Raise your horns. Wednesday 13 is touring with a set of songs by the Murderdolls and Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13. Classics like ‘She Was A Teenage Zombie’ and ‘I Love To Say Fuck’ are part of a show that results in a high-energy, stupid fun night. With Black Satellite, Infected Rain, and Gemini Syndrome also playing in support it proves to be a long night full of great music.
Recently the tour made a stop at Mickey’s Black Box in Lititz, PA. As the name suggests, the building is a black box inside and out, but appearances can be deceiving. Hidden in the heart of Amish country, Mickey’s Black Box is part of the Rock Lititz campus which boasts production facilities, rehearsal halls, recording studios, lighting companies, and even a hotel and gym. All of this results in one of the premiere performance spaces on the East Coast with incredible production and great staff. A full bar and some limited but good food options are available as well as plenty of free parking. What more could you want?
Entry into the venue is an efficient process and this evening was set up with general admission on the floor. Upstairs is theater seating as well as a lounge area with tables to relax with a drink and friends. The stage can also be set lower and theater seats placed in the orchestra section but not tonight, all the better to form a pit.
Not every stop on the tour has it but this night started with a local support act, Anthrophobia. They are a standard four-man band with guitar, bass, drums, and vocals. The lead singer is not dissimilar to Vince Neil, but with a better voice. High energy and with a seventies Heavy Metal vibe, they sounded like old Black Sabbath or even a serious version of Spinal Tap. This isn’t just a little garage band though. They have played on a Warped Tour and with bands like Clutch, Godsmack, and Bad Brains to name a few. Quickly getting the attention of the crowd, they were a perfect warm-up and had everyone paying attention before closing with a great high energy version of their song ‘Running Out of Time’. If this is indicative of what the night has in store, everyone will be exhausted by the end.
An efficient stage crew changed over for the next act and right on schedule, the first of the touring support acts, Black Satellite began their set. A sound somewhere between Metal and Industrial was a perfect accompaniment to the lineup. With a female lead singer sporting a short mohawk and spiked leather jacket, they easily matched the energy level and kept the crowd moving. The bass player seemed to revel in swinging his long hair about as they filled every second available to them. Heavy on bass and drums, the singer used her voice to switch between melodic vocals and gravely growling in a captivating performance. Closing their set with a cover of ‘Sonne’ by Rammstein capped off a wonderful performance.
With two bands down and three more to go, we are just getting started and already caught up in the energy of the room.
Infected Rain was next to the stage. Lead singer Lena, is slight of build with long dreadlocks well past her waist. Colored yellow-orange, they seem to change with each new set of lights and go through the entire rainbow by the end of her performance. A hint of an accent when speaking to the crowd alludes to the band’s origins in Moldova. It should be noted that the State of Pennsylvania where this show is taking place has roughly five times the population and three and a half times the area of their home country. There is no question that Eastern Europe knows how to do Metal and these guys are some of the best. Every member of the band puts on an amazing performance as masters of their craft. Lena deftly sings and growls as Alice plays a five-string bass to fill out the rhythms set by Eugene on drums. Vidick plays guitar switching between rhythm and melody with ease. Lots of crowd interaction and instructions to jump, clap, and form a pit for the last song were happily followed by the audience, and like the bands before them, the set was over all too soon.
Only one band left before the headliner and it’s a good one. Gemini Syndrome comes from California and they were worth the wait. Many in attendance noted that they came to see them and the only disappointment was the shorter set allotted to an opening act. They hit the stage to a computer-generated voice foretelling doom and prophesying the downfall of civilization. Singer Aaron Nordstrom is dressed smartly in a grey three-piece suit white tie eventually losing the jacket to reveal a burgundy shirt under. His almost formal dress is in contrast to the rest of the band who are dressed much like any other band. His melodic singing gives the band a sound very similar to Mudvayne or Disturbed, but very much their own. Part Industrial part Metal and a sprinkling of Pop shows why Gemini Syndrome is on the stage. Starting the set with ‘Stardust’ and ending with ‘Remember We Die’ had everyone enthralled. If you don’t know these guys they are definitely worth a listen.
Wednesday 13’s plan to perform all of the Murderdolls and Frankenstein Drag Queens albums seems to have drawn a huge crowd and the show starts off running through several songs before there is a break in the action for Wednesday to start telling stories. Looking fit, he isn’t stopping to catch his breath but to share some fun experiences with the audience. He recalls how he got a call from Joey Jordison that changed his life and liberated him from the drudgery of working at K-Mart, or how Mick Mars, much to his surprise, agreed to play on one a recording for them and cut his hand during the session just to record ‘Blood Stained Valentine’. There was a lot more entertainment than just the music and the stories were an important part of the show. A shining moment was the drum solo of all things. Mike Dupke plays brilliantly along with ‘Tubular Bells’ and a couple of sound bites from various horror movies which added to the performance and provided some structure. A 20-song set including ‘Nowhere’, ‘Summertime Suicide’, encores of ‘White Wedding’, and the mandatory ‘I Love To Say Fuck’ were all brilliantly chosen and well arranged. This may be one of the best performances from Wednesday 13 in years.
When leaving Mickey’s Black box, a quick glance around the parking lot would reveal just how big an undertaking this tour is. There is a collection of buses and trailers needed to move all the crew, performers, and equipment. Those buses will continue on for a few more dates and work their way into the South East and then on to the Midwest and end in Colorado. February will see the tour hit Australia and Eastern Europe. If there is a date near you it is recommended that you get tickets early as shows have been selling out. Whatever you do, don’t miss it.
Wednesday 13 Set List:
- Chapel Of Blood
- Death Valley Superstars
- 197666
- Slit My Wrist
- Love At First Fright
- She Was A Teenage Zombie
- Graverobbing USA
- Die My Bride
- Blood Stained Valentine
- Pieces Of You
- Drug Me To Hell
- Drum Solo
- People Hate Me
- Welcome To The Strange
- Dawn Of The Dead
- Nowhere
- Summertime Suicide
Encore:
- White Wedding
- I Love To Say Fuck
- Dead In Hollywood
WRITTEN BY MATTHEW KOCHEK
PHOTOS BY KIM HANSEN @PHARMADIVER