The concert was crowded, with many types of people from young to old. The smoke machine filled the air as the lights flashed. Jumping up and down united over one thing: the art. Concerts are a fun activity to go to, especially on weekend nights, but the Grandson concert was more than just fun.
Nov. 1, 2025, Jordan Edward Benjamin, better known as Grandson, returned to Chicago as an independent artist to perform his new album: “INERTIA.” Known for his hard-hitting lyrics and alternative style of music, Grandson’s work reaches out to shared anxieties and personal unrest in order to make “the soundtrack for your revolution.”
Over the course of 10 songs, “INERTIA” explores themes of political and social decay, corporate greed, and online apathy. The album features his own project, “Inertia Hotline,” where fans can call an anonymous number to share their complaints, confessions, and fears. These calls are then recorded and are used in his music content in order to contextualize his own fans’ experiences through his music.
“[We’re] supporting political art in this time of unrest,” Grandson said. “If political art weren’t important, we wouldn’t see so much intimidation, censorship, and you would see the funding of AI art as replacing creativity. To show love and solidarity, to show love to the very communities being targeted right now.”
This message was especially amplified since the original opener. English punk-rap duo Bob Vylan was unable to join since their visas were revoked by the Trump administration after leading chants of “Free Palestine” and “Death to the IDF” (Israeli Defense Forces). The new openers, American punk-rap duo Ho99o9, brought the energy up by creating mosh pits and hyping up the crowd, laughing, “You gotta learn to have fun, okay!”
Among the crowd, David Voss, who made an eight-hour road trip from Lincoln, Nebraska, to Chicago to go see Grandson live, sees importance in the concert as well
“It is important to, regardless of personal view, to understand and realize the opposing viewpoint, regardless of whether or not you believe it,” Voss said. “It allows you to extend your own knowledge and belief in your own political system.”
Junior Matilda “MJ” Koch thinks similarly.
“I think it’s a very fragile time currently, real voices need to get heard that aren’t influenced by the print or things are taken out of proportion by the news,” Koch said. “I’m glad that I’m in an environment where I don’t have to watch my mouth and watch everything that I say.”
Post show, local Chicagoan Shamrock Clark spoke passionately about how “as a member of the queer and trans community, it is very important to see any sort of political messaging, because my identity has been made political. Everyone deserves a chance to get seen in the public eye.”
Art has always been political, even when silent; every decision about what is created, displayed, owned, or ignored has political implications. In today’s digital world, political art is more accessible, yet also at more risk than ever with censorship. However, art remains one of the more distinct ways to spark a community, representing unheard voices and pushing back against injustice.
So whether it’s a concert, gallery, protest, or online, you should watch, listen, and support political artists. Their courage in creating and sharing is more than just self-expression; through censorship, it is an act of hope, solidarity, and collective resistance. Political artists support you, so support them in return.
Xander K • Nov 13, 2025 at 2:16 pm
M.J???????!!
Cool article btw 🙂