01/30/2022
Sleep Waker @ The Annex
Madison, WI
Having found these guys during the early days of the pandemic, I began listening to their “Don’t Look At The Moon” album quite frequently. These Michiganders are the new face of Metalcore within the Midwest. Their quick rise and rapid growth of their craft are noticeable between their first album mentioned previously and their newest release “Alias.”
Sleep Waker’s live show is a brutal assault upon your entire existence. Gut wrenching screams and intense growls project quickly from vocalist Hunter Courtright. Plenty of chest pounding and head banging fill the stage. Guitarists Jake Impellizerri and Jason Caudill are unrelenting in their slaying of the strings. Riffs are laid out in a vicious nature all while swinging the headstocks around often. Drummer Frankie Mish and bassist Aaron Lutas are the rhythm that makes them tick. Mish is completely focused on the business at hand. Rarely does he interact out side of slamming his kit. Lutas is a wild man though. He paces, stomps and hair swings non-stop.
As a whole these guys don’t miss. It was also an absolute pleasure to meet and chat with them after their set. I was blown away by their set. Not bad for a band that is on the bill as support. I cannot wait to see them again.
Setlist:
1. Skin
2. Alias
3. Turnaround
4. Hell
5. Synthetic Veins
6. Melatonin
7. Distance
01/20/2022
Magic Sword
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
Magic Sword was direct support for Avatar’s “Going Hunting” tour.
01/20/2022
Avatar @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
Amazingly enough I had never seen Avatar live before. I have watched videos and live performances, but never in person. I guess it was fitting I finally see them in my favorite venue out there. It was everything I could have asked for. The band were tight and the stage theatrics fit everything I have seen on video. It was pretty obvious they are very good at their craft. The crowd ate it up as well. Both levels were packed with people. You couldn’t walk around nor could you find an open spot the watch.
I was really happy they opened the show with “Hail the Apocalypse”. Arguably, my favorite song by them. With that song the intro was a little longer to build up the anticipation of the entire bands entrance to the stage. They hit the stage fashioned in their traditional circus style costumes and lead right into head banging and hair swings. Another pretty fire moment they provided was when they pulled out a full sized piano on the the floor stage right. Vocalist, Johannes Eckerstrom, performed a riveting version of “Gun” while surrounded by audience members holding up cell phones. A pretty special and unique moment, for sure.
These guys truly put on a killer show and I can see why they are so loved when they come around. I am really looking forward to seeing them again hopefully in the near future.
Set List:
1. Hail The Apocalypse
2. Get In Line
3. Silence In The Age Of Apes
4. Bloody Eagle
5. The Eagle Has Landed
6. Paint Me Red
7. A Secret Door
8. For The Swarm
9. Torn Apart
10. Gun
11. Colossus
12. Let It Burn
13. Vultures Fly
14. A Statue Of The King
15. Avatar Country
16. Wormhole
17. Smells Like A Freakshow
12/11/2021
All Good Things @ The Sylvee
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. Kingdom
2. Machines
3. Hold On
4. Push Me Down
5. The Come Back
6. Survivor (Destinys Child cover)
7. For The Glory
12/11/2021
Starset @ The Sylvee
Madison, WI
I am going to preface this by saying I LOVE Starset. I have had the pleasure of meeting and hanging out with them before. I once covered Starset performing an acoustic gigs for WJJO at the Leinie’s Lodge in Chippewa Falls, WI. Dustin, their vocalist and song writer, is one interesting fellow. I could’ve talked to that guy for hours that day. Flash forward a few years and here we are, The Sylvee. One of the most modern and incredible venues in the country. Madison truly is spoiled with that venue. Starset put the full demonstration on display. Lasers, light boards, suits, CO2 and more. If there is anything Starset is known for live, it is the theatrics of their show. Their albums are a journey off into the expanse of space and time. The merging of those two things formed a creative need to blow the doors off of every predetermined concert concept that exists. This is where Starset destroys every perception of them being just another rock band. Their strings portion of the band blends with the atmospherically astounding lighting during most of the show. Having them in those dark corners keeps their exquisite playing as an additional layer to the aurora in place. It is so well timed out that if you are simply watching it makes your head spin with the multitude of concepts and meanings they are trying to disperse amongst the crowd. The entire band dons matching white and gray outfits that give off vibes of an almost Mad Max desolate future. Match that with the setlist and it is all the feels one could ask for. During their first break they came out and went old school on everyone changing the entire tone of the show by going old school Starset by rocking the spacesuits. My interpretation of the two halves of the show are this: First half was a destruction and the second half was a discovery and survival phase. Everyone interprets things differently. All in all, the performance was about an hour and 50 minutes long. Despite that, the crowd clamored for more after they finished. It was so sonically pleasing you couldn’t help, but want more. I have seen them before but never with the full stage show it was either outdoors of acoustic. Pretty amazing show.
Setlist:
1. Intro
2. The Breech
3. Where The Skies End
4. Infected
5. Carnivore
6. Let It Die
7. Trials
8. Manifest
9. Echo
10. Monster
11. Point of No Return
*Interlude*
12. It Has Begun
13. Earthrise
14. Satellite
15. Devolution
16. For Whom The Bell Tolls (Metallica string cover)
17. Ricochet
18. Die For You
*Encore Interlude*
19. My Demons
12/11/2021
The Word Alive @ The Sylvee
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. Monomania
2. Searching For Glory
3. Heartless
4. Misery
5. No Way Out
6. Red Clouds
7. Trapped
8. Wonderland
9. Why Am I Like This?
12/01/2021
Kingdom of Giants
The Annex
Madison, WI
11/16/2021
Born of Osiris @ The Annex
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. Angel or Alien
2. Bow Down
3. Divergency
4. Post Child
5. Threat of Your Presence
6. Crossface
7. Silence The Echo
8. Under The Gun
9. Empires Erased
10. Oathbreaker
11. Abstract Art
12. Throw Me in The Jungle
13. White Nile
14. Shadowmourne
15. Machine
11/16/2021
Shadow of Intent @ The Annex
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. Melancholy
2. Intensified Genocide
3. Barren and Breathless Macrocosm
4. The Heretic Prevails
5. Where Millions Have Come To Die
6. Gravesinger
7. From Ruin… We Rise
8. Malediction
11/12/2021
Bewitcher @ Crucible
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. Cursed Be Thy Kingdom
2. Speed Til You Bleed
3. Heathen Woman
4. Satanic Magick Attack
5. Electric Phantoms
6. Too Fast For The Flame
7. Sins Is In Her Blood
8. Bewitcher
11/12/2021
Exhumed @ Crucible
Madison, WI
The return of Exhumed to Crucible in Madison, WI.
11/11/2021
Jinjer
The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
Once again, I am attending another show at the beautiful Rave building. The history attracts me to it. I always walk around and look. Anyways, The Rave room is an open room with a wrap around balcony. The lights are bright(but not this show) and normally full of a multitude of colors. This show however there were zero front lights and was entirely lit from the monstrous laser/ribbon boards encompassing the back wall of the stage. I acquired a media credential, but had to shoot out in the public due to covid. There are many great sightlines in The Rave room, but it was extremely dark. Meaning I had to get crafty with my photography skills. Totally worth it.
I mentioned before a huge wall of light, set up right in front of it and in the center was drummer Vladislav Ulasevich’s kit. This man slays. Every snap of his arm he lays out is violent and clean upon the skins. Creativity flows shine through on his fills. Every. Single. Time. He does it all with such a calm and content character. Stage left bassist, Eugene Abdukhanov, blew me away for the billionth time in my life. Arguably, one of the best bassist out there right now. The level of technicality and aggression he brings to his live playing is no different than that of their recordings. With his weapon of choice strapped close to his chest he sways and headbangs over the frets with his hair pulled back. On occasion he screams out at the eager and engaged crowd. On the opposite side of the stage an almost reclusive guitarist Roman Ibramkhalilov walks and sways back and forth and backed away from the front monitor. The man lays out nasty riffs and looks like he is just enjoying his day while melting faces in what I would call his signature bucket hat. Ripping across his strings and dishing out punishing sounds while also crossing genres into what some would call reggae or rocksteady. His creativity shows through time after time. With massive time signature changes and punk flare just for kicks each song is a new experience from his playing. It is simply brilliant.
No one draws more attention on that stage than vocalist, Tatiana Shmailyuk. When it comes to modern metalcore vocalists there might be no one in the business better than her going at it right now. Her dynamism and command draws music nuts in to pay attention. She moves across the entire front of the stage. Standing straight up to scream and leaning over the metal foot stands to unleash intense growls and screams. The simplicity of her back and forth from a beautiful clean vocal to a nightmarish scream are things of extreme scarcity within metal. Her performance alone is always worth the price of admission.
I have seen this band multiple times over the last 5 years and they keep bringing the heat. The Ukrainian foursome is easily one of my favorite bands out there. They have gone from maybe a few hundred people as support to headlining a few thousand a night. I was there. I saw it. I know. The explosion in attendance though is a direct response to their superiority within their scene. Their live shows leave you stunned, dazed and wondering what just happened. The amount of vivid lyrical content matched with an incredibly vast genre bending reach will only grow over time. I cannot wait to seem them on their next US tour. Absolutely killer.
Set list:
1. Call Me A Symbol
2. On The Top
3. Pit of Consciousness
4. I Speak Astronomy
5. Disclosure
6. Judgement
7. Sleep of The Righteous
8. Ape
9. Retrospection
10. Perennial
11. Teacher, Teacher
12. Wallflower
13. As I Boil Ice
14. Mediator
15. Colossus
11/11/2021
Suicide Silence @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
Setlist:
1. Unanswered
2. You Only Live Once
3. Disengage
4. Slaves to Substance
5. Fuck Everything
6. Love Me To Death
7. Wake Up
8. Dying Life
9. Hold Me Up, Hold Me Down
10. No Pity For A Coward
11/04/2021
Gwar @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
The Legendary Gwar took to the road to celebrate 30 human years of their “Scumdogs of the Universe” albums. I have seen Gwar many, many times. I obviously knew what I was getting into when I requested a media credential. Their live shows are things of art, comedy and just downright good tunes. In the late 90s. my friends and I used to play this album during our parties and get togethers. It is a classic. When I read they were playing it live, I knew there was no possible way I could miss it.
Musically, they are tight as they ever could be. After 38 years of constant touring and random shows how could they not be. Attending a Gwar show though is an experience. It is stand up comedy meet punk rock. As if the satirical styling wasn’t enough, you will get blood or piss on you. The come ready to hose everyone down. Their stage show is full of characters. Aliens, slaves and animals. Hell, they beheaded the president as always then eventually chased and fought a redneck. The Gwar experience is really something else. They even opened the show with their now passed on vocalists Oderus Urungus’s head being held out by current vocalist Blothar. Overall, bands members do not move around too much. If you had those costumes on you wouldn’t either. Their Earthling slaves do all of the work for them. During “The Years Without Light” one of the slaves slashed open a wolfs head. I took a direct hit to the chest from the blood that blasted from the severed wolfs head. Once it snapped open a direct blast nailed me I was covered in blood. That is one of the main attractions though. Their stage show blasts anyone in range. The thing to do is buy a tour shirt or bring a white t-shirt with. Leaving the show you have a tie-dye shirt in hand. It has been a tradition amongst fans for decades now. There is just so much to watch and it is all great.
I highly suggest never missing a chance to see the legendary Gwar perform. Check them out atleast once in your life.
Set List:
1. The Salaminizer
2. Sick of You
3. The Years Without Light
4. I’ll Be Your Monster
5. Black and Huge
6. Love Surgery
7. Vlad The Impaler
8. Death Pod
9. Maggots
10. Horror of Yig
11. King Queen
12. The Private Pain of Techno Destructo
13. Cool Place to Park
14. Fuck This Place
10/30/2021
Davey Suicide @ The Annex
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. One of My Kind
2. Medicate Me
3. Sinner
4. Generation Fuckstar
5. Death Won’t Tear Us Apart
6. Too Many Freaks
7. Torture Me
8. Rise Above
9. I’m Afraid of Americans
10. Rock Ain’t Dead
10/28/2021
Combichrist @ The Annex
Madison, WI
Setlist:
1. Compliance
2. Guns of Last Dawn
3. Throat Full of Glass
4. Body Heat
5. Blut
6. Shut Up & Swallow
7. Exit Eternity
8. Hate Like Me
9. Slakt
10. Not My Enemy
11. No Redemption
12. Can’t Control
13. Never Surrender
14. Maggots
15. WTF?
10/16/2021
Black Label Society @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
The Rave/Eagles Ballroom is once again my favorite venue in the entire country. The sound is generally impeccable, the sightlines are abundant, and the rooms themselves are each architecturally unique. I also cannot forget the wall murals, those are artsy as all hell. Waiting in line to get in allowed me to take in the crowd and listen to what was anticipated. The crowd was a pretty good mix of people. Your classic rockers to biker metalhead to the younger generation. A ton of vests and biker jackets, as one would expect. Most of the people that I spoke with were there to see Zakk and Black Label Society for the first time, like myself. I personally, couldn’t wait to witness his guitar solos right up close and in front of me while capturing images. I mean, to see a guitar legend ripping solos on a stable of signature and iconic guitars was truly a once and a lifetime opportunity for me to witness.
There is nothing flashy or dramatic about these guys. They are there to put on a show and blaze through guitar solos and heart thumping low end beats. The stage is brightly illuminated. On the back end is a large drum riser in the middle and on each side are guitar cabs stacked 3 high by 4 wide. Behind all of that is a huge banner hanging with the Doom Crew Inc. logo smack dab in the middle. On stage right is guitarist Dario Lorina, stage left has bassist John Deservio, in the back on drums is Jeff Fabb with Zakk Wylde upfront and center behind his microphone stand of piled skulls.
One thing was mighty apparent a few songs in, they were a well oiled machine. There was a mighty impressive amount of synergy amongst them. I suppose after 10 studio albums it should be a given I suppose.
Black Label Society played a new gem, “Set You Free” from their upcoming release, “Doom Crew INC”. It was a perfect encapsulation of what BLS is at its core. Downright mean and gritty riffs with finger-scorching solos. The groove was pretty hypnotic. They also used the grand guitar solos at the end to lead into an even longer and large guitar duel off. Five minutes . There was so much to unpack and watch. Dario Lorina, who is amazing in his own right, stood up on the center perch and basically, riff battled Zakk who was standing and ripping it on top of the BLS logo on the grand piano on stage left. Half of that time they had guitars above their heads going back and forth. This show was a rocker’s dream.
Everyone lost their minds during “Suicide Messiah” and “Stillborn”. That was a given. It was a natural response to two absolutely killer tunes with some killer riffs, but the best part leading up to those songs was the intro. Without a doubt. . Fantastic from start to finish. I was really hoping they would perform “Room of Nightmares”, but the setlist was epic regardless. There is no chance I will not see them again.
Setlist:
1. Bleed For Me
2. Demise of Sanity
3. Overlord
4. Heart of Darkness
5. A Love Unreal
6. The Blessed Hellride
7. Spoke In The Wheel
8. In This River
9. Trampled Down Below
10. Destruction Overdrive
11. Set You Free
12. Fire It Up
13. Suicide Messiah
14. Stillborn
10/16/2021
Obituary @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
Setlist:
1. Redneck Stomp
2. Sentence Day
3. A Lesson in Vengeance
4. Visions in My Head
5. Chopped in Half
6. Turned Inside Out
7. Deadly Intentions
8. Circle of Tyrants(Celtic Frost cover)
9. Straight to Hell
10. I’m in Pain
11. Slowly We Rot
10/16/2021
Prong @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
I will keep this short and sweet. I have tried for a long time to see these guys live. About 23 years to be exact. I had a co-worker hand me a Prong album and say listen to it the get it back to me next week. Obviously, I loved it. Enjoy my images.
Setlist:
1. Intro
2. Test
3. Disbelief
4. Beg To Differ
5. Cut-Rate
6. Broken Peace
7. Whose Fist Is This Anyways?
8. Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck
9. However It May End
10/15/2021
The Other LA @ The Back Bar
Janesville, WI
09/14/2021
Ayron Jones @ The Annex
Madison, WI
After almost a year and a half away, I returned to The Annex for another great show. It is not very often that I walk into a venue overly hyped to see an artist and leave even more satisfied and stunned than I was beforehand. This show may have been one of the most impressive displays of musical talent and abilities I have ever seen.
I entered the venue I walked into the barroom and the band was just hanging out having drinks with fans and staff. A fairly uncommon sight to see these days. Extremely different than most artists these days. Especially, with covid being a thing and the Madison mask mandate in place. From there I snagged myself water since I do not drink anymore and headed into the main room. With my cameras in my hands, I watched the openers and waited anxiously right in front of Ayron’s microphone. The stage is low to the ground, maybe a foot high. There is also no barrier upfront separating the patrons and artists. During the change over I always look for the setlist and check out the details laying around. I managed to capture a beautiful image of rhythm guitarist. It was a pretty straightforward setup. They were just there to play. I respect it.
As Ayron hits the stage, the rest of the band was ready to go. The moment he plugged in they lept right into an ode to his hometown “Boys From The Pudget Sound”. The song itself is a great opener. It gives you the feels. Represent where you’re from and let everyone know it. The vibrantly robust blues-rock-sounding anthem grabbed you by the throat and commanded one’s attention from the first note. That blasting of the senses had me hooked. So much so I actually took my earplugs out to hear the set entirely without missing anything. I am glad I did. Their cover of “Breed” was astonishingly well done and seemed to be played with a wider dynamic range of sound. Dare I say it was perfect a perfect cover? Maybe, but perfection was waiting for me at the end of the night. Ayron laid out a pretty fire finger tapping melody as a lead into the intro of “Breed” and then to end it, laid out a lengthy adlibbed doodle. These guys hit on all cylinders. At one point the gentleman next to me turned and said, “Holy crap, this is epic.” I couldn’t have agreed more.
A few additional items I did manage to see while keeping my eyes glued to the masterful performance was the drummer, Bob. This man crushed it. At one point he was playing through half of “Free” with a single drum stick in hand and never losing the cadence of the song. His arms were like rubber and slammed down in such a fluid motion. It was really, fun to watch. Ayron Jones himself, at one point, used a drum stick of his to rip a gnarly solo throughout “Baptized in Muddy Waters”. He slapped strings individually, slid the stick up and down the neck, finger tapped with the stick, and absolutely crushed it with a pick to lead into a soulful outro. He and his fellow guitarist, Matt, blazed through so many guitar solos. I couldn’t get enough of it. The most impressive part was during “Take Me Away”. A technical issue forced him to replace his guitar mid-song. Despite that, the band continued on in stride and as soon as he was plugged in he led a short but wide-ranging and fret-crossing arsenal of a guitar romp. A perfect display of professional cohesiveness.
The most monumental song of the night was the final one. Who knew right? The thing about this one was the fact they covered Prince’s “Purple Rain” in full. When I say in full, I mean in full. Every little unique about it, they nailed it. I was so blown away by this performance I literally went to my phone and texted everyone I knew that was into music to check these musicians out. As someone who has lived in Minneapolis, MN, I understand his impact upon the city, state, and music itself, I couldn’t contain my amazement.
All in all, Ayron Jones and the band performed a masterclass on stage. This man ripped solo after solo in every song. I haven’t witnessed anyone do that before. After witnessing his magnificence, I managed to be one of the first people in line to meet him and purchase an album and having it autographed. What an extremely nice guy. He took the time to speak with everyone who waited around. Like I said before, he was just different from the start. I feel like I need to attend another show as soon as possible. What a great evening.
Setlist:
1. Boys From The Puget Sound
2. Emily
3. Supercharged
4. Breed (Nirvana Cover)
5. Spinning Cycles
6. Killing Season
7. Free
8. Take Your Time
9. Baptized in Muddy Waters
10. My Love Remains
11. Mercy
12. Take Me Away
13. Purple Rain (Prince Cover)
09/10/2021
Everclear @ Menominee Nation Arena
Oshkosh, WI
As is the yearly tradition, Everclear and the Summerland tour made their way across the country. This time it stopped in Oshkosh, WI. Oshkosh is placed between Green Bay and Milwaukee. Giving folks who couldn’t make it to a show just out of their way a chance to catch a little closer to home. As I walked through the main gate of the arena, the tour had its merch as you walked in. The t-shirts were reasonably priced. Naturally, I snagged a classic-looking Everclear tee. From there you walk forward into the small arena on the right or left-hand side and the stage is right there beside you. I was allowed to set my backpack full of camera gear down in front of the stage. While doing so, I managed to talk to a stagehand and he mentioned how fun the tour has been and how great the bands have played on the first leg. Knowing this gave me a few goosebumps. The anticipation began to build from there.
This tours bill was absolutely stacked with amazingly fun and gifted artists that had huge hits over the last 30 years. Of course, the headliner, Everclear, produced the most hits and provides a consistently attended tour spanning over 10 plus years now. Every person I managed to talk to was extremely excited to relive some of their youth through the music. A lot of people, myself included said their music takes them back to awkward adolescence and young adulthood. I, for one, am glad I wasn’t the only person feeling that way. That is when you know an artist has created something that will last for a few generations. Expectations of everyone’s favorite songs being performed were high. Realistically, most of them were played and some others weren’t. It was perfectly fine with me since they played tunes I have never heard them play live before. Hidden gems if you will. This is a big reason I love artists like Everclear. The setlist for the most part though encompassed their two highest-selling albums, “Sparkle and Fade” and “So Much For The Afterglow”.
The band currently consists of founder and primary songwriter, Art Alexakis, bassist Freddie Herrera formerly of The Exies, guitarist Dave French and American Hi-Fi drummer Brian Nolan. I had the luxury of moving around the arena and watching from all different spots. They were extremely cohesive and in tune with each other. The amount of movement on stage while playing surprised me a bit. Herrera was especially fun to watch. The guy was into it. Headbanging, hair flips, spins, and smiles. He had it all working. During breaks and tunings, they chatted with the audience that was right up next to the barricades’ pre-pandemic style. Art and Freddie were especially talkative with patrons. At one point a fan screamed a random song towards the stage and Art quipped that he, “doesn’t sing songs about ex-wives anymore”. Art, not only brought the jokes along, he spoke freely to the patrons about songs and the intent behind them. He even mentioned that drummer Brian Nolan was from Madison, WI. Being a Madison resident I loved it. At another point, it was mentioned that he wrote “Father of Mine” as a song to his daughter. A ton of awes came from the mostly adult crowd. The audience participation was off the charts for this song. It resonated throughout the small arena. I was one of those participating. Without a doubt knowing the intent of the song made it mean that much more to those of us singing along to it.
The show in itself was a clinic on the mature 90s rock that has aged immensely well. Well, maybe maturity with little no crap given rock edge and a bit of punk-like flair if I am being honest here. There was no better demonstration of that than moving from Everything to Everyone’s heart-filled lyrically content of trying to realize someone can be better than they are and do not have to live within someone else’s expectations to Heroin Girl and the gut-punch of addiction, loss, and the throw-away culture of peoples lives. All of this was emphasized through the individual performances. The look of genuine pain on Art’s face during Heroin Girl and Strawberry proves these songs still mean the World to him. This always will be the reason I prefer to see these tracks performed in person. Yeah, sure, you can feel it on the album over and over, but that isn’t the human element of the music. Everclear, are savvy industry veterans. They give you everything they have. The music still speaks to people young and old. The true indication of a band that has staying power. Do not miss out on these guys. I know I won’t and I will forever be a fan. Thank you for the fantastic evening, Everclear and Big Picture Media.
Setlist:
1. So Much For The Afterglow
2. Everything to Everyone
3. Heroin Girl
4. Strawberry
5. Father of Mine
6. The Man Who Broke His Own Heart
7. Like A California King
8. Wonderful
9. The Twistinside
10. Amphetamine
11. I Will Buy You a New Life
12. Summerland
13. Santa Monica
14. Molly’s Lips (Nirvana Cover)
09-10-2021
Hoobastank @ Menominee Arena
Oshkosh, WI
Setlist:
1. Pieces
2. Out of Control
3. Inside of You
4. Running Away
5. Remember Me
6. Born To Lead
7. Same Direction
8. The Reason
9. Crawling in The Dark
09/10/2021
Living Colour @ Menominee Arena
Oshkosh, WI
Setlist:
1. Type
2. Desperate People
3. Ignorance
4. Landlord
5. Love Rears It’s Ugly Head
6. Times Up
7. Cult of Personality
09/05/2021
The Black Dahlia Murder @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI
To me, there is nothing better than getting back to club shows after a very long hiatus. Just like most of the World getting back to normal after a life-altering event (in some cases) is the best remedy. Music is the escape. It always will be, so no better way for me to jump back into it than heading into Milwaukee. The Rave room at The Rave/Eagles Ballroom is my favorite venue in the country. The historical aspect and ghost stories are very well known within the music business. The Rave 1 room is a wide-open room with an upper level that wraps the entire lower floor. There are 3 bars in the hallways that surround the main room. Off to stage left, there is a separate bar room or cocktail lounge as it is labeled. The interior is dark but the walls are painted with all sorts of images of musicians and randomness. My description does not do the venue justice.
During the pandemic lockdowns across the country, The Black Dahlia Murder released their ninth studio album, “Verminous”. Sirius XM Liquid Metal played “Verminous” every hour, on the hour. Coming off of arguably their most popular album “Nightbringers”, the stakes were high for them to produce the classic TBDM sound while continuing to push the envelope of melody and mood. Mission accomplished. This was a major reason I wanted to attend the show as media. The transition from album to the stage. All in all, it was completely seamless. The setlist consisted of songs from every studio album. Each one fed into the next. No real dead space throughout the show. Just the occasional guitar change or tuning. The lighting started out with the Vernimous green drenching the stage and then alternated between red and blue the entire set. From the get-go, the pit had bodies being flung around. When the bodies started to come flying over the top of the front rail, I knew we were in for a level of epic I haven’t been able to experience in a while. Hell, I was kicked in the back of the head by a crowd surfer and was okay with it. It was one of those types of things.
The power and straight brutality were on full display. I am a person who always wants to catch an artist at the beginning of tours before they settle in for the duration. The vocal assault by Trevor Strnad was accompanied by a multitude of smiles, devil horns, finger points, belly pats, and hearts. The man was genuinely glad to be there. A refreshing sight after a year plus of no shows. Strnad, had full control of his vocals. Growl after growl, scream after scream, nothing was out of place. Having last seen him perform on the Miasma tour cycle it was a more commanding performance. Controlled chaos if you will. Fellow Co-founder Brian Eschbach, had quite the performance himself. The rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist laid down those sweet, sweet death metal riffs with ease while not really moving away from a 10x10 area on stage left. When he did move in front of one of the microphones to the front of the stage his vocals were accompanied with wide eyes and the occasional smirk or smile. Across the stage lead guitarist, Brandon Ellis, attacked with precision and ripped through the strings like a technician at work. Riff for riff was accompanied by every melody that Eschbach laid down. It is fair to say the guitar pairing has raised the stakes in the American death metal scene. When they jumped right into the title track “Verminous” and then “Nightbringers”. Ellis made it look so simple. Whether he was hair flipping through solos or resting the guitar on the hip and interacting with the crowd I remained blown away by his execution. His hands moved across the guitar fret with a mechanical and technical type of comfort. The rhythm section were thunderous and jived in tune with each other. Max Lavelle shook the room with one leg up on the monitor and a consistent headbang. The man had a smile the whole time.
The evening couldn’t have been a more welcomed night back to live music and rowdy pits. TBDM were at their peak. It was quite obvious to everyone in the room that these men love what they do and artistic creativity seeps out of their pores. If you happened to miss this show you have made a grave mistake.
Setlist:
I Will Return
Verminous
Nightbringers
Funeral Thirst
Sunless Empire
Nocturnal
Statutory Ape
Removal of The Oaken Stake
Contagion
Everything Went Black
On Stirring Seas
Child of The Night
Kings of The Night World
What a Horrible Night To Have a Curse
Warborn
As Good As Dead
Deathmask Divine
Miasma
