09/05/2021 
After The Burial @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Setlist:
1. Lost in The Static
2. In Flux
3. Collapse
4. Behold The Crown
5. Anti-Pattern
6. Exit, Exist
7. Berzerker
8. A Wolf Amongst Ravens

09/05/2021 
Rivers of Nihil @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Set List:
1. The Silent Life
2. Clean
3. Focus
4. Sand Baptism
5. Where Owls Know My Name

09/05/2021 
Carnifex @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI


Set List:
1. World War X
2. Pray For Peace
3. Slit Wrist Saviour
4. Graveside Confessions
5. Lie To My Face
6. Hell Chose Me

08/23/2021
Red @ WJJO Sound Lounge
Madison, WI

07/16/2021
Corey Taylor (Slipknot & Stone Sour)
Rockfest Cadott, WI

Since 2000, I have attended Rockfest almost regularly. It is one of the highlights of my year, every year. I happened to be in the Rob Zombie pit watching the show and having a great time when a friend of mine said I should drop this man(I do not drop names) a message about possibly shooting at the festival. Things happened pretty quickly and this business took a shot on a guy who flies under the radar of most artists and artist-affiliated businesses. A move I am forever grateful for. Corey Taylor is an amazing artist who can cover all genres of rock. Slipknot is one of my favorite bands and I have seen them 10 times. His voice alone fits the mold of power, and grit and at times can soothe. The anxiety of having to crush it for this set became a reality almost instantly. This is something you cannot screw up or misfire on. I feel my experience of being in front of thousands of people nightly calmed my nerves once the set got going. It was just work then. All business. Differentiating between being a fan and a photographer wasn’t difficult. It is okay to bob your head and sing to yourself, just get your stuff done while doing it. 
Having been there for most of the artists all weekend I can walk away saying that Mr.Taylor had one of the best sets. Mixing Stone Sour, Slipknot, and his solo stuff, it had something for everyone. Across the large stage, 6 6-foot tall lights were set up in front of their gear spelling out C-M-F-T. Corey Muther Fucking Taylor for those not familiar with his newest solo endeavor. The lighting was pretty spectacular. Every song was different and it hit the mood of every single song. I mean it…nailed it. Corey Taylor brought the fire too. Quite literally. There were concussion bursts, pyro explosions, flame bursts, and a spark curtain from the ceiling at the end. No other artist the entire weekend brought out that firepower (pun intended). It was incredible. I had a moment on stage during  Song #3 when I was in the corner trying to get a snap of Corey walking out and the floor sparks blasted. It was cool as hell. FFP Effects out of Los Angeles ran them and helped create an amazing atmosphere for those in attendance.
I know Corey has been doing vaccinated-only shows and I missed my chance at buying tickets, but seeing This incredible set from the perspective I did it sealed the fact I will never miss another show of his whether as a fan or with a camera in my hands.  What an incredible evening. 

Set list:
Intro
666
Meine
Halfway
Samantha
Song#3
Culture
Snuff
Scars
Absolute Zero
Black Eyes Blue
Bother/Through Glass
Dark Side/Euro Toilet
CMFT’s Watching You!

02/22/2020 
Soulfly
Apollo Theatre AC
Belvidere, IL

The Apollo Theater AC was bumping on this Saturday night. There was plenty of buzz in the air. Covid concerns were not an issue. The night was young and the chaos was palpable. The venue has a wide-open floor on the main level and a balcony with limited seating above. On the other side of the building, a full-service bar was packed full of black and leather-wearing patrons. Back on the main floor, the merchandise tables were littered full of tour shirts and trinkets like patches. The line stretched about 20 deep. Behind the table stood Richie Cavalera, the Incite front man. He was so friendly and accommodating. If there is anything that needs to be known about the Soulfly tribe and Max Cavalera, the business is about family. The entire family is involved in some sort of way. In all honesty, it is quite noble. 

Their set list covered their entire discography. All 10 albums. Their current release “Ritual” is the clear focal point of this tour. It was a pure thrash and metal treasure trove of gems. They even added Seek n’ Strike on the fly. With Max Cavalera on vocals, you hear his unique cadence and rich dialect while performing into a microphone on a stand featuring a gas mask. It was fitting since the Brazillian-born legend brought nothing but fiery precision and launched vocal missiles into the rowdy crowd. Off to his right, Marc Rizzo slashed through lead riffs and laid down some nasty solos. The guitar maven had no problem jumping through the air and leaning out for photos while dishing out that sonic goodness. Across the stage on the low end, Mike Leon strummed away. He flipped his hair and screamed the chorus’ while distributing brutal ground-shaking bass lines that encouraged the massive circle pit that filled the center of the old theater. His rhythm partner, Zyon Cavalera, dished out quick snare snaps and boisterous tom smashes. He seemingly punished his kit for simply existing. While performing though, he often pointed his sticks at audience members and smiled all the way through. Zyon sat perched on a small drum platform next to the rest of the band’s amplifiers. These amplifier rigs and drum platform were covered in camouflage netting that ran the entire length of the stage. Draped from the rafters of the stage was a massive backdrop featuring the cover of “Ritual” prominently.  

Everything was aesthetically eye-pleasing. On the main floor, steam was rising from the mosh pits activities that were being egged on by the storied frontman. The crowd enthusiastically engaged in it all night long. Even the balcony was shaking from activity. If anything one could say the Northern area of Illinois was a Soulfly tribe hot spot. In the end, the warmth and love of the fandom inside allowed everyone to leave feeling full and ready to embrace another Winter’s night. 

Set List:
Intro
Jumpdafuckup/Eye For An Eye
Fire/Porrada
Intro
Blood Fire War Hate
Ritual
Seek N Strike (added on stage)
Dead Behind The Eyes
No Hope = No Fear
Babylon
Berimbau/Tribe
Get Up Stand Up(Bob Marley cover)
Frontlines
The Summoning
Under Rapture
Intro
Back To The Primitive
Rise of The Fallen
The Prophecy
Outro (Iron Maiden instrumental cover)

02/21/2020
Adema @ The Back Bar
Janesville, WI

The Back Bar seems to be the perfect setting for a band like Adema who are gaining momentum in the music World again. Back in the early 2000’s, my friends and I used to jam their first two albums “Adema” and “Unstable” all of the time. Personally, they are unfairly labeled as “Nu-Metal.” Maybe the first was, but ever since their albums are pretty straight up rock. The more recent EPs “Tornado”, “Insomniacs Dream”, and “Topple The Giant” give an insight into their growth as a band through all of the hardships and departures. Now though the band seem stronger than before with the main core and founding members Tim Fluckey and Mike Ransom on guitars, Dave Deroo laying down the thunder and Kris Kohls on the skins back intact. On vocals though is a new, yet somewhat familiar face to the rock scene. Ryan Schuck. Schuck, is the frontman for Julien-K and original founding member and guitarist of Orgy. There is a lot to look forward to with this small string of performances they are putting on. 

Set List:
1. Unstable
2. Close Friends
3. Everyone
4. Do What You Want To Do
5. Immortal
6. Co-Dependent
7. Freaking Out
8. The Way You Like It
9. Trust
10. Giving In

12/31/2019
Afroman @ The Annex
Madison, WI

12/15/2019
Sum 41 @ The Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL

Pop-punk legends Sum 41 came to The Apollo Theatre to finish off a long tour with a blast. It was by far the largest crowd I have ever seen there. It was so busy that the line to enter the building was down around the corner at one point. The bar room was so full it was almost impossible to grab yourself a beverage. There was no doubt it was going to be an extremely fun night of people watching and kick-ass tunes.

Their new album “Order in Decline” is a real banger. Punk hit after Punk hit filled the album. Their live show has become so impressive. It is obvious that with their maturity as musicians came a setlist of material that covers all types of Sum41 fans. They had a song off of nearly every album. Their album “Chuck” had more than their fair share though. It was in dedication to it having been released 15 years ago. As for the stage setup, it had zero front lighting, but there was a ton of fast and bright lighting that spread around and flashed from small mounts that stood around the width of the stage. You will see the effects in my images posted below.

Upfront along the edge during the entire show was the 3 original members frontman Deryck Whibley, guitarist Dave Baksh, and Bassist Cone. In the back, Tom Thacker was on a platform playing guitar, keys, and singing back up. Next to him, drummer Frank Zummo slammed his kit with efficiency all night. He is a helluva drummer and extremely entertaining to watch crush it. Whibley though was in true rock star form. He gave no guff and was 100% effort while running all over the stage. The vocals were strong and precise which is quite amazing considering this was the end of the tour. Baksh, slew his tasty solos and crafty riffs while spending most of his time standing up on a thick metal stand located next to his microphone on stage left. With his tall and lanky physique, Cone had no problem swinging his bass and delivering those floor-shaking strokes. All night he primarily had one foot up on his metal stand while singing into his microphone. They were completely in sync and fun as can be.  

With a plethora of sing-a-longs throughout the night, Sum 41, mixed in a great lighting display backed by the occasional CO2 cannon burst at the front of the stage. When it was time for “Fatlip” graffiti shot across the room filling up the entire air above the GA section.
In the end, this show had a little bit of everything.  This is a huge reason they are still an extremely successful band after all of these years and why I would highly suggest checking them out if you ever get the chance. You never know what songs they are going to play or how funny the commentary in-between songs are. All I know is the aches and pains of adulthood disappeared during the enjoyment I had watching and listening to songs of my youth being performed. Sum41 reminded me of why I love them so much. 

Set List:
Turning Away
Hell Song
Motivation - 88
Fake My Death
We’re All To Blame
Some Say
Out For Blood
New Sensation
Walking Disaster
Makes No Difference
Pieces
No Reason
Over My Head
In Too Deep
Still Waiting
Machine Gun
Fatlip
Pain for Pleasure (Listed but not played)

12/13/2019
Through Fire @ The Annex
Madison, WI

Set List:
Breakout
Where You Lie
Damage
All Animal
Listen To Your Heart (Eurythmics Cover)
Sick and Tired
If You Love Me, Leave Me
Breaking Point
Blood
Breathe
Stronger

12/09/2019
Like A Storm @ The Annex
Madison, WI

Like A Storm came to Madison right in the middle of their “Freek Show US Tour”. That isn’t misspelled either. The unique part about the entire tour was the fact it was completely free. Yes, F-R-E-E, free. If you signed up on their website you were guaranteed entry if the venue reached over 250 people. I did just that. I missed their last performance in Janesville, WI, so this time I was making sure there was no chance of me missing it. This band hails from New Zealand, so when they are out on tour you have to hit them up when you have the chance to.

They are a straight forward rock band built by three brothers. Chris Brooks on lead vocals and backing guitar, Kent Brooks on bass and backing vocals, Matt Brooks on lead guitar and backing vocals and the only non blood relative back on the drum kit was Zach Wood. There is nothing flashy about them. There are no gimmicks although at times they use an instrument native to their homeland, the didgeridoo. It is used in their set for a few songs, but Chris towards the end of the show performed a few minute solo. I am a fan of how active they are on stage though, between the head banging and random stage jumps they engage with every single person in the crowd. Giving out high fives, cracking jokes and even signing a few autographs at a few points during the evening. 

A very neat moment occurred in the middle of the set. Matt Brooks moved to center stage. He then began to explain how they’ve toured with Linkin Park and were in shock about Chester Bennington’s suicide. This led into a very slow and somber version of “Crawling” that had quite the sing-a-long from the crowd. Dead center, Matt, performed solo while the others prepared for the rest of the show. It was the highlight of the entire show.

All in all, the night was fantastic. The audience members were fun. The band themselves were extremely tight and primed. It is small shows like these that leave impacts on people. I look forward to the next time they come through.

Set List:
Intro
Complicated
The Bitterness
Gangsters Paradise (Coolio cover)
Become The Enemy
Solitary
Crawling(Linkin Park cover)
Wish You Hell
Chemical Infatuation
TNT
The Devil Inside
Pure Evil
(Didgeridoo Solo)
Love The Way You Hate Me

11/30/2019
Mushroomhead @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Set List:
43
Kill Tomorrow
Qwerty
Sun Doesn’t Rise
We Are The Truth
Among The Crows
Destroy The World Around Me
Before I Die
Out of My Mind
The Dream is Over
Empty Spaces (Pink Floyd cover)
Born of Desire

11/30/2019
Static-X @ The Rave 
Milwaukee, WI

I have had the pleasure of photographing this tour twice in one year. After having do so I can say this wasn’t just a celebration of Wayne Static’s life, but the bands revival. It was a timely coincidence that it was also the anniversary of their “Wisconsin Death Trip” album. To celebrate both things with 2 North American legs and a European dash in the middle was the best way to reignite the fires of their self proclaimed evil disco. Static-X brought this fire to The Rave. Originally, set to take place in the smaller basement room or Rave 1, they nearly sold out the larger Rave 2 room. Walking through the main foyer, a larger Static-X Wisconsin Death Trip skrim was set up. It was a great place for photos with friends and to remember the epic evening.

The show itself was amazing. The set list was the same as when I previously saw them. It didn’t matter though they blew that show out of the water. It was obvious they were more comfortable and enjoyed the experience more. It was infectious. Hard to not enjoy what was being thrown at you. The lighting set up was designed to perfection. It looked even larger and brighter on the larger stage than before. Random images of Wayne Static flickered during each song. Each time the crowd erupted. It was a much different feeling than other homage shows I have attended. This time they genuinely promoted the life and contributions to the history of metal. Xero, the new mysterious front man, often mentioned the love and accomplishments of the man. Xero, not only wearing a mask in the likeness of a zombie Wayne Static has the voice that is almost dead on. Back in their heyday, I had seen Static-X about a dozen times (I had to dig up old ticket stubs to confirm). Everything that occurred through the evening had my in goose bumps. It felt like those good old days again. 

From the beginning of the night, stage right of the room about 3 people deep from the front, a child about the age of 7 or 8 was up on his dads shoulders jamming away. The members of Static-X pointed him out a few times early. Eventually, they just brought him and his dad up to stand on stage to watch. This kid was loosing it on stage. The guitar tech handed him a set of drum sticks and he was air drumming in synch with drummer, Ken Jay. Dare I say, it was adorable?

In the end, It was a killer show with several memorable moments. For how long this complete tour was I became pretty sad at the end that it wasn’t going back out again. I truly hope that if you are reading this you didn’t miss it.

Set List:
December (intro)
Bled
Wisconsin Death Trip
Fix
Sweat of The Bud
Love Dump
I AM
Ostegolation
Trance
Get to The Gone
Black & White
This Is Not
Destroy All
Start A War
Behemoth
Cold
I’m With Stupid
Push It

11/30/2019
Dope @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Set List:
Blood Money
Bring It On
Everything Sucks
Debonaire
Die, Boom, Bang, Burn
You Spin Me Round (Dead or Alive cover)

11/30/2019
Wednesday13 @ The Rave
Milwaukee, WI

Set List:
Necrophaze
Zodiac
Serpent Society
Prey For Me
Decompose
What The Night Brings
Keep Watching the Skies

11/26/2019
Hellyeah @ The Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL

Hellyeah came storming into The Apollo Theatre on their “The Celebration of The Life of Vinnie Paul” tour. The late Pantera/Hellyeah drummer was certainly eulogized in the only way fans of his could have by moshing, drinking and screaming lyrics out loud. 

There was so much that happened. The photography pit was pure insanity. We were warned beforehand we couldn’t stand right next to the stage but, in the walking path. That was to move quickly out of the way due to the amount of bodies flying over the top. We also had a surprise when vocalist Chad Grey flew off of the stage into the crowd and pretty much spent the entire set out in it. It was straight up one of the greatest things I have seen at a show in ages. He crawled across the fans. They held him up, slapped hands and screamed lyrics into the microphone when he jammed it into their faces. Another fantastic tidbit was Stone Sour drummer, Roy Mayorga, is filling in on drummers for the tour. The stage was lined with Stone Sour road cases. Most notably they stood next to large TV screens that were placed on each side of the stage. As most know, Mayorga, is quite the showman behind the skins. He slapped with brutal force and efficiency. It was a great fit for the tour. Kyle Sanders was a wild man on the bass. He flung his instrument around his body and screamed into his backing mic often. On each side of the stage, guitarists Tom Maxwell and Christian Brady shred. Tom in his signature cowboy hat, move back and forth playing with a smirk on his face. Brady, stood behind a backing microphone giving total effort. The band performed as a complete unit. They were an intense fury of metal carnage. 

Over the years I have seen Nothingface, Mudvayne and Stone Sour. The previous bands by these artists. Nothing compared to that onslaught of metal madness. I was pretty awestruck by the whole evening. Simply put, any time Hellyeah come back around I will be trying to attend. It was one of the most thrilling experiences I’ve ever had at a metal show. 

Set List:
X
Oh My God
Demons in The Dirt
Sangre por Sangre
Moth
333
Say When
Black Flag Army
Love Falls
Welcome Home
I’m Broken (Pantera Cover)
Walk (Pantera Cover)
Waging War
Hellyeah!

11/26/2019
Nonpoint @ The Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL



Set List: 
Breaking Skin
Chaos & Earthquakes
Dodge Your Destiny
Milestone
Fix This 
That Day
In The Air
What A Day
Bullet With A Name

11/26/2019
Deepfall @ The Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL

It was suggested to me that I request a photography pass to check out this band called Deepfall. Normally, I am skeptical when others suggest artists for me to check out. Generally, It turns out to be a band I would never listen to. The bill was extremely solid with Hellyeah and Nonpoint at the top of it. Knowing this it couldn’t be bad. Happily I can say it wasn’t. In fact it kicked major ass. After the show, I was so impressed by their performance that I downloaded their album “Broken”. A 7 song rock roller coaster. Performance-wise, Deepfall, were tight and not what I was expecting. Between the guitarists punk jumps and the bassist foot slams it was hard to tell who was more into it. Vocally, they were strong and defiant. It was straight forward rock with a punch. Included in the set was a shout out for those whom and are serving in our military. It was a somber moment. Early on though they had a small mosh pit open up. The crowd was into it. The front row hand their hands stretched out hoping for hand slaps and high fives. I am looking forward to them coming back through when they open up for Alterbridge in February.

Set list:

I’m Sick
Monster
Ghost
Separate Ways (Journey Cover)
Wasted
Voice of the Broken

11/22/2019
Third Eye Blind @ Coronado PAC
Rockford, IL

To say I was excited for this show would be an understatement. I have been on the Third Eye Blind band wagon since their debut album in 1997. The first concert that I was allowed to go to with my friends and no parental chaperone along. My ex and I still to this day go to 3eb shows because it is our thing. In fact we went to this show together. They are one of those bands that have meant so much to so many people across the last 22 years. In fact the age range of those in attendance was quite large. Children decked out in 3eb gear to seniors enjoying an evening together.

The Coronado Theater is a historical location in downtown Rockford. The inside of the common spaces are covered in gold. Literally everything is covered in gold. The patterns and trim are extremely elaborate. Once in the hallway in front of the theater doors there is a massive set of mirrors that line the wall and run to the ceiling which is multiple floors. Multiple chandeliers line the rooms. When walking through the double doors to enter the theater you see velvet covered seats running from the back wall all the way down to the orchestral pit which was also lined with premium package seating. To say this venue is high class and beautiful would even then be understating it. The stage itself is massive. Light panels line the entire back of the stage. In front of those panels is an elevated stage with a drum riser and keyboard set up on the opposite end. At the front of the stage are three microphones . All in all it was a well planned out and simplistic set up. 

The band itself walked out onto the stage with smiles on their face. The crowd was eager. Everything was set up for a wonderful evening. The band didn’t disappoint. The set list covers their entire discography. Newer fans had a plethora of newer songs to enjoy, while those of us in the long time fan category had virtually every big hit and cult classic to enjoy. Despite that, they are out promoting their newest full length release “Screamer”. An album that literally screams out to me about the current social movements, hope and future to come.

This show had a little bit of everything. On drums, Brad Hargreaves, the longtime kit man, destroyed his kit. I mean he punished it. I had a unique view from about straight on. The best part was the smile on his face. How can you not enjoy watching a band if they aren’t enjoying it themselves. Stephan Jenkins gave all of his usual facial expressions, but seemed to be more into the business of kicking ass. With his collar up and sharp glares, Jenkins had the look of a rock n’ roll enlightened man. By the end, you could tell he was physically exhausted. Covered in sweat and giving a smirk while walking off the stage. He literally gave it his all. It was the perfect ending to a perfect evening.

3 Best songs:
Kids Are Coming - The song itself is so up beat and projects that sense of hope lyrically. The light panels in the back ran through several faces of young and inspiring activists. Most notably Greta Thunberg. The song was accompanied an extremely strong vocal performance by Stephan Jenkins. He sang it with a ton of heart and power. The sound was flawless. You could pick up each and every word sung. Also my entire section at the time, either had their hands up and waving in the air or were dancing.

Motorcycle Drive-by - Pretty much another song that full engaged the crowd in a sing-a-long. Front and center on the stage Stephan Jenkins stands with a dimly lit spot light overhead. There he plays on his acoustic an ever so calming lead riff. From there he softly echos his words over the 2,300 seat theater. With ease he then builds up to the time signature change and the full band joining in. It was a rock show again. Lights blast from behind the stage illuminating each artist. This song instilled a feeling that was only enhanced by hearing the vocal sensitivities from the one whom wrote it. Bravo!

Semi-Charmed Life - An obvious pick. When one of the best songs of a decade is in your set list it will wind up as an instant favorite. The entire room erupted when the guitar riff kicked in. Every single person in the building was singing at the top of their lungs and bouncing around. In fact it was so loud the band themselves didn’t have to even sing the words. Behind the band the light panels lit up spelling out “Third Eye Blind” in 3 separate columns. That light spread across the room with the smokey haze engulfing the entire stage. It was an awesome effect.

Set list:
Thanks A Lot
Never Let You Go
Wounded
Can You Take Me/London
Graduate
Screamer
Kids Are Coming
Walk Like Kings 
Ways
Slow Motion
Motorcycle Drive-by
How Soon Is Now/Another Life/Palm Reader
Anything/Say It/Crystal Baller/Blinded
Jumper
Light It Up
Semi-Charmed Life
Hows It Going To Be?

11/18/2019
Exhumed @ Crucible
Madison, WI

What an incredible night. I had been looked forward to this show for months. Crucible is basically a huge room with a stage straight ahead when you walk through the door. Off to the right and lining the walls is the bands merchandise area. Death metal/grindcore bands have the best merchandise and nothing can change my mind about it. I managed to snag Exhumed’s horror Blockbuster themed tour shirt. It is pure fire. 

The stage which is straight ahead when you enter the room is sizable but, the stage lighting is pretty dim and harsh. No real alternating between multiple colors. Regardless, the sound definitely fills the room and isn’t bad at all. You can hear the vocals rather cleanly and it is mixed well, so a round of applause to the man behind the mixer. 

The show itself was everything a horror movie and metal fan could have asked for. Their Slaughterhouse Maniac character was ever so present throughout the entire show. He came out with vhs tapes and loaded them into televisions posted next to the bands cabs. He then came to the front of the small stage and destroyed a vhs by ripping it up and threw it into the hungry audience. I was positioned between co-founders bassist Ross Sewage and frontman Matt Harvey. Straight back was drummer Mike Hamilton. It was so poorly lit back by him I literally couldn’t see him at all. On the bright side you could hear him thrash his with ease and timeliness. On my far right was a newer recruit Sebastian Philips on guitar. 

Their set list covered multiple albums, but clearly their newest release “Horror” would have the most tracks. I was hoping they’d play “Matter of Splatter” but, I can’t really argue with how kick ass the tunes they picked were. I was right up front for the first three tracks, all of which were off the new album. I can tell you it was nothing, but perfection. They started out with an absolute onslaught of grindcore bangers. They played so quick it was hard to pick up behind the camera lens at times. The cool thing was they did make sure to give me some opportunities for snaps. Musically, they were so tight. Vocals were dead on. Harvey, projected his signature scratchy screams strongly while ripping solos left and right. He had no problem moving around the stage and leaning into the crowd when the chance opened up.  Sewage, was also extremely fun to watch up front. His eyes burst open with power every time he approached the microphone. He was brutal as hell on the bass strings. You felt it. He had no problem engaging with those of us upfront even allowing people to hit the strings at times. 

I moved to the side of the room to ditch my gear and watch room and watch from on top of a platform. It only got better being able to watch the chaos from afar. I never noticed the circle pit going insane behind me. It took up the entire middle space of the room. You could see the steam rising up to the ceiling rafters. I could also watch other guitarist Sebastian Philips stand upfront and over the top and right in front of everyone flipping his hair and laying down those tantalizing riffs. When the slaughter maniac emerges from the back he grinded the guitar strings on a guitar and threw sparks over the crowd during “Forged in Fire” which illuminated the room and was awesome as hell. At the very end as the band closes on a Venom cover “Countess Bathory” the maniac wheeled up an old popcorn maker. Staying with the horror theme he then removed a severed head and poured the blood out over a patron, whom bathed in it, then sprayed blood out across everyone stage right. From there he turned the televisions off and the stage went dim ending the engaging show.

After 20 years worth of albums and touring these guys still are good as ever. They reached every expectation I had going into seeing them finally. Frankly, I cannot wait for them to come back around again. Their “Horror” album is pure gold and their set was the same. Thank you for having me out!

Setlist:
Re-Animated
Ravenous Cadavers
Slaughter Maniac
Coins Upon The Eyes
Limb From Limb
Naked, Screaming, and Covered in Blood
Dysmorphic
Decrepit Crescendo
Forged in Fire
Defenders of The Grave
Utter Mutilation of Your Corpse
The Red Death
Playing With Fear

Death Revenge

Deadest of The Dead
Open The Abscess/The Countess Bathory (Venom Cover)/Open The Abscess

11/14/2019
Smile Empty Soul @ Back Bar
Janesville, WI

It was a pretty fantastic night of early 2000s grunge. Sean Danielson the lone remaining member of Smile Empty Soul brought his band to the Back Bar on what should’ve been a relatively slow evening. The room was filled leaving just a path in the back to get from side to side.

Having caught Smile Empty Soul right after debut self titled release (which is certified Gold), I already knew it was going to be a fun night. The set list encompassed every album they have had released. I was positioned right in front of Sean for the first half of the show. Vocally, the strength of his voice was quite impressive. The voice I heard was stronger than the album recordings. Part of the time you could hear him at the back of the room when he stepped away from the microphone. At one point people were yelling over and over for “Silhouettes” and “Nowhere Kids”. Sean simply laughed and replied “Its coming later”. Gotta love when a band just goes with it. Overall, these guys were in sync and one of the more fun concerts I went to this past year. Everything ripped and was pleasurable to the ears. No embellishment to their music in the slightest. It was performed as written. 

It was a fantastic evening of rock. Safe to way I really want to see them perform again next year when they come around. On another note Sean took time at the merchandise booth to meet, greet sign and take photos with every single person in the building. I had the pleasure of having one of the album covers I brought signed. Very humble guy. The moment left a great impression on me.

Set List:
Black and Blue
Self Inflicted
Don’t Ever Leave
Chemicals
Food Chain
Sitting Ducks
Out To Sea
Van Nuys
Silhouettes
Sides
Faceless
False Alarm
Bottom of a Bottle
Nowhere Kids

11/10/2019
Cannibal Corpse @ Apollo Theatre 
Belvidere, IL

The death metal legends came to The Apollo Theatre on a cold and snowy night. That didn’t stop them from doing what they came to do and that was kicking your ass. Being able to snap such a legendary band in their genre was an absolute honor. As I entered the venue the line for merchandise was already long. If there is anything to take away from it was that they still produce some of the sickest tour shirts out there. I’d say a healthy third of the crowd was wearing them.
The set list looked like a greatest hits concert. These guys have so many popular song it was incredible to see it all listed out. Seeing Corpsegrinder walk out on to the stage I knew it was about to get real in the room. He picked up the microphone and went right into a circle head bang. Hair was flailing everywhere. He then leaned of the front monitor and went right into growls with the mic buried under his hair. Looking like Sumara from “The Ring” but, actually a bit scary. The intensity oozed from the stage. Corpsegrinder literally wasted no time inbetween song with small talk and chatter with the crowd. He filled the occasional gaps with death stares and smirks. Fill-in guitarist Erik Rutan and long time guitarist Rob Barrett occupied both ends of the stage. Barrett held his spot towards the front and ripped with efficiency. Rutan on the other end swayed and head banged. He moved around the whole half of the stage freely. He was totally cohesive with the rest of the band. Never skipped a step. Bassist Alex Webster and drummer Paul Mazurkiewicz laid the foundation of the music down thunderously. It truly was art performed to perfection. 

It was an honor to watch and capture images of such a legendary and controversial band. My bucket list had a huge check mark placed on it. I truly hope my images do the event justice. Such a fun evening on an absolutely miserable time outside.

Best Songs:
Code of Slashers - It was remarkable how fast they jumped into it. The hyped audience was ready. Bodies started to fly over the barricade almost immediately. It projected a mean and aggressively intense rush.

Hammer Smashed Face - Lets be real here. This is their most popular tune by far. For how strong the show already was it felt like they saved all of their energy for home stretch. The drums were so loud. Out in front the circle pit was large and at warped speed. 

Set List:
Code of Slashers
Only One Will Die
Red Before Black
Scourge of Iron
Staring Through The Eyes of The Dead
The Wretched Spawn
Devoured By Vermin
Unleashing The Blood Thirsty
Gutted
Kill or Become
A Skull Full of Maggots
Evisceration Plague
Firestorm Vengeance
Death Walking Terror
I Cum Blood
Make Them Suffer
Stripped, Raped and Strangled
Hammer Smashed Face

11/10/2019
Thy Art is Murder @ Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, Il 

Setlist:
Death Squad Anthem
Make America Hate Again
Fur and Claw
Slaves Beyond Death
Holy War
No Absolution
Human Target
The Son of Misery
New Gods
Reign of Darkness
Puppet Master

11/09/2019
White Chapel @ Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, Il

11/09/2019
He is Legend @ Apollo Theatre
Belvidere, IL

Setlist:
White Bat
Burn All Your Rock Records
The Seduction
The Widow of Magnolia
Attack of The Dungeon Witch
Everyone I Know Has Fangs
Boogeywoman