Five hardcore bands are gathering in Chicago next month to honor the life of late Harms Way guitarist and HardLore podcast co-host Bo Lueders.
It will mark the first known live performance by Harms Way since Lueders’ death on April 2 at the age of 38.
Who’s Playing the Bo Lueders Memorial
Harms Way has announced a “memorial gathering under the Chicago stars” for Lueders on Aug. 29 at the Bohemian National Cemetery.
Bands announced for the show include Harms Way, Twitching Tongues, Linda Claire, Weekend Nachos and The Killer. Twitching Tongues features Lueders’ friend and podcast co-host, Colin Young.
READ MORE: Loved Ones Take Bo Lueders’ Cremains to WrestleMania in Touching Tribute
Sharp-eyed fans noticed the band Fleshwater was tagged in the social media post announcing the show even though they were not announced as part of the bill. The band does, however, have a song called “Linda Claire.”
Fleshwater are also scheduled to play Riot Fest in Chicago on Sept. 18. Such festivals typically require a radius clause for bands, preventing them from performing in and around the host city within a certain time frame.
What is the Bohemian National Cemetery?
The Bohemian National Cemetery, 5255 North Pulaski Road, sits on 125 acres on Chicago’s north side. According to the Friends of Bohemian National Cemetery organization, it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is “the final resting place for nearly 120,000 people.”
It is unclear what, if any, connection there is between Lueders and the venue choice. Earlier this year, friends and loved ones took his cremains to attend WrestleMania in Las Vegas.
This is far from the first time bands have played at the cemetery, which has been hosting shows sporadically since 2015 on an outdoor stage set up in front of the mausoleum. Past acts that have played there include Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Blood Incantation and Kim Gordon, formerly of Sonic Youth.
Bo Lueders Celebration Ticket Information
Tickets to the Aug. 29 event celebrating Lueders will go on sale at 10AM CT July 31. Additional ticket information can be found on the Harms Way website.
A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to the Night Ministry, Chicago Recovery Alliance and Hope For the Day.
“Harms Way has partnered with PLUS1 so that $3 from every ticket sold goes to support organizations in Chicago creating safer, healthier communities through mental health services, harm reduction and housing support,” the website reads.
Looking Back at Bo Lueders’ Career
Lueders was a fixture in the Chicago hardcore scene, most notably as a founding member of Harms Way in 2006. The band initially started as a side project, but grew into a full-time outfit and went on to release seven studio albums over the years.
Away from the stage, Lueders worked with Young to launch HardLore: Stories From Tour in 2022. The duo would often share stories from the road as two touring hardcore musicians. That eventually evolved into a podcast where the two would interview other musicians, wrestlers and personalities connected to hardcore music.
In an April 3 Instagram post, Harms Way vocalist James Pligge described Lueders as someone kind, funny and smart who also cared about his friends.
“The last thing I’ll say is that there is nothing more important than family and friends,” Pligge continued. “Make sure to call them, see them and make plans with them. In the end, the love and bonds we make with people will live on forever.”
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Gallery Credit: Various
