The Ponys Kick Off Downtown Sound Concert Series in Chicago

On Monday night, Chicago hometown favorites the Ponys kicked off the Downtown Sound free summer concert series in Millennium Park with a feedback-induced bang. Opening up for the Besnard Lakes, the Ponys played together well, a strong effort for a group that just came back from a two-year hiatus and hasn't played a proper show in Chicago in over six months.

An eclectic crowd of old and young fans braved the 90-degree weather, with a small group of diehard fans even gathering beside the stage to dance and sing along in spite of the humidity. Using their set to test out quite a few new tracks, the Ponys didn't let the heat slow them down as singer Jered Gummere's howling vocals and garage-punk riffs spit out of Millennium Park's outdoor bandshell sound system.

Older fast-paced favorites like 'Let's Kill Ourselves' and '10 Fingers 11 Toes' from the Ponys' 2004 debut album, 'Laced With Romance,' got the heads nodding of fans seated around the bandshell and in the grass lawn, while the crowd in front grew larger and continued to pump their fists and dance. Ever the soft-spoken band, Gummere only said anything after he accidentally banged his mouth on his microphone while singing. "Did I just chip a tooth?" he gestured and joked with guitarist Brian Case.

Not letting a potentially chipped tooth slow him down, Gummere led Case, bassist Melissa Elias and drummer Nathan Jerde into a few more songs before closing their 45-minute set with another new song. Swirling, sonic guitar riffs filled the outdoor theater, as Gummere kneeled in front of his amplifier and Elias and Case did the same, each eliciting screeching waves of feedback that ricocheted around the bandshell. With their first tour in two years set to go down this summer, it's clear from their confident set on Monday night that the Ponys aren't ready to let fans forget about them anytime soon.