On this night, Static X took the Sayreville fans on a little trip. A 20th anniversary of their landmark album entitled “Wisconsin Death Trip” to a packed house at the historic Starland Ballroom with special guests DevilDriver, Dope, Wednesday 13, and Raven Black.
I had no idea what my expectations were, the only thing that I knew was that the rock world was still reeling from the tragic loss of charismatic frontman Wayne Static on November 1st, 2014. People remembered Wayne for his larger than life personality and crazy(in a good way not a GG Allin sort of way) stage antics which fans loved every time Static X was in concert. The moment we have awaited for has arrived.
My immediate thought was “Whoa!”, it was like Wayne Static came back into a zombified form. The hair and stage antics was all too familiar. So much so that it was almost frightening and a bit creepy. The black makeup with the x’s over the eyes really added a nice touch. The vocals sounded similar and the rest of the band was absolutely on point. You don’t realize how classic of an album that “Wisconsin Death Trip” is until you hear the audience sing every word to every song from that classic album. It was plain to see why this band stole the Ozzfest stage back in 1999 and 2000. They’re crazy live and they sounded so tight from a musicianship standpoint. Xero did such an impeccable job by being a combination of a tribute to Wayne Static while having his own charisma thrown in there. Based on the synths and strings in their opener “December”, it felt like the perfect way to go on that nostalgic “Wisconsin Death Trip” with Static X. It built the anticipatory setting and you could feel the buzz inside the ballroom with that song.
“Bled For Days” and “Get To The Gone” is where people lost their collective minds. These two songs showed that Static X was so far ahead of their time and it was plain to see how quickly they became the kings of underground nu-metal during this time. They’re a band that fans of industrial, nu-metal, and even hip hop could embrace. Between the smoke machines, and the entire band oozing with charisma, this has became the surprise summer tour to attend.
Mindblowing. Nostalgia. Thrilling. Exhilarating. Go see Static X as soon as possible, it’s not just a show, it’s an experience. Here is the set list:
- December
- Bled For Days
- Wisconsin Death Trip
- Fix
- Sweat of the Bud
- Love Dump
- I Am
- Otsegolation
- The Trance Is The Motion
- Get to the Gone
- Black and White
- This Is Not
- Destroy All
- Start a War
- Behemoth
- Cold
- I’m With Stupid
- Push It
Fans can still check out this leg of the show tonight at The Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado. For tickets and further information, click here.
- Photo Credit: Kim Casper at Garden State Band Connection
Fans can check out STATIC X at the following locations:
