Static-X brings the 20th Anniversary of Wisconsin Death Trip to Las Vegas with support from Raven Black, Wednesday 13, Dope and DevilDriver
Saturday night and the near sold out crowd is eagerly awaiting five bands all of whom put on amazing stage shows. Up first is Raven Black. This theatrical dark metal carnival always puts on a great show and tonight is no different which is one of the reasons the fans are in so early. They jam as many songs as they can into their set including “Twinkle Twinkle Little Scars,” “Dollhouse” and “Carnival.” The stage show with umbrellas, flowers and stuffed animals opens the night perfectly and gives a good preview of what is to come next. For those familiar with this band this was exactly what they expected, but for those in attendance who were unfamiliar with them, this highlighted their music and shows perfectly.
Wednesday 13 is next and this band has a huge fan base in Las Vegas. They always come through one of the clubs when they tour so the crowed is looking forward to this. This is a different set from what we have seen in the past from Wednesday, but it is different in a good way. He spends the set on a riser in the middle of the stage with different masks contorting himself around the microphone. He and his band have day glow paint on and for Wednesday it is really shown off by the lights affixed to his hands and throat. There is no talking with the crowd, just the music. The set is seven songs long and includes “Zodiac,” “Serpent Society” and “Keep Watching the Skies.” This delivered the theatrics we have come to expect from this band, but in a new way. Wednesday 13 always pushes the performance to the maximum and they crowd is never quite sure what to expect. By the end of the set the crowd is excited by what they just saw and they are only two bands into the night.
The show gets less theatrical at this point with the next two bands. New York based heavy metal band Dope takes the stage. It is during this set that we start to see the first bit of moshing on the floor and the people in the balcony rise to their feet. Edsel Dope is focused on singing during this set leaving the guitar duties to Virus. The music is fast and heavy and the crowd is matching this intensity. They open with “Blood Money” and “6-6-Sick.” The set continues on sampling their catalog before it closes with their cover of “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record).” The only complaint from the crowd is that they wish this could have been a longer set, but they still are not dissapointed. After the intensity of this performance security is ready for what is to come, because the crowd is only going to keep getting more energetic from here on out.
The smoke from the stage begins to fill the room and DevilDriver takes the stage. Between the red light and the smoke it is hard to see the band at times, but front-man Dez Fafara is on the risers and moving about the stage getting as close to the crowd as he can. As expected their set is longer but what isn’t expected is that it includes Coal Chamber covers of “Loco” and “Fiend.” These songs haven’t been played in a long time, too long as Fafara comments so it is nice to see them being included in the set. The rest of the set is primarily DevilDriver songs including “Ruthless,” “I Could Care Less” and “Before the Hangman’s Noose.” The moshing is really increasing in intensity during this set and the people begin to crowd surf as well.
The energy in the crowd is palpable as Static-X takes the stage. The wall of video screens behind the band begin to play. These will be utilized all night including at various times to pay tribute to Wayne Static. While this is the 20th anniversary of Wisconsin Death Trip the set doesn’t follow that track listing. They open the night with “Bled for Days,” “Wisconsin Death Trip” and “Sweat of the Bud.” The first tribute to Wayne Static is shown at this time but they are placed periodically throughout the performance. The seventeen song set just keeps building. The crowd keeps moshing and surfing right along. Clear crowd favorites are “Cold,” “This is Not,” “Start a War” and “I’m With Stupid.” The mask and the hair on singer Xer0 really bring the whole package together adding to the original lineup of Tony Campos, bass, Ken Jay, drums, and Koichi Fukuda on guitar. This sounds like the Static-X everyone loves without sounding cheesy or copycat. It still has a new original feel to it. By the time the last song “Push It” is played there doesn’t seem to be a single person sitting or standing still.
And with that the night is over. These five bands delivered and there was something for everyone from the theatrical to the hard and heavy. It can be a challenge when a band returns after losing an integral member like Wayne Static but Static-X does it perfectly. They honor their friend well. This was one of the best shows to play here this year and no one left disappointed.
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STATIC-X
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DEVILDRIVER
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DOPE
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WEDNESDAY 13
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RAVEN BLACK
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Event Date: 27-JUL-2019