Chicago's sprawling Bohemian National Cemetery was first founded in 1877, and since 2013, local promoters Empty Bottle Presents have been using it as the the venue for their Beyond The Gate concert series. Over the years, acts like Grouper, Cindy Lee, Kim Gordon, and Godspeed You! Black Emperor have played at the cemetery, and more shows are planned. Those shows are reportedly still happening even though the cemetery is currently facing accusations of mishandling human remains.
As the Chicago Sun-Times reports, Illinois Comptroller Susana A. Mendoza recently announced that her office is investigating Bohemian National Cemetery after getting a tip about "multiple equipment failures," claiming that "some human remains waiting to be cremated that were not maintained at the proper temperature." The cemetery has been ordered to stop accepting bodies until the investigation is done. I don't know much about running a ceremony, but that seems bad!
Apparently, though, the ongoing investigation won't stop the cemetery from hosting a few upcoming shows. Two Beyond The Gate concerts are set for next month — Cate Le Bon, Horsegirl, and Kinship on Sep. 25, and Russian Circles and Pelican on Sep. 26. A rep for Empty Bottle Presents tells the Sun-Times that those shows "are still on as planned." Local hardcore heroes Harm's Way will also headline a memorial for their late guitarist Bo Lueders on Aug. 25, playing alongside Twitching Tongues, Linda Claire, Weekend Nachos, and the Killer.
