnetic live isn’t just the vocals or the technicolor visuals. It’s her obsessive control over rhythm. Each track was a layered masterpiece where no beat felt accidental to where even the silences had swing. Songs like “Photo ID” and “Sexy Villain” had rhythms that sculpted in real time. The melodies twisted and stretched into something uniquely Chicago for the night. The crowd caught every shift in tempo like a reflex, dancing not just to melody but to intention.
As the night ended and the fans shouted for an encore, it was clear that Wolf brought a set so alive, so unapologetically warped, it didn’t feel like a show—it felt like a happening. The kind you wish you could bottle. Or better yet, rewind and live again. Her aftershow more than prepared the Lollapalooza crowd for her set on day four of the festival.
Check out Samantha Irgangs’ full set of images from the show below:
