STATIC-X & GWAR brought the MACHINES vs MONSTERS to a duel at The Fillmore!

CONCERT PHOTOS :: STATIC-X, GWAR, DOPE, A KILLER'S CONFESSION
The Fillmore in Minneapolis, MN
May 30, 2025
Photos by Brett Zisler

STATIC-X and GWAR brought their MACHINES vs MONSTERS TOUR to The Fillmore in Minnneapolis on a packed Friday night. Both bands brought their A game and Brett brought back these fantastic pictures and more!

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS OF STATIC-X, GWAR, DOPE and A KILLER'S CONFESSION HERE!

STATIC-X and SEVENDUST celebrate the end of their tour in Minnesota!

CONCERT REVIEW :: STATIC-X, SEVENDUST, DOPE
Myth in Maplewood, MN
May 18, 2024
Photos by Brett
Review by Nick

The long awaited Machine Killer Tour finally arrived at their last stop at the Myth in Maplewood for a packed house awaiting this lineup. Both STATIC-X and SEVENDUST hadn’t been thru since the release of their respective new records. Tonight was going to be a celebration in more ways than one.

STATIC-X’s set is always a celebration of the life of Wayne Static and the music the core band made together on the Wisconsin Death Trip and Machine records. Being so close to Wisconsin, those songs always get a big reaction especially “Wisconsin Death Trip.”

There’s so many songs especially on Wisconsin Death Trip that are pretty iconic 25 years since the release of the album and a good chunk of the album was well represented during the set. STATIC-X came out bringing two from the Project Regeneration vol 1 album “Hollow” and “Terminator Oscillator” complete with bubbles floating thru the air to go with their pretty spectacular dialed in light show.

Then came a heaping helping of WDT, “Love Dump” was a big sing along as well as “Wisconsin Death Trip” and “Bled for Days”. “Z0mbie” was a super fun live track from the new Project Regeneration vol 2 record that definitely fit in very well amongst the classics. Which was followed up with a pummeling “Get to the Gone”.

Tony Campos and Koichi Fukuda were running all over the stage and enjoying the crowd interaction that was on display for the last night of the tour. Ken Jay’s drums sounded even better at this show versus last year’s show at The Fillmore as it was more in your face instead of being more buried in the mix. Xero does a fantastic job of keeping Wayne’s legacy alive and well doing absolute justice to all the songs in the set.

You can not argue with the show closers “Cold,” “I’m With Stupid” and “Push It”. Those 3 are absolute legends in the catalog and the crowd goes insane every time. “Push It” got even more crazy as Static-X’s crew came out with a wide variety of beach floaties to throw in to the crowd and celebrate 3 legs of this spectacular pairing.

SEVENDUST always brings the fun and energy live. They are one of the most underrated rock bands out there consistently putting out great music and putting on fantastic live shows. A live SEVENDUST show is always a celebration. You can not go to a SEVENDUST show and not have a good time … tonight was no different.

SEVENDUST was able to use the digital backdrop that STATIC-X brings out on tour and create some great visuals to go along with the songs in the set. Opening up with a forest scene for “I Might Let The Devil Win” using half the track as an intro piece before the band walked out and slammed right in for the last couple minutes of the track before rolling in to “Truth Killer”. The surprises didn’t stop there with 4 deep cuts for the long time fans “Alpha”, “Till Death”, “Pieces” and “Hero” all made appearances in the set which I gotta get guess some of those haven’t been played live for quite a while.

Those 5 guys up on the stage always look like they are having the time of their lives up there, which not only translates to the crowd but also makes for a much more fun show. Lajon being one of the best front person in the hard rock and metal scene never disappoints. Once again, the sound was fantastic for SEVENDUST’s set with Morgan Rose’s drums and vocals being more in the forefront of the mix tonight than 2022’s Skyway Theater set on the Animosity 21st tour. Whoever was doing sound for both STATIC-X and SEVENDUST, tip of the hat to you for the crushing mix!

The rest of the 7 songs played during their set which seemed way too short were all crowd favorites. Lajon even spotted Spider-Man and got him to lead the circle pit. “Splinter” was definitely a highlight along with a fantastic version of the latest single “Everything”. It’s always cathartic to scream along with “Face to Face” live to end the set. All the stress of the outside world gets to go away for the 4 minutes of that legendary show closer.

SEVENDUST just announced what I hope is the first leg of the Seasons 21st Anniversary Tour that unfortunately doesn’t come to MN .. here’s to hoping for a date of the 2nd leg of the tour.

DOPE is always a blast to see live on tour. They’re just a fun show. They are well aware of what they need to do on tour by getting the crowd warmed up and they do it well. With Felons and Revolutionaries also being 25 years old this year, I would’ve loved to hear some more from the record and maybe we will on future tours. Edsel has a very tight band surrounding him that nails the jam packed 30 minute set to get as much from every Dope record as possible in there and it still makes me laugh when Edsel talks about how a bad decision of a cover song still gets played at every show from then to 25 years later. It’s a really fun way to end a set and let’s be honest there’s worse songs a band could cover.

SEE MORE OF BRETT'S PHOTOS of STATIC-X, SEVENDUST and DOPE HERE!

RISE OF THE MACHINES TOUR 2023

CONCERT REVIEW :: STATIC-X, FEAR FACTORY, DOPE, TWIZTID
The Fillmore in Minneapolis, MN
April 8, 2023
Photos by Brett
Review by Nick

The time has finally arrived! STATIC-X and FEAR FACTORY brought their “Rise of the Machine” Tour to The Fillmore in Minneapolis, MN for a very sold out crowd that was excited to see every band on the bill!

STATIC-X came out with a new look for XERO that complimented the “Rise of the Machine” tour name. XERO’s new mask looks even more incredible in person. You could see guitarist Koichi Fukuda, bassist Tony Campos and drummer Ken Jay smiling and having a blast up there on stage. The energy was infectious from the crowd to the stage for each band for their entire set. You had 5 bands that were all excited to be playing in front of a crowd that was just excited to see them and hear all these songs come to life again.

STATIC-X filled their 19 song set with hit after hit and still leaving crowd favorites out of the set and the crowd wanted more after the last song rang out. STATIC-X coming out of the gate swinging with 4 from Machine to start the show off with “Permanence”, “This is Not”, “Structural Defect” and “Black and White” before even stepping to classic tracks from Wisconsin Death Trip. This tour definitely reminded you how solid Machine is as an album in full. Tony Campos stated from the stage later in the night that since the tour was delayed so many times, it gave them more time to bring a bigger production. This was a production made for arenas but in a club setting. If their goal was to make everything bigger and better than the previous tour, they definitely did that and then some even bringing a big podium for Xero to use on “Permanence” and “I’m With Stupid” that made sure everyone even in the back got a good glimpse of Xero Version 2.0.

Plenty of tracks from Wisconsin Death Trip made it in to the set (you gotta play the track “Wisconsin Death Trip” when you are so close to Wisconsin!) along with a good taste of the rest of their catalog played in rapid succession with not much downtime in between many songs. Newer songs “Terminator Oscillator” and their recently released cover of Nine Inch Nails’ “Terrible Lie” fit in perfectly amongst the Static-X classics like “Destroy All”, “Dirthouse” and “Cannibal” from later albums.

I don’t know what song the crowd sang along louder for “Cold”, “I’m With Stupid” or “Push It” which all came during the encore. Usually the crowd is spent by this point, not the case here. The crowd was louder than ever and the smiles on the band’s faces were bigger. The 3 year wait for this tour was definitely well worth it.

FEAR FACTORY came out blazing with new vocalist Milo Silverstro with two epic opening tracks both from Obsolete “Shock” and “Edgecrusher” setting the tone for their 50 min set. Milo filling the big shoes of Burton with ease in most parts as Fear Factory made their way thru the entire catalog playing songs from all over the map some of which might not have been played in a long time. “Distruptor” sounded fantastic along with “Powershifter” and “What Will Become”.

Guitarist Dino Cazares looked like he was having a blast up there with Milo, bassist Tony Campos and drummer Pete Webber. There’s no question that this lineup absolutely crushes these songs as they closed with 3 classics from Demanfacture, the title track, “Zero Signal” and “Replica”. These songs and this 10 song set isn’t for a beginner musician. FEAR FACTORY is back with a vengeance and I can’t wait to see them live again.

DOPE had a very short 6 song, 30 minute set which opened with the newest song in the set “Blood Money” because as Edsel Dope said from the stage “You didn’t come here to hear the new shit, you came hear to hear the old shit”. While there was only one song from the 1999 album Felons and Revolutionaries which was a shame, DOPE did a great job of picking out songs from all their albums to make sure to please any fan of the band. Closing with a super energetic version of their version of “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)” that definitely was a crowd pleaser.

Overall, this was a fun show front to back. This was a celebration of these songs from STATIC-X and FEAR FACTORY coming back to life again. Both bands were firing on all cylinders and hopefully this will keep them on tour for years to come to celebrate the music and the legacy that all these bands have created and importantly, the life of Wayne Static.

SEE MORE OF BRETT'S PHOTOS FROM STATIC-X, FEAR FACTORY, DOPE and TWIZTID HERE!

STATIC-X delivers in Minnesota

REVIEW :: STATIC-X, MUSHROOMHEAD, DOPE, WEDNESDAY 13 and RAVEN BLACK
Myth in Maplewood, MN
December 4, 2019
Photos and Review by Brett Zisler

The Minnesota region found itself as one of the few lucky markets in 2019 to have the Static-X “Wisconsin Death Trip” 20th Anniversary tour and Wayne Static Memorial pass through this area in less than 6 months. As one person that was fortunate enough to be at both, I must say, it’s an experience like none other. Static-X dominated the tour circuit in the early 2000’s, finding themselves on nearly every tour they could get their hands on. I can honestly say, few bands carry the clout and fanbase from that era like Static-X does. Their show at Myth proved it once again.

The whole tour is centered around the tribute to Wayne Static and the 20th anniversary of their major label debut, “Wisconsin Death Trip.” An album that carved their path onto major tours such as Ozzfest and Pantera’s last major arena campaign. While it still hurts that the legendary and polarizing front man, Wayne Static, is no longer with us, there is no doubt the fans feel the impact he made when the show starts. Static-X starts their set perfectly with their digital screens projecting early images of the band as “December” starts to echo through the speakers. Pictures of Wayne drew loud roars from the crowd as the bandmembers started to appear one by one onstage. With the intro to their hit “Bled for Days” starting, it was clear the crowd it was go time. Tony Campos, Ken Jay and Koichi Fukuda took their spots as the now tribute/fill in on vocals, xer0, patiently waited for his turn in the light. Almost instantly it felt like the old days of seeing Static-X back at the Quest Club (RIP) and multiple other venues around the area. Having the luxury of seeing Static-X off their first album in small club settings to seeing them make it big to arenas and other major tours, I must admit, I was skeptical the first time I saw. That was until they started playing. They overdeliver and do everything right during this live show.

As I and other photographers noted, it was great to hear how many people were saying, “I’ve been dying to see them for over 10 years” or “I never got to see them.” It’s a way to fill the void for fans. And with the success of the show and tour, as the plowed their way through all of the hits, “I’m with stupid, “Love Dump,” Fix,” and “Pushit,” it's clear that this band still has so much life left playing to their one of the many sold out dates on the tour.

Static-X brought along an incredible supporting cast to help open. To help fill in for Devildriver was the fan favorite, Mushroomhead. If you haven’t seen them before, it’s a must to cross off your live show list. They bring so much visually to the table that even if you aren’t familiar with their entire catalog of music, you still walk away satisfied. Between the dual vocals, over the top stage attire and their additional percussion with water splashing the audience at times, it’s something to not miss the next time they make their way through the area.

Also on the bill was the band Dope. No strangers to the early 2000’s “nu metal” genre, Dope does a great job with their current live show distinguishing themselves from others proving there are still alive and well. Lead by long time front man, Edsel Dope, they played crowd favorites “Debonaire” “Die MF Die” and what was intro'd by Edsel himself as “the dumbest fu*king song” their cover of “You Spin me Round.”

Early support on the bill came from acts Wednesday 13 and Raven Black. Wednesday 13 definitely brings the element of enhanced stage props to the table. Whether it was performing with an almost prosthetic “voodoo” head on while doused in paint to reflect in black lights or completely dawned in a black cloak with mask and pitchfork, Wednesday 13 knows how to add to their live performance.

Raven Black was a very pleasant surprise. I had only heard of the band but had not had the pleasure to see them live, and now that I have, I must say, they made a fan out of me. The quartet comes out dressed in various paint and costumes that need to be seen and not described. I think the best way to describe their sound is almost “evil carnival” style of rock/metal. Raven’s voice fits perfectly with the music as she walks with various props to add to the live show. Needless to say, I feel I am not the only one that will check out their next show when they are on town after this last performance.

CHECK OUT MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS from STATIC-X and MUSHROOMHEAD HERE!

CHECK OUT MORE OF BRETT's PHOTOS from DOPE, WEDNESDAY 13 and RAVEN BLACK HERE!