Swans – Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)

Shelby Doyle

I was lucky enough to catch the experimental rock gods Swans at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit Saturday night and they totally floored me. It was a completely out-of-body, cathartic experience for me and 2nd only maybe to seeing the Knife earlier this year in Chicago. They played all new material, but the song that stood out the most for me was the To Be Kind highlight, “Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett).” Watching Michael Gira command his entire band with angry thrashing while screaming “I’M JUST A LITTLE BOYYYYYY I NEED LOOOOOOOVE” was insane and made my brain feel like spaghetti. It’s one I’ll remember for a looooong time.

Words by Jacob Richards