Shanley Pavilion is such an aberration. It's a shack dropped into the middle of campus, hidden behind multiple buildings. There are pillars inside that obstruct your view no matter where you stand, and whenever someone mentions "Shanley," the word "asbestos" is never far behind.
But this shabbiness is what makes Shanley the go-to venue for so many artistic ventures on campus, among them WNUR's annual free concert. This year, Northwestern's radio station brought DJ Romasoul, Chandeliers and Cave to this hidden venue.
Chandeliers' dose of electronic art rock was as different from song to song as the lighting behind them. Some songs went on for minutes drone-style, while others were extremely danceable.
The end of their set, however, made it clear who the real headliner was. Audience members who had a clear view of Chandeliers now found themselves four rows back from the members of Cave. The combination of Cave's long songs with the psychedelic light show shifting across the walls behind them meant that it was possible to sometimes fall into a lull listening to them, until suddenly everything would explode and a mosh pit would form and there was nothing left but to jam along wildly.
The only downside of the show was it's seemingly poor attendance. – everyone in the audience seemed related to WNUR in some way. That's the downside of Shanley: it's easy to overlook. But those who know what to look for usually find amazing artistic displays.