Free Throw Electrifies Chicago’s House of Blues
Chicago, Illinois - May 17, 2026
On a warm Sunday night, Free Throw made their last stop of the North American leg of the Moments Before The Wind tour to a sold-out House of Blues in Chicago. Fellow emo punk-rock bands Wakelee, TRSH, and Macseal prompted the packed music hall to quickly become sweaty, exhilarated and equipped for the main act. The crowd synchronously harmonize to 2000’s classic “Teenage Dirtbag” as they eagerly awaited Free Throw’s entrance.
The lights dim and blue laser rays surrounding the parameter of the stage shoot to the roof. Bassist Justin Castro and lead guitarist Lawrence Warner are first to enter stage, followed by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Cory Castro, drummer Zach Hall and lead guitarist and backing vocalist Jack Hall. The emo band from Nashville, Tennessee kicks off the set with “MissingNo.,” the first song off their latest album. As the drums kick in, the mosh pit opens and the floorboards feel like they could fall out from under your feet at any moment.
“Thank you for being here, you guys mean the world,” Cory says before the next song’s guitar riff strikes. Fans recognize it immediately as “The Corner’s Dilemma,” a hit song off their third album What’s Past is Prologue. Giving fans a chance to catch their breath, Cory addresses the crowd again and dedicates “Pallet Town” to fans who were there for shows at Subterranean and Beat Kitchen, more intimate venues in the city. This is the first song of the set off their iconic debut album Those Days Are Gone, but certainly not the last.
As Free Throw makes their way down the setlist, the electric energy of the crowd is only amplified. Fans enthusiastically push and shove each other, powerfully carry crowd-surfers to the front, and show their love to the band with hoots and applause between every song. Cory introduces the last song before leaving the stage, explaining that while recording Moments Before The Wind, he found out he was going to be a father. “The Waters Of Life” is about the uncertainty and responsibility that comes with prospective parenthood.
After exiting the stage, fans chant “One more song! One more song!” Free Throw swiftly returns for a three-song encore and “Randy, I Am the Liquor” is first on the list. The crowd screams along to every lyric from the song off their second album Bear Your Mind. Justin kicks off the next one, plucking the bass chords that introduce their most well-loved song “Two Beers In.” Fans shriek and the biggest circle pit of the night opens in the center of the crowd. The spine-tingling voices of 1,800 people can be heard in unison: “Two beers in! Already feels like it’s one of those nights,” a collective exhale after feeling like you’ve been holding your breath for years.
Members of Macseal join the stage for the final song of the night, “Hey Ken, Someone Methodically Mushed the Donuts,” the last song off Those Days Are Gone and the perfect closer for the dynamic night. For their first time on Chicago’s House of Blues stage, Free Throw rocked it like they had done it a thousand times. You can get tickets to the European leg of the Moments Before The Wind tour on their website.
