CONCERT REVIEW :: A WINDOW OF THE WAKING MIND TOUR

CONCERT REVIEW :: COHEED AND CAMBRIA, ALKALINE TRIO & MOTHICA
THE ARMORY in MINNEAPOLIS, MN
Aug 5, 2022
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

COHEED AND CAMBRIA brought their “A Window of the Waking Mind Tour” to The Armory to a packed house. The merch table had about everything you would need if you are a Coheed fan. Shirts, comics, figures and a whole lot more. I went over and looked at it twice and don’t think I completely soaked in what they all had for sale, it was impressive to say the least. But that wouldn’t be the only impressive thing tonight.

COHEED AND CAMBRIA came out with what Travis told us a few weeks ago was their biggest production to date and included some amazing visuals for most of the songs and a giant inflatable skull. I got lost in watching the visuals going on behind the band instead of watching the band. I won’t give anything away with the visuals as you have to see it. Hey Netflix, Hulu, Apple or Amazon or whoever, come pick this up and let Coheed run with it.

The band themselves were in incredible form – each one of them smiling during and in between songs. I’m pretty sure this was the loudest I’ve heard the crowd sing along during their set, which I thought that last time too but this blew that out of the water. It was awesome to see Claudio Sanchez dancing while playing guitar running around the stage and his iconic headbanging. Josh Eppard is an engaging energetic drummer to watch. Travis Stever and Michael Todd each holding down their ends of the stage with proficiency that most guitarists can only dream of. Between the fantastic 4 musicians and the visuals going on, you definitely missed something going on. You would have to go to multiple shows to see it all!

Kicking off with a super intense “The Dark Sentencer” and “The Gutter” from Vaxis I before diving head first into Vaxis II with “The Embers of Fire” and big sing a longs with “Beautiful Losers” and “Shoulders”. Both Brett and I noticed that the crowd was very intense with these new songs being completely in the moment and singing along with every song which is something most bands can’t say their new stuff goes over just as well as their older material. This was super evident during “The Liar’s Club” which lead in to the superb last act of the show going in to even more crowd singalongs with “Everything Evil”, “Blood Red Summer”, “A Favor House Atlantic” and closing the main set with “Window of the Waking Mind.”

You can’t have a Coheed show without the epic closer “Welcome Home” which if that doesn’t get every last bit of energy out of you, you better check your pulse. If this tour rolls thru your town, go! If this tour gets a second leg, go! COHEED AND CAMBRIA have outdone themselves this time and I have a feeling this is only the beginning.

Opener MOTHICA is an exciting new artist that mixes pop, rock, alternative and metal to create an enchanting formula. The live set gets a boost with a live guitarist and drummer that now I wish was documented on the record more. MOTHICA’s new album “Nocturnal” is fantastic and while we get a few songs from the album, I wish there was more in the set. Coming out swinging with the infectious “Casuality” and moving in to “Lullaby” from the new album. You get a pretty good sense of what her album is like from these two performances.

MOTHICA got serious before “forever fifteen” telling her story of what got her to the point of attempting to end her life at 15. MOTHICA threw in some laughs in between songs for the rest of the set closing with her introvert anthem “Sensitive” and ending with “buzzkill.” The people who got to the show early found themselves a great new artist as MOTHICA is a fantastic opener for the tour. Keep an eye on her.

ALKALINE TRIO were up next. With no new album to promote, they came out and played crowd favorites for an hour. It was great to hear songs like "Time to Waste" again live. I got a little nostalgic for Warped Tour without having to be in the heat. A headliner in their own right, this was a perfect pairing for the night.

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM COHEED AND CAMBRIA, ALKALINE TRIO and MOTHICA here!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/05/22 - ALIGN and ANTHRAX

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 08/05/22
GUESTS :: ALIGN and ANTHRAX

HOUR 1
ALTER BRIDGE - "silver tongue" // pawns and kings
ALIGN - "the quest for townies" // blue book value
ALIGN - "complaint" // down river (2022 remaster)
CASANATRA - "I do not care" // death ride
ALIGN - "oscilloscope" // oscilloscope - single

REDOVERLUNAR - "carving chaos from the clouds" // fighting fire with gasoline
ALIGN - "never less than once removed" // blue book value
EXACTLYNO - "there's no answer" // there's no answer - single
AMON AMARTH - "find a way or make one" // the great heathen army

HOUR 2
ANTHRAX - "time intro / fight em til you can't" // XL
ANTHRAX - "got the time" // XL
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - "godspeed hellbound" // order of the black
ANTHRAX - "caught in a mosh" // XL

HATEBREED - "never let it die" // supremacy
ANTHRAX - "the giant" // worship music
MOTOR SISTER - "can't get high enough" // get off
SOULFLY - "totem" // totem
JINJER - "colossus" // wallflowers

**SPECIAL THANKS to JEREMY from ALIGN and SCOTT IAN of ANTHRAX for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week!

ALIGN crushed it at Blue Worm Records 25th Anniversary Show last night in Minneapolis with CASANTRA, REDOVERLUNAR, DROPNICKEL, EXACTLYNO and KINGFIELD. ALIGN's new single "Oscilloscope" and the remix and remaster of "Down River" are both out now!

ANTHRAX is at The Fillmore in Minneapolis tonight (Aug 6) with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and HATEBREED! ANTHRAX's "XL" 2 CD/Blu Ray is out now!

Midwest Beatdown · Align 2022 interview

Midwest Beatdown · Anthrax 2022 interview

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/29/22

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/29/22

HOUR 1
SEVENDUST - "dying to live" // blood and stone
AMERICAN SCARECROWS – “broken bones and mountains” // drawing little pictures
B ! – “higher" // degenerator
WALLY JOSEPH – “the little things" // quarantunes
WEEKEND PICNIC – “savages" // weekend picnic
WIDOW 7 – “low life” // low life – single
YOURS TRULY feat YOU ME AT SIX – “hallucinating” // is this what I look like?
TURNSTILE - "dance off" // glow on

GOODNIGHT RITUAL – “across the fields" // galore
THEM THAT DARE – “tiny army" // endings
ALIGN – “oscilloscope" // oscilloscope - single
REDOVERLUNAR – “found" // fighting fire with gasoline
EXACTLYNO – “there’s no answer” // there’s no answer - single
MOTHICA feat POLYPHIA – “the reckoning" // nocturnal
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “comatose" // vaxis II: a window of the waking mind
CHILDREN 18:3 - "all my balloons" // children 18:3

HOUR 2
LAMB OF GOD - "omens" // omens
CROWBAR – “crush negativity" // zero and below
SPIRIT ADRIFT – “sorcerer's fate" // 20 centuries gone
LET IT BREATHE - "second hit" // let it breathe
RED FANG - "my disaster" // arrows
ANTHRAX – “time intro / fight em til you can't" // XL

BLACK LABEL SOCIETY – “divide and conquer" // doom crew inc
HATEBREED – “weight of the false self" // weight of the false self
SLIPKNOT - "the dying song (time to sing)" // the end, so far
NOPATHY - "built to fail" // projection
NORMA JEAN - "spearmint revolt" // deathrattle sing for me
LACUNA COIL - "tight rope XX" // comalies XX
JINJER – “ape” // wallflowers

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/22/22 - COHEED AND CAMBRIA

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/22/22
GUESTS :: COHEED AND CAMBRIA

HOUR 1
ALIGN - "oscilloscope" // oscilloscope - single
EXACTLYNO - "there's no answer" // there's no answer - single
CASANATRA - "charlotte" // split the atom again
A DAY TO REMEMBER - "miracle" // miracle - single
COLD KINGDOM – “agony" // agony - single
DIVIDE THE FALL – “I will not fade away" // dead memories
CLUTCH – “we strive for excellence” // sunrise on slaughter beach
LACUNA COIL - "tight rope XX" // comalies XX

COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “the gutter” // vaxis I: the unheavenly creatures
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “shoulders” // vaxis II: a window of the waking mind
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “the liar’s club” // vaxis II: a window of the waking mind
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “comatose” // vaxis II: a window of the waking mind

HOUR 2
MOTHICA – “causality” // nocturnal
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “a disappearing act” // vaxis II: a window of the waking mind
TRIVIUM – “like a sword over damocles" // in the court of the dragon
*SLIPKNOT - "the dying song (time to sing)" // the end, so far
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE – “march of the dolls" // the ghost parade
BLACK FLOOD DIESEL – “last tomorrow" // new asylum

PLAGUE OF STARS – “corporatocracy" // corporatocracy - single
AFTER THE BURIAL - "the great repeat" // evergreen
DIO - "straight thru the heart" (Joe Baressi remix) // holy diver special edition
TURNSTILE - "don't play" // glow on
DREAMS ASIDE - "fracture" // lotus
REAPING ASMODEIA - "dreamcaster" // darkened infinity
JINJER – “sit stay roll over” (live) // alive in Melbourne 2020

**SPECIAL THANKS to TRAVIS from COHEED AND CAMBRIA for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week to talk about their excellent new album "Vaxis II: A Window of the Waking Mind" out now on Roadrunner Records and their show on AUG 5 with ALKALINE TRIO and MOTHICA @ The Armory in Mpls – ALL AGES

Midwest Beatdown · Coheed and Cambria interview

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/15/22 - RED HANDED DENIAL

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/15/22
GUESTS :: RED HANDED DENIAL

HOUR 1
PANTERA - "walk" // vulgar display of power
ANTHRAX - "earth on hell" // worship music
BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - "godspeed hellbound" // order of the black
HATEBREED - "looking down the barrel of today" // the concrete confessional
DREAMS ASIDE - "fracture" // lotus
PLAGUE OF STARS - "corporatocracy" // corporatocracy - single
NOPATHY - "alter the path" // projections

RED HANDED DENIAL – “cloud 9” // I’d rather be asleep
RED HANDED DENIAL – “fix me” // I’d rather be asleep
LAUREN BABIC – “since you’ve been gone” // covers vol 2
RED HANDED DENIAL – “rose” // I’d rather be asleep

HOUR 2
HALOCENE feat LAUREN BABIC – “when demons come to life” // when demons come to life - single
RED HANDED DENIAL – “spiral” // I’d rather be asleep
RED HANDED DENIAL - "collector" // wanderer ep
CRAZYEIGHTYEIGHT – “shinebox” // burning alive
PERIPHERY – “facepalm mute" // periphery II
ARCHITECTS - "tear gas" // the classic symptoms of a broken spirit

NORMA JEAN - "spearmint revolt" // deathrattle sing for me
EX-REGIME feat JT CAVEY - "keeping out the wolves" // keeping out the wolves - single
LAMB OF GOD - "nevermore" // omens
ARCH ENEMY - "in the eye of the storm" // decievers
AMON AMARTH - "the great heathen army" // the great heathen army
JINJER - "copycat" // wallflowers

**SPECIAL THANKS to LAUREN BABIC from RED HANDED DENIAL for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown this week to talk about their excellent new album "I'd Rather Be Asleep" which is out now via Overlord Music. LAUREN will be thru solo as part of HALOCENE's tour Aug 8 at The Cabooze in Minneapolis!

Midwest Beatdown · Red Handed Denial interview

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/08/22

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 07/08/22

HOUR 1
NOPATHY - "alter the path" // projection
THE FAILSAFE - "burn it to the ground" // burn it to the ground - single
DIVIDE THE FALL - "fake love" // dead memories
IN THIS MOMENT - "adrenalize" // blood
GREG PUCIATO feat REBA MYERS - "lowered" // mirrorcell
LOATHE & TEENAGE WRIST - "is it really you?" // is it really you - single
AVOID - "heat" // the burner ep

DIO - "holy diver" (Joe Barresi remix) // holy diver super deluxe edition
ALIGN - "rapidan" // blue book value
CASANATRA - "I do not care" // death ride
REDOVERLUNAR - "carving chaos from the clouds" // fighting fire with gasoline
EXACTLYNO - "where we belong" // red line city
YOURS TRULY feat YOU ME AT SIX - "hallucinate" // is this what I look like?
THE ISSUE - "fallin'" // fallin' - single

HOUR 2
NOPATHY - "forsaker" // projection
AMON AMARTH - "the great heathen army" // the great heathen army
PLAGUE OF STARS - "virus" // deadalus
JOHNNY BOOTH - "deepfake" // deepfake - single
GABRIEL AND THE APOCALYPSE - "counting scars" // alpha bionic
AVATAR - "hail the apocalypse" (live) // the king - live in Paris
DREAMS ASIDE - "reflections" // reflections - single

PARKWAY DRIVE - "glitch" // darker still
AFTER THE BURIAL - "11/26" // evergreen
YOUR MEMORIAL - "turn it all around" // seasons
CAGE FIGHT feat TREVOR STRNAD - "eating me alive" // cage fight
ODDS OF AN AFTERTHOUGHT - "show me a sign" // through eyes of change
KNOCKED LOOSE - "belleville" // a different shade of blue
JINJER - "perennial" // micro

PUSCIFER brings the Existential to the Palace

CONCERT REVIEW : PUSCIFER @ PALACE THEATER in St. Paul, MN
July 3, 2022
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

PUSCIFER brought their Existential Reckoning tour to the Palace Theater in St. Paul for a 4th of July holiday weekend probing. I walked in to this show with as low of expectations as possible, this was going to be my first time seeing Puscifer so I wanted to make sure anything was possible. I've always loved how Maynard's vocals complimented Carina's vocals and vice versa, excited to see how that plays out live. I prefer the "Live at Acrosanti" versions of the Existential Reckoning tracks over their studio counterparts and peeking at the setlist, I knew the full album would be played live tonight. In a way, I was disappointed I wouldn't hear my favorite tracks from the catalog but at the same time if they were playing the full album, there's a show behind it. Now on to write a review without spoiling too much of the plot...

As always, there's a no picture/video policy when you walk thru the door which in reality, makes you be in the moment and enjoy the show. PUSCIFER also made a funny intro video explaining what happens to people who don't listen and take pictures during the show. I won't spoil it for you. A very genius way to poke fun at not wanting pictures taken but be serious at the same time. The show started with "Bread and Circus" just like on the album with the band bathed in blue light standing near the back of the stage. "Postulous" came in next, the lights came on and both Maynard and Carina went to the front of the stage and stalked the entire front of the stage for the duration of the song.

This is also the most I've heard Maynard talk live and it was hilarious. "Fake Affront" came up third and instantly realized we were in for a treat for the rest of the show. "The Underwhelming" was a stand out track from the set taking on a new life live. Special agents, aliens and a twisting plot all weaved thru the tracks from Existential Reckoning before an intermission was taken and Maynard changed for the last 4 songs of the set. PUSCIFER used every bit of staging to enhance the live experience of these songs. Songs like "Theorem", "UPGrade" and "Apocalyptical" all sounded better in the live setting. Drummer Gunnar Olsen birnging the drum machine sounds of the record to life in the theater while guitarist Mat Mitchell went between samplers and guitars proving that this album could be pulled off live with only 4 musicians.

The encore came in and an old friend from Puscifer's past showed up for the last four songs as the band tore thru "Bullet Train to Iowa", "Vagina Mine", "Conditions of My Parole" and "Bedlamite" with all the cast of characters from throughout the last hour and 30 mins making appearances to wrap up the show. Whatever happened to the special agents? Guess you'll just have to come to the show to find out. I am very interested to see how Puscifer can incorporate this show with more of their back catalog to make a bigger spectucular for the next tour. I don't think this is the last you'll see of any of the characters in the Pusicfer Universe as Maynard stated there are two more releases coming from Pusicfer this year still. While you wait for PUSCIFER to tour again, see more clues when "Live at Arcosanti" will be released on Blu-Ray and CD on August 12th.

Is the Pusicfer Universe is headed to take on the complexity of the Marvel Universe? Only time will tell and I encourage you to be there to see where this goes next. These pictures only begin to tell the story that may be uncovered or maybe the clues were laid out in plain sight during the show? Overall, this was a super fun show that is well needed to break up whatever is going on in your life and really enjoy what we all were missing when this album was released - to be in the moment at a live rock show with the crowd free of distractions. I guarantee we all missed something that even repeated views of this tour might not totally reveal.

SEE MORE OF BRETT's PICTURES FROM PUSCIFER AT THE PALACE THEATER HERE!