Nuoffer Media

The Melvins

09-07-2023
The Melvins
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

A crisp evening in Cream City provided a fantastic background to a busy night at the famed Rave/Eagles Ballroom. The line of fans waiting to enter the facility was a generational mix of people. Young and old came to see The Melvins do what they do best, grind. The performance being held in the Rave2 room of the venue provided a bit more of an intimate feel. It is located on the basement level and is a transformed bowling alley. All that is left is the hardwood floors. The amount of legendary acts that have shaken those floorboards is countless. The Melvins once again added their storied name to the list. 

The Melvins remain arguably one of the greatest sludge, grind, metal, or whatever genre you want to put them in artists. The cohesiveness they have managed to hold on to has sustained them over the last 30 years. Musically, they touch and experiment bending their hardened metal sound every album out. One thing you can absolutely bank on is the quality of their material. This tour is labeled Twins of Terror. With tourmates Boris on the bill you knew entering through those huge wooden doors you were in store for perfection personified. Buzz Osbourne or King Buzzo to most, represents the noise and sludge community in all of its glory. With his writing style being unconventional compared to radio-driven standards the songs build and layer on top of themselves allowing one to let it sink in. As with tradition, Buzz has his right set up like he always has using his ‘79 Sunn Beta solid-state amplifier, which is a gem and extremely rare in the world of touring musicians. Most use tubed amplifiers. His cabinets and pedals are placed in the same position almost religiously. Buzz often checks his tuning and sound rocking from his custom Empress cabinets armed with 15” and 12” speakers. Being such a music junkie his precision is a huge advantage as an audience member. Instinctually knowing you will have the best experience sonically only heightens the performance. Even the way he maniacally waves his hair around or slings his aluminum guitar head around while performing is a long-time patented move. Everything he does screams full effort. His fellow cornerstone Dale Crover unfortunately was unable to perform on this run of dates while he recovered from spinal surgery. His ability to control the tempo was sorely missed, but Coady Willis of High on Fire fame filled in. His energy was felt with every snap of his stick. Powerful blasts pushed the groups playing. He slid right in and met every demand of the position. On stage left, Steven Shane McDonald’s tall lanky physique towered over the crowd. Dressed in a red suit he visually grabbed one eye while delivering the low-end shakes of his bass strums. His engagement with the audience up front was fun and rather playful. He was there to put on a show. 

As a whole, they haven’t changed much at all and that is about as reassuring as it gets. They know their audience and they know their material. They do not care if you want to hear their most popular tunes. They are going to give you what they want to perform and what you really need to hear. This tour The Melvins paid homage to their 1991 release Bullhead. After 30+ years the material was still experimentally fresh every track performed was nailed note for note. The feel of the album’s straightforward chugging and wall of noise felt like a precursor to many of the larger acts you see today. Hearing it being performed nearly in its entirety was an adrenaline rush in and of itself. Glimpses of Buzz smiling in between continuing and haunting vocals often ended with his timeless grimace before riffing his way out of songs. Perhaps most notable on the opening track of the evening Ligature. Tucked behind the stage speaker a couple of the members of Boris watched and head banged along. It was unique since the track Boris is where the Japanese rocker got their name from. The Melvins also closed their set with the song. Of note later on Boris themselves covered the track to close out the evening. Nothing against the band Boris, but the old saying that nothing is better than the original rang ever so true. The most up-tempo and crowd-moving song of the evening It Shoved was a quick tutorial on the vast range of metal capabilities. Hearing the album in its almost entirety was an amazing thing to have witnessed. Albums that are huge within an artist’s discography will always be revered by its fan base. The Melvins are no different. This album set the tone for their entire history of work. Despite that, the eager audience also got to see easy setlist write-ins Honey Bucket and Night Goat off of their most popular album Houdini. 

When I was standing in line waiting to enter the venue a fellow patron said to me, “I just want to vibe out and let the music carry me tonight.” In all honesty that sentiment is the perfect way to describe The Melvins experience. They are always fundamentally sound and a well-oiled machine that continuously keeps turning out absolute rippers of songs. King Buzzo and company handle that experience with care live. The timing and structure of the setlist always complement one another. They do not talk much in between songs. They are there to perform and punch you in the mouth because that is what they are best at. In the rare instance they spend time on the microphone the commentary is about the music or thanking the crowd. The goal is always performance-based. That reason alone is why The Melvins will always be a band to never miss when they come to town. 

Setlist:

1. Ligature
2. Your Blessened
3. It’s Shoved
4. Anaconda
5. Zodiac
6. Cow
7. A History of Bad Men
8. Honey Bucket
9. Revolve
10. Night Goat
11. Boris

Boris

09/07/2023
Boris
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Setlist:
1. Heavy Friends
2. Korosu
3. Dyna Soar
4. Wareruraldo
5. Soft Edge
6. Dronevil
7. Death Valley
8. Koei
9. Kane - The Bell Tower of A Sign
10. 1970
11. Boris (The Melvins cover)

Corey Taylor

08/30/2023
Corey Taylor 
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Setlist:
1. Post Traumatic Blues
2. Tumult (Stone Sour)
3. Black Eyes Blue
4. We Are The Rest
5. Song #3 (Stone Sour)
6. Beyond
7. Before I Forget (Slipknot)
8. Sponge Bob Square Pants Theme
9. Snuff ( Slipknot)
10. Absolute Zero (Stone Sour)
11. Talk Sick
12. Bother (Stone Sour)
13. Through Glass (Stone Sour)
14. Duality (Slipknot)
15. HWY 666
16. Ace of Spades (Motorhead cover)


Alter Bridge

08/26/2023
Alter Bridge
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

On a cool fall-like evening at the historic halls of The Rave in Milwaukee, WI melodic hard rock giants Alter Bridge stopped to perform at one of their final stops of their Pawns & Kings tour. Outside the venue, the parking lot was packed full of people enjoying their evenings. Vehicles playing music and folks hanging out together. The line to enter had already grown and stretched down the block an hour before the doors opened. The anticipation for the performance was at a fever pitch. The chatter surrounding the show was about which songs were to be played. Regardless, this fan base was well in tune with the discography and were no doubt members of Alter Bridge Blackbird fan club. The foursome of vocalist Myles Kennedy, guitarist Mark Tremonti, Bassist Brian Marshall, and drummer Scott Phillips created an undying fanbase and would have to live up to their high standards.

As the doors opened the rush through the venue brought everyone out into the front courtyard that provided a spot for beverages and a couple of food options. Others stood by the front fence and had their photos taken with The Rave’s sign with Alter Bridge listed on it. The bustling courtyard leads you through the famed heavy doors and upstairs to the Eagles Ballroom. Moving up the stairs, the 3rd floor opens up to the merchandise area. The lines filled the room. Behind it was the final set of stairs that opened up into the massive Eagles Ballroom. The Eagles Ballroom had the half room set up. This setup allows the sizing to drop from 3,500 capacity to 2,500 comfortably creating a more intimate evening. This was an upgrade from The Rave Hall below. The stage sits in the middle of the ballroom. Metal barricades split the room and wrap around the Eagles stage which lies off to the right. Up on the actual Eagles Ballroom stage was the VIP seating area. This was a rare opportunity to be on stage while not really being “on stage”. The one thing it did provide is an elevated and unobstructed view and tabled seating. Above the general admission floor space were the balcony opera booths that wrap around the entire venue. No matter where you were standing the views were clean and you had the ability to watch without issues. 

As the show opens, Alter Bridge one-by-one takes the stage. Arms raised, hands waving, and plenty of “Thank You’s” being thrown out there. The intro to Silver Tongue kicks in and the immediate impact of the fast tempo had the adrenaline rushing instantly. Frontman Myles Kennedy’s vocals were perfection. They were full and projected easily out over the room. They complimented the newer music brilliantly. The track from their latest release Pawns & Kings set the tone for what was to be an incredible performance. Nearly, every song performed was admirable in its own unique way. Others really stood out over the others though. The set up of the first three songs performed Silver Tongue, Addicted To Pain, and Ghost of Days Gone By couldn’t have been better table setters. No commentary in between each of them. Just a purely driven rock show. Burn It Down had Tremonti on vocals by himself. With his solo project being him vocally this was a site to see considering how gifted their frontman is. He ripped riffs along the way and vocally performed to superb levels. A special treat to those who are fans of both works. 

Smack dab in the middle of the evening a two-song acoustic spot was set up. Center stage Kennedy sat on a stool by himself armed with only his acoustic and all 9 white backlights focused on him. Floods lightly focused out over the audience and illuminated the golden trim of the famed ballroom ceiling and balcony seating. A simple request of the fans to sing along turned into the echoes of the heartfelt lyrics that eventually drowned out Kennedy’s voice. His face displayed an impressed look.  Signaling for guitarist Mark Tremonti to join him, they both sit center stage. Tremonti starting the intro to In Loving Memory Kennedy stood up with a microphone in one hand and his microphone stand in the other leaning into it and singing his heart out. The effect pushed the lyrical content further into one’s mind. While living in that moment the euphoric feeling took over. The light singing projecting back towards the stage grew the monumentous moment. The chain reaction was a common thread until the evening’s end. The strength of the material was felt. 

Alter Bridge had no problems and held everyone’s attention captive. The sound mix was top notch and the lighting hit every single mood being displayed. None more noticeable than on a freshly added song to the setlist. Kennedy asks, “How many have heard the new record?” A large applause filled the air he replied with a simple “Thank you”. He continued on with “We added a new song to set a few weeks back”. He additionally called it extremely challenging to play live. The front screamed with Kennedy then laughed and said “Yay! Challenging. It is a long one so be ready”. That song was the anthemic Fable of The Silent Son. The entire venue became bathed in red and slowly into green from above. The crowd clapped within the small breaks. Arms filled the air and fists pumped during the slow-paced build. When the solo hits Kennedy and Marshall stand off the the left. They stood with their eyes closed. Feeling the music flow through them. Their heads held high and leaning back sensing its spirited intent radiate from the stage. Tremonti rips the rest of the solo on the very edge of the stage engaging with the crowd in front of him. As he leads into the outro the stage goes black. This rendition of what is sure to be Alter Bridges’ next big hit was the first inkling of what was to come. The tracks they selected to perform here on out were absolute fan favorites. Isolation and Open Your Eyes stood as huge hits within these radio markets and are still spun often today. The audience was beyond ready to sing and it showed. 


As the show progressed, the drum solo intro to Metalingus gave a single spotlight on Drummer Scott Phillips while Myles Kennedy introduced the band without his guitar and just a lone mic stand standing in front of him. The song kicks in with Tremonti wahing the hell out of the opening riff all the way through to the chorus. Kennedy moves around the stage pointing and waving to everyone. Occasionally leaning and singing to those in front rows. Tremonti and Marshall stood next to each other pushing their tempo and engaging in friendly play back and forth. The two guided the song into a partial break with Phillips on his kit keeping the beat going. Kennedy stood out front with a hand to his ear. Pointing to different sections of the room asking them to scream. One by one they all screamed. The balcony or the floor it didn’t matter. He had full command of the room. The arms raised moved fluidly with every command. He created a small wave inside the half-ballroom. The crowd then became deafening as the band kicked back into the verse. The floor moved and swayed with glee. The balcony had bodies dancing and moving. Unforgettable is the only way to describe what one was witnessing. At the end, Kennedy sang the outro and raised his hand as before. The room’s lighting illuminated and the fired-up audience erupted again on command. Metal hand signals filled the ballroom’s air. Hands clapped and waved. The energy over the captive space was electric. The ballroom’s lights rose slowly more and the band stood tall signaling thank you. They threw out guitar picks and drumsticks before they walked off stage together smiling at their handy work. The lone sound left from the stage was the feedback of Tremonti’s guitar leaning against his cab.

As they emerged for the lone encore. The crowd clapped in unison with the beat leading into an almost twangy rendition of Rise Today. The melody pushed the jubilation even further. No one wanted the night to close. Alter Bridge closed with their instruments held up in the air after Tremonti went into the freestyle wailing of a breakdown finale. With their strength as a unit and stamina as performers pushed to the limits, the Florida-based rockers put their heart and soul into their performance. The delighted faces leaving the floor proved the Alter Bridge was at the top of their game. The families enjoying their night out were gleeful. The future of rock witnessed something of brilliance and upper-level talents. With 9 of their 15-song set coming from their first two albums, Alter Bridge gave long-time fans an opportunity to enjoy the songs that made the band what they are today. The compassionate disposition they displayed throughout was just the maturity they’ve gained and the nature of their professionalism. The extraordinary evening was something not to have been missed. No one leaving that night will forget it. With 7 studio albums under their belt, it feels like they are just getting started. The material is evolving and stronger than ever. Their live show is an ideal example of the growth at hand. The performance was impeccable. Safe to say they are not to be missed. There is no wonder why they are held to the status of iconic by many of their peers.


Alter Bridge website HERE
Join the Alter Bridge Blackbird fan club HERE


Setlist:
1. Silver Tongue
2. Addicted To Pain
3. Ghost of Days Gone By
4. Broken Wings
5. Burn It Down
6. Achilles
7. Watch Over You
8. In Loving Memory
9. Blackbird
10. Come To Life
11. Fable of The Silent Son
12. Isolation
13. Open Your Eyes
14. Metalingus
15. Rise Today


Sevendust

08/26/2023
Sevendust
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Setlist:
1. Face To Face
2. Denial
3. Karma
4. Fence
5. Disgrace
6. Angel’s Son
7. Black
8. Everything
9. Shine

Godsmack

08/13/2023
Godsmack
American Family Amphitheater
Milwaukee, WI

The American Amphitheater sits on the famous Summerfest ground’s Southern end. Around the theater are Lake Michigan and the Port of Milwaukee entrance. The brisky lake air wafts over the facility and fairgrounds cooling the warm evening air a bit. Little did Mother Nature know Godsmack was in town to heat the amphitheater up. 

Upon entering the famed Summerfest grounds your walk takes you through a large metal gate that opens into an expansive courtyard filled with food and beverage vendors, tables, yard games, and a local band performing covers. Portable pop-up merch tables lined up along the fences. The lines stretched nearly towards the entrance 200 yards back. Godsmack delivered many exclusive tour items such as shirts and trinkets. The best part about this courtyard is the ability to re-enter after you purchase items. Once the main gates open the mad rush up the ramp into the venue begins. Folks old and young rushed to claim their spots on the enormous floor area. Above the floor area were two decks of seating and an expansive lawn area that dwarfed the floor capacity. These areas filled up quickly. The ambient crowd noise roared and tingled the eardrums. The hallways were bustling with folks enjoying their adult beverages at tables along the overlook of downtown Milwaukee. The visuals of the aesthetics alone filled the heart with blood.

Upfront, the rowdy and enthusiastic fans chanted God-smack from the start of the changeover. With a white curtain that covered the entire stage an introduction with Mix Master Mike of Beatie Boys fame being projected on it and spinning a small mix of classic songs. Concussion bursts then blasted and a black curtain is left hanging. Plastered in the middle of the curtain was the Gosmack insignia. Again, another set of concussion blasts launched over the audience. The curtain fell from its clips to reveal drummer Shannon Larkin demolishing his kit to an extended intro of When Legends Rise. The euphoria spread all through the bowled structure. That feeling stuck with you even after you left the venue. Frontman Sully Erna’s vocals were full, crisp, and ever so powerful. During 1000hp and Cryin’ Like A Bitch his voice was so powerful it blasted out past the microphone in front of him. The venue shook around him with all of the pyro firing off on every note. The optics and adrenaline were off the charts. The middle of the set delivered radio classics Awake and Voodoo. The crowd’s sing-a-long moment during Voodoo raised some goosebumps. The dazzling display drowned out any sounds coming from the stage. This juncture in time wouldn’t be lost within the evening. It was a foreshadowing of things to come. 

Several other memorable events of note occurred throughout. Batalla de los tambores was thrilling. The drum competition between frontman Sully Erna on a small modified drum kit that rotates and drummer Shannon Larkin sat behind his kit perched center stage. Off to each side of the stage, Bassist Robbie Merrill and Guitarist Tony Rombola lay down the backing track to the drum-off. Erna and Larkin spar back and forth. While flipping sticks through the air and dropping a bongo solo the two eagerly egged the crowd’s reaction on. The eruption of joy was instantaneous.

Godsmack brought out their classic song Whatever for a heavy-hitting body mover. Despite its heaviness, the band slowed midway through leaving just Rombola strumming his guitar. Erna walked along the front of the stage. While walking he picked four children out of the large pit area and asked them to join him on stage for a moment. As the kids stood on stage next to the band, Sully began to explain to the masses about his love of the older generation of Godsmack fans raising their kids to be the next generation of fans. Which was fitting considering the numerous signs from kids around the venue. Godsmack then kicks back into the song after introducing each kid and asks each youngster to shout “Go Away” when he comes back to them with his microphone. Individually they gave the screams with everything they had and then were ushered off back to their parents.

Additionally, the impressive anthem Under Your Scars presented a unique look at a riveting piano performance and awareness of mental health issues. The grand piano was rolled to center stage. Wrapped around the body was a web address for the Scars Foundation. The nearly 9-minute attention grabber held the crowd captive and silent for a moment before the chorus echoed throughout. Lighters and cell phone lights illuminated the amphitheater tiers. Commentaries from the stage ranged from the legends lost to mental health issues and the general problems of depression, addiction, and bullying. The moment was beyond beautiful.

Closing out the evening Godsmack ripped through Bulletproof to get to a song that is the cornerstone to their career, I Stand Alone. Armed with frequent blasts of pyro spraying itself along the back of the stage, the heat radiated over the front of the stage. Note for note, timed perfectly with the fire display. The pit moved at a fever pitch. Bodies moved whether they wanted to or not. Note for note, timed perfectly with the fire display. Just when you think things couldn’t become any better confetti cannons release piles upon piles of black and red paper into the air. The effect filled the lower level so much so that one could not see the stage. 

Armed with material from across 7 studio releases and an EP, the Massachusettes foursome gave everything they had. With a career spanning 25 years, The Best of Times World Tour has shown the World they are still at the top of their game. When you go to a Godsmack show understand they are a full performance. There are no wasted moments. It is all heart and fire. With this stop in Milwaukee being the last stop of the tour the band is preparing for another run across the US after a short break. If you have never been I highly suggest you take the time and enjoy an evening out.


Donate to: Scars Foundation

Setlist:
1. When Legends Rise?
2. 1000hp
3. Cryin’ Like A Bitch
4. You and I
5. Something Different
6. What About Me
7. Awake
8. Surrender
9. Voodoo
10. Batalla de los tambores
11. Whatever
12. Highway To Hell (ACDC Cover)
13. Under Your Scars
14. Bulletproof
15. I Stand Alone


Mix Master Mike

08/13/2023
Mix Master Mike
American Family Amphitheater
Milwaukee, WI

Mix Master Mike performed as the show opener on the Godsmack tour.

Matt Golightly

08/06/2023
Matt Golightly
ABC Supply Stadium
Beloit, WI

Images captured for ABC Supply Stadium / Beloit Sky Carp


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