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

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)