Meaningless violence, courtesy of GWAR!

Monday, April 23rd, 2012
GWAR, Kylesa, Ghoul, Legacy of Disorder
Marathon Music Works, Nashville, TN
$24

It's been a LOOOOONG 2012 so far. Aside from one small show at the Rutledge in February (where I didn't take any photos), I hadn't made it to any major concerts or shows since Boondox last December. Needless to say, I was more than ready get back out there and head to a show that I've been anticipating for a while now...GWAR! I remember having friends in high school who went to a GWAR show and came back raving about how much fun they'd had. So when I noticed that there was a GWAR show booked for the new Marathon Music Works, I was super excited to go to the show and see the spectacle for myself! As well, I was interested in checking out this new-to-me venue.


Duly noted. Thank you.



I arrived shortly after the doors opened, and was just in time to see the first act, Legacy of Disorder, take the stage. I had moved up about three people away from the barricade on the far left side, but I quickly realized that even that far over was too close not to get tangled in the mosh pit. The crowd was instantly moshing, and I had to throw quite a few guys back into the pit when they came my way. I normally don't mind moshing, and I expect it at the majority of shows that I go to, but a couple of the guys really were taking it too far. One guy (who later ended up getting kicked out) was clotheslining people, putting people in choke holds and basically just being way too rough. Then later another guy went along the edge of the pit, in the first row of people who were NOT moshing, and started shoving each person violently. I'd just really never seen anything like that at a show. Normally the moshers keep to themselves and only bump into the non-moshers by accident, but this was certainly not the case with this crowd!



With my lesson learned, I retreated to about halfway back in the venue from the stage.

After Legacy of Disorder was done, Ghoul took the stage.





They used synthesized vocals throughout the performance, and performed with what looked like linen wrappings on their heads. They were very entertaining, even at one point growling that they'd only come to Nashville for the BK tender strips haha (this was said by the guitarist who was wearing a Burger King crown through the whole first song!).



Later in the set, they had a large robot looking character come out, followed by another type of character with a large spikey ball. The crowd continued with the high energy moshing throughout their entire set, and seemed very into the performance.

After another break, it was time for Kylesa.





From the get go, the crowd didn't seem as interested in Kylesa as they had been for Ghoul and Legacy of Disorder. There was almost no moshing, despite the music being similarly intense. They didn't wear any costumes, and didn't move around the stage or do much besides just stand there and play. I guess they served as the break that the moshers needed so they could be rested up for GWAR haha

Finally it was time for the main event, and the crowd was writhing with excitement. One by one, the members of GWAR took the stage, and I couldn't help but feel that the long years of waiting for this show had been worth it. I really couldn't understand a word that was being said (and the fact that I'm not familiar with most of their music didn't help), but it didn't matter. I was too consumed with the performance itself to worry about what was being said!



Through the show, they had numerous characters come out onstage, each of which met its demise and spewed blood, puke, diarrhea and other such body fluids all over the crowd.



At one point, a big pregnant Snooki monster came out on stage, and was promptly eviscerated, with blood spraying all over the crowd and the fetus dangling from its umbilical cord.



There was a skeleton deer/goat looking character that had its head cut off and sprayed blood.



Then there was some other kind of thing with a big mouth and sharp teeth...and man, it really made me wish that I was more well versed in GWAR and what each of the characters meant!


Crazy moshing as the band performs









The performance went on for well more than an hour including the encore, and never let up in the amount of entertainment they were providing. As the finale, Oderus Urungus (the lead singer/monster guy) had something in his hand that was spraying a forceful stream of "blood" into the crowd. Everyone within about 20 feet of the stage was getting completely soaked, and eventhough I was further back, I ended up with a couple of good splashes of blood myself!



At one point, he aimed the stream of blood directly at one of the overhead lights, which made it rain down in a sparkly shower of red liquid.

At the end of the show, as the crowd started to slowly disperse, it seemed like everyone was completely soaked in the red blood the band had sprayed. It was only then that I realized why everyone was wearing white. I had noticed during the openers that an abnormally large percent of the crowd was wearing solid white shirts. But once the show was done, all of those people looked like they'd been massacred and were covered in blood! Awesome! As the venue emptied out, everyone looked like they'd had a blast, and there were plenty of smiles all around.

In general, very heavy metal isn't the genre I'm naturally drawn to. But over the years, I've grown to really appreciate the kind of music and performances that bands like GWAR produce. It's exceptionally obvious that they put their hearts and souls into everything they do, and are as fiercely loyal to their fans as their fans are to them. Granted, I did find quite a few similarities that I can draw between GWAR and ICP...both have over the top, theatrical live performances, both spray their audiences with various fluids, and both have devoted fan bases. The vibe was very similar, and I feel much closer to understanding GWAR's appeal now than ever before.

As for the venue itself, I was very impressed. It's just one big room with a relatively high ceiling, totally flat floors and convenient bars and bathrooms. Nashville really needed a venue this size, so we can accommodate acts that are too popular for a place like the Exit/In, but are not popular enough to fill the entire Bridgestone arena (acts like Twiztid or Tech N9ne, for example, would fit perfectly into this venue). It will be very fun to watch this venue in the future to see what kind of acts will play there.

So yeah...overall I had a fantastic time at this show! At the end of the day, all I can really ask out of a live performance is that I be entertained. And GWAR was definitely entertaining. I can't wait to see them again, but trust, next time I will be wearing white :-)

2011 - A summary of my year

So my year has come to a close, and all my shows are done for the year. I must say, I was wary of starting my blog at the beginning of the year since I wasn't sure if I'd actually be able to keep up with it. But I am happy to say that, except for two smaller, non-blogworthy shows, I made an entry about every significant show I went to all year! So I just wanted to give a recap of my year, and hand out a few superlatives.

Overall best, most awesome show



U2
Despite going to many awesome shows this year, the U2 shows tops the list. I'd wanted to go see U2 in concert for about 20 years, so getting to mark something off of my bucket list is truly priceless. Between the enormity of the experience, the rarity of U2 shows, the experience of being so close and the AMAZING photos I got, this show definitely tops the list.

Most fun show



ICP
Eventhough I somewhat knew what to expect going into my first ICP show, I really had no idea what to expect! This show was a mad house from the first second they came onstage, and left me giggling like a kid the entire time! We left soaked in Faygo and freezing cold, but overall, this was definitely the most fun show of the year!

Sleeper hit of the year



Hopsin
Honestly, I initially decided to go to the Hopsin show because my friends were going, and I wanted an excuse to hang out with everyone. But once I was there, I was treated to a full evening of great music. I got to see Stitchmouth for the first time, got entertained by SGF, got to watch white trash on parade during Lil Wyte's set, then was treated to a surprisingly awesome performance by Hopsin! I really didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, but it was great!

Most disappointing show



Hinder
From the moment I walked in, no one seemed to be excited about this show, including the performers. It was an ok show, but the crowd showed NO enthusiasm and ended up dragging down the entire show. It was ok, and I'm glad I went, but I won't be running back if I see Hinder announce another Nashville show.

Best "Out of my comfort zone" experience



The Gathering of the Juggalos
I slept in a tent, used port-a-potties, had no access to washing my hands after using said port-a-potties, stayed up until after 5am four nights in a row, wore my hair in a pony tail every day, and loved almost every second of it! Aside from a few obvious bummers (like getting beaned in the eye with the turkey leg), I had a blast at the Gathering, and am already planning on returning next year.

Best bang for my buck



Boondox in Daytona Beach
This show had 7 acts and only cost $7. Even if you include the roughly $25 I spent for the rental car for the night, it still comes in a heck of a lot cheaper than a lot of shows I went to this year!

So yeah...it was a great year. I don't have any tickets purchased for any shows in 2012 yet, but I'm still going to continue with my resolution to attend 12 shows in 12 months. Thanks to everyone for supporting my blog and reading my posts. As of posting time, I have 1509 views so far on my blog!

-Julie

Boondox on the Beach, featuring Cousin Cleetus and more

Thursday, December 1st, 2011
Boondox, Cousin Cleetus, Mars, Miss Kisa, The DRP
Sickboy's Bad Habit Lounge, Daytona Beach, FL
$7

It bears repeating that Boondox is one of my favorite music artists across all genres. I had really held out hope that he was going to be able to play at the Muse here in Nashville during his Low Down and Dirty tour, but ultimately that didn't work out (originally I got word that he wasn't booked, then a booking popped up on the Muse website, but then it disappeared again...rats!). So rather than risk missing the tour completely, I decided to take an evening away from my annual December Walt Disney World trip with my friends to head for the coast and catch his show in Daytona Beach.

I ended up booking a rental car at the Alamo inside the Dolphin hotel, which was convenient since I'd spent that morning in Epcot. I'd booked the cheapest car I could find since it was just going to be me, but since I'd arrived late in the day, the only vehicle they had left to give me was a Town and Country minivan! So on top of the omnipresent worry that something would happen to my rental car, I had the added worry that something would happen to my very expensive minivan while parked outside of a club full of Juggalos! haha


Ohhh...fancy!

After a quick stop by my hotel to get changed and do some makeup, I hopped into my swanky whip and made the hour and a half drive to Daytona Beach.


All set to go!

I made a quick stop at Burger King, but I was really too excited to eat much. I found the venue very easily, and I'm sure that I looked really gangsta as I parked my minivan. Stupid me had forgotten to bring any cash to get into the club, but luckily the owner let me charge my admission at the bar.

The crowd when I arrived was less than enthusiastic. I'm used to Nashville shows, where most people know each other, and people just hang out in groups before the shows. But in Daytona, no one seemed to be speaking to anyone else. It was quite and empty, and no one seemed excited to be there. What a bummer! Despite everyone just sitting there looking bored, I headed right up to the barricade and staked out my spot, so I'd have a front row view of all the performances. While I stood there, a few people came and went, but no one spoke to me. There were even a couple of people who would yell "Whoop whoop!" and no one was responding except me! :-( Sad face.



The first people who played were Fur Elise, who were clearly hard rock, and were clearly oblivious about who they were opening for! At one point, the lead singer said "So who's playing tonight? What kind of crowd do we have tonight?" Oh Lord. Once a couple of people yelled out that we were Juggalos, the guy replied with "Juggalos? Is that right?" I mean for real...why would the venue book them without giving them the first clue about who they were opening for? They really weren't that bad, but should clearly have been opening for someone like Saliva instead of someone like Boondox!



Next up was a local guy whose name I didn't catch. He did a pretty good job, though I'd swear that he was lip syncing at certain points. Most of the time, it sounded like he was singing, but then sometimes I'd notice him take the mic away from his mouth, but his voice would keep singing.


So, is this was Jersey shore Juggalos look like?



Next up was Miss Kisa, who is a veteran of the Gathering and someone who gets a fair amount of support from Boondox himself. I'd honestly not listened to any of her music beforehand, but I was really impressed by her!




How she manages to perform in those heels, I'll never know



She's a badass chick, and is great at what she does. I must admit that it was a bit awkward being so close that I could see up her very-short skirt, but it's all good. I certainly hope that she plays the Gathering again so I can come out and show my support.



After Miss Kisa came The DRP. He was alright. A lot of flash and drama and enthusiasm, but at the end of the day, he just wasn't my thing.



Next up was Mars. I'm only vaguely familiar with Mars, and mainly his older stuff, so most of what he performed was new to me. But overall, it was a great performance.



He moved all around the stage, and made a lot of prolonged eye contact with the crowd. Good stuff.

After about three and a half hours and five other openers, it was finally time to get to my two most anticipated acts of the night. I was familiar with Cousin Cleetus as Boondox's hypeman, so I was quite excited to see him perform solo.







From the first second he stepped out, he really commanded the stage, and did a fantastic job of grabbing everyone's attention. He has a very unique sound, and one that is exactly what I like. I'm very excited to see where his career takes him, and I'll certainly be among his new fans.

Finally it was time for the main event.



I love love love Boondox's music, and his live performances don't disappoint either. It really was too bad that the crowd didn't seem more excited about his performance.


WAKE THE FUCK UP! OMG This guy was falling asleep through Boondox's entire set

There was only one line of people standing directly at the barricade, with no one immediately behind them, then the rest of everyone was keeping a fair distance from the stage. I felt kind of sorry for him because he was giving us a performance equal to or better than the Gathering, yet no one seemed to care, except for me of course :-)











I was very happy to hear his two newest songs, Abadon and Monster, performed live right alongside his older stuff. He moved continuously around the stage, but didn't really seem to engage those of us who were standing right up front very much. Despite that, the show was fantastic, and well worth the time and effort to make it to Daytona Beach.

After Boondox was done performing, the lights came up and he made his way to the edge of the stage to hang out for a while.


This guy had him sign one of the infamous "I love Waffle House" shirts from the Gathering

He signed a bunch of autographs and gave a bunch of daps...



...and even obliged me with a self portrait with him! Not surprisingly, the crowd scattered very quickly, and no one hung around at all after the show. So since there was nothing going on, I quickly jumped back into my soccer mom mobile and made my way back to shiny, happy Disney World.

And so ended the last show I'd make it to in 2011.

I'll be doing one more blog entry as a recap of the year, then I'll keep motoring full force ahead into the new year with the same "12 live shows in 12 months" goal as this year.

-Julie

Anybody Killa at the Muse, once again

Friday, October 14th, 2011
Anybody Killa
The Muse, Nashville, TN
$12

For the second time in 2011, and the third time in a year, I got the opportunity to see ABK perform at the Muse. Beforehand, I made up a batch of 2 dozen Moon Mist cupcakes, and picked up new friend Ryan "Cookies" from his house so he could go to the show as well. When we arrived, nothing was going on yet, so like always, we just stood around and mingled, and ate some cupcakes. I actually only went inside a few times before ABK started to perform since I wasn't familiar with anyone who was opening, and since I'd much rather be hanging out on the patio with my friends than pretending that I'm enjoying someone's performance.

By the time ABK started to perform, everyone had gone back inside and staked out their respective spots near the stage. While I waited, I had something very strange happen. I struck up a brief conversation with a man standing next to me, and after exchanging just a few pleasantries, he said "Too bad more REAL Juggalos didn't show up tonight. I only see three or four." Um...excuse me? I'd never seen this dude in my life, so he obviously didn't personally know every person in the room. And who is he to judge what a REAL Juggalo is? I wasn't even sure how to respond since I wasn't sure if he was including me in the three or four who were "real Juggalos" or was lumping me in the with "not a real Juggalo" rest of the crowd. What a random, judgmental thing to say to someone you didn't know.

Once ABK came out onstage, the show was great, as always. I actually thought the set seemed a little shorter than his past sets, but in reality I don't think it was. This was one of only three "Orange and Black" shows that he did, so hopefully it's a show that was unique to only those three dates.

Photos...



















After the show, everyone made their way outside, and Killa was right behind us. We all just hung around and chilled for a while, took some photos and generally had a good time.


Crystal meets Killa...


...and so does Nick!

After we'd been hanging around for a while, I decided to get my other dozen cupcakes and pass them out. So right as I'd handed them all out and we started to eat, two cops came up. They were shining their flashlights on us and acting like brutes, apparently thinking they were gonna bust us all for doing something illegal. But nope! We were all just standing there eating cupcakes! They kept looking at us, and shining the flashlights all over the ground, but all they found were happy, upstanding citizens eating yummy cupcakes hahaha It was so funny how confused they were. Eventually they left since we weren't doing anything bad!

Not sure what my next show is going to be since I don't have anything else on the plan at the moment. Still hoping that Boondox turns up at the Muse sooner than later!

-Julie