Animals As Leaders in Chicago

About Animals As Leaders

Animals As Leaders is Tosin Abasi's instrumental progressive metal project that basically redefined what guitar-centric metal could be. Starting as a solo endeavor in 2007, the band evolved into a full unit with bassist Javier Reyes and drummer Matt Garstka, creating some of the most technically demanding and rhythmically complex music in modern metal. Their self-titled debut introduced a sound built on extended-range guitars, polyrhythmic foundations, and zero reliance on vocals—just pure instrumental storytelling. Albums like "Weightless" and "The Joy of Motion" cemented them as the thinking person's metal band, pulling equally from jazz fusion, prog rock, and metal traditions. Tracks like "Cafo" and "An Infinite Regression" showcase their ability to balance inhuman technical precision with actual emotional weight. They're the kind of band that makes you realize how limiting conventional song structures are. Their influence on progressive music over the last 15 years is hard to overstate.

Animals As Leaders shows are dense, focussed experiences. The crowd tends toward musicians and serious listeners who actually track the time signatures. There's an intensity that comes from watching people execute this level of technical material live without a net. Energy builds through precision rather than spectacle.

Known for Tempting Time, An Infinite Regression, The Brain, Cafo, Lippincott

Animals As Leaders + Chicago

Animals As Leaders has maintained a presence in Chicago's progressive music scene, most recently bringing their intricate instrumental work to the Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom in May 2025. The band's technical precision and exploratory approach to guitar-based composition have resonated with the city's adventurous listeners, drawing crowds who appreciate music that prioritizes complexity and nuance over conventional song structure.

Animals As Leaders in Chicago News

• Satchvai Band’s tour with Animals As Leaders starts in April Chaoszine · Feb 16, 2026
• News: Joe Satriani and Steve Vai Announce North American Tour with Animals As Leaders New Noise Magazine · Dec 15, 2025
• ANIMALS AS LEADERS to join JOE SATRIANI and STEVE VAI on SATCHVAI North American tour Lambgoat · Dec 10, 2025
• 2 guitar legends announce tour, new album together Syracuse.com · Dec 10, 2025
• JOE SATRIANI And STEVE VAI Announce 2026 North American SATCHVAI Tour With ANIMALS AS LEADERS BLABBERMOUTH.NET · Dec 9, 2025

Live Music in Chicago

Chicago's got a serious instrumental music tradition baked in. Beyond the obvious jazz legacy, the city's always been a hub for progressive and experimental music—math rock bands, fusion players, the whole avant-garde thing. Animals As Leaders slots naturally into that lineage: virtuosic, genre-agnostic, built on the kind of technical foundation that resonates with musicians and serious listeners who care about what's actually being played.

Chicago road trip to see Animals As Leaders?

Stay in Lincoln Park or Wicker Park depending on your vibe—both neighborhoods have real character and plenty of late-night options. Book dinner at Alinea if you're feeling ambitious, or hit RPM Italian for something excellent and less impossible to get into. Spend an afternoon at the Art Institute, then walk along the Lakefront. The city's got enough to fill a weekend without feeling like you're checking boxes. Catch the show, eat well, and remember why you liked this band in the first place.