Friday night’s “Freaks on Parade” tour featuring Rob Zombie, Mudvayne, Static-X, and Powerman 5000 was incredible. The sold-out show at Five Points had everything one would expect at a Zombie spectacle: masked performers, clowns, and a 15’ blow up Satan. Killer live performances by the aforementioned was a match made in hell for the thousands in attendance in Irvine. Pound for pound, one of the best metal shows I’ve seen this year and it’s not even close. Let’s dig in, shall we?
Kicking off Friday’s show was none other than Boston’s very own, Powerman 5000. Led by original vocalist Spider One, these cats have been torching stages around the world since 1991, and show no signs of slowing down any time soon. While there have been many variations of the band over the years, they have consistently provided their fans with cutting edge metal that’s truly second to none. While they only thrilled us with 8 songs, the set was awesome. Fan favorites included “Nobody’s Real,” “Supernova Goes Pop,” and “When Worlds Collide.” Get there early and check out their set—definitely worth the price of admission.
Next up was Static-X. I’d never seen the band live before (pre or post Wayne Static) and had heard from good friend ‘G Vitty’ that their performances are incredible. After an abbreviated 7-song set, I understood why he held their live shows in such high regard. Complimenting new vocalist Xer0 was founding bandmates Tony Campos (bass), Koichi Fukada (guitar), and Ken Jay (drums), and all seemed to love being on stage together. Favorites from the evening included “Wisconsin Death Trip,” “Cold,” and “Push It.” Familiar with the Static-X catalog, I can honestly say they killed their classics and held Wayne Static’s memory in the highest regard. Respect.
Now on to Mudvayne. Founded in 1996, this amazing band have had many highs and lows over a 25 year career and recently reformed after a 10+ year hiatus. Original members Chad Gray (vocals), Greg Tribbett (guitars), Matthew McDonough (drums), and Ryan Martinie (bass) ripped through a 12-song set that made new and old fans alike smile like they just won the lottery. In typical Chad fashion, he immediately jumped off the stage and leaned into a packed general admission pit during “Under My Skin”—allowing fans to join in his “Chadness” (I mean madness). For such a long hiatus, this band was sonically amazing from “Dig” all the way through to my favorite Mudvayne song, “Happy?” Can’t wait to see them again soon, they are that good.
And now on to the main attraction, Mr. Rob Zombie. I can honestly say there are very few performers like him walking the planet today, and his live shows are out of this world (to say the very least). Along with John 5 (guitar), Piggy D (bass), and Ginger Fish (drums), Zombie blazed through a 17-song set under a starlit night in Irvine, and the band pulled no punches for the faithful. Whether you were down with “Superbeast,” “House of 1000 Corpses,” or crowd favorite “Dragula,” there was something for everyone. And when many performers of this era tend to “phone in” their live shows, Rob Zombie and company seemed superhuman with nearly two-hours of non-stop, “crank it to 11” energy all night long. Catch “Freaks on Parade” if you can when the tour rolls through your town. It’s one you won’t want to miss.
POWERMAN 5000
STATIC-X
MUDVAYNE
ROB ZOMBIE
