BETTER LOVERS' bring the intensity to Studio B!

CONCERT REVIEW :: BETTER LOVERS
11/21/24
Studio B @ Skyway Theater in Mpls
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

BETTER LOVERS returned to Minneapolis a little over 6 months after their first visit with a new album in tow guaranteed to get the pit moving. That definitely happened in a very sweaty Studio B on a cold November evening. BETTER LOVERS’ show back in May a couple blocks down at the Fine Line is hands down my show of the year. It was going to be hard to top that show and even tougher to do it in Studio B. BETTER LOVERS made Studio B look and sound like a totally different room. The band took a challenge and accomplished a feat. Smaller stage? No problem. Not much for lighting. They brought their own. No barricade? Even better!

The crowd got amped up as soon as the intro started and then into Will Putney’s guitar intro on “Lie Between the Lines” before the tsunami hit when the song kicked in. The band was firing on all cylinders from the jump and the crowd ate it up. While the pit wasn’t as active and people definitely weren’t stage diving like they were at the Fine Line, this show packed intensity trading back and forth from the band to the crowd.

BETTER LOVERS is a band that is meant to be seen live. The intensity is captured translating exceptionally well on record but the live show is where the magic is delivered. Every single person is key to crafting the hurricane level insanity that is BETTER LOVERS with all the pieces fitting together to erupt a metal version of Captain Planet.

I could go on and on with how well songs were placed in the set. “Lie Between the Lines” ran right in to “Sacrifical Participant” which got drop kicked by “Your Misplaced Self” before “Become So Small” landed the suplex which led to the chair across the back of “Superman Died Paralyzed” .. and that’s just the first 5 songs. This set was the equivalent to an average person being thrown into the Royal Rumble.

Edgar in the crowd got the best birthday present one could ask for at a show as Better Lovers tore in to a impromptu Better Lovers version of a Happy Birthday song complete with reprise. Moments like that aren’t going to be found at just any show you go to … only shows in small intimate settings like this one where not everything is planned out. That’s what makes Better Lovers shows … expect the unexpected and become a part of the chaos.

Intensity level was never really brought down until 11 songs in to the set when the melodic “At All Times” entered to give everyone a little bit of a breather before “God Make Me an Animal” came screaming in and “Love As An Act of Rebellion” whipped everything around in the opposite direction. Thriving on chaos, Jordan started grabbing people from the crowd and pulled them up to get on stage before they kicked in to a frenzied version of “30 Under 13”. Jordan crowd surfed at the end of the song from the stage to the merch table … which in this case was in the lobby of the venue that also houses Skyway Theater and The Lyric.

Better Lovers had a solid hour long set that highlighted their entire catalog leaving only 2 songs from the new album out of the set. I know I said this in the May review and I’ll say it again .. the next time Better Lovers is in town, do not miss it. This is the stuff legends are made of. Better Lovers, Please come back again in 6 months.

SEE MORE of BRETT's PHOTOS from BETTER LOVERS here!

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/22/24 - DEADLANDS

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/22/24
GUESTS :: DEADLANDS

HOUR 1
KILLSWITCH ENGAGE – “forever aligned” // this consequence
MADAM DRIVER – “crossroads" // negative ghostrider
SAUL - "a million miles" // this is it...the end of everything
COHEED AND CAMBRIA – “searching for tomorrow” // vaxis III: the father of make believe
SPIRITBOX – “perfect soul” // tsunami sea
AMIRA ELFEKY – “will you love me when I’m dead” // will you love me when I’m dead - single
POPPY – “push go" // negative spaces

BUTCHER BABIES – “sincerity” // sincerity - single
TURNSTILE - "blackout" // glow on
DEADLANDS – “villain” // villain - single
DEADLANDS – “house of cards” // house of cards - single

HOUR 2
NITA STRAUSS feat ALISSA WHITE-GLUZ – “the wolf you feed” // the call of the void
DEADLANDS – “crushed” // sentence of myself
GORE. - "angels like you" // a bud that never blooms
BABES IN TOYLAND - "he's my thing" // painkillers
ODDS OF AN AFTERTHOUGHT – “bearer of bad news" // where dreams go to die
ARCHITECTS – “whiplash” // the sky, the earth and all between

OPETH – “paragraph 4" // the last will and testament
JINJER – “kafka” // duel
MACHINE HEAD feat IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL, UNEARTH – “these scars won't define us" // these scars won't define us - single
MAKE THEM SUFFER – “venusian blues" // make them suffer
STICK TO YOUR GUNS – “severed forever" // keep planting flowers
BLEEDING THROUGH – “dead, but so alive” // dead, but so alive - single
DEVIN TOWNSEND feat JAMEY JASTA - "powernerd" // powernerd

**SPECIAL THANKS to KASEY from DEADLANDS for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown tonight! DEADLANDS' latest singles "Villain" and "House of Cards" are out now via Spinefarm Records!

Midwest Beatdown · Deadlands interview 11/22/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/15/24

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/15/24

HOUR 1
HALESTORM & BROOKS & DUNN - "boot scootin' boogie" // reboot II
LINKIN PARK - "two faced" // from zero
WEEKEND PICNIC - "follow me down" // follow me down - single
RAD OWL - "growl" // rage gracefully
ANBERLIN - "the runaways" (livestream 2020) // tear us apart
COPELAND - "no one really wins" // in motion
MADINA LAKE - "here I stand" // from them, through us, to you
CHILDREN 18:3 - "even sleeping" // children 18:3

POPPY - "push go" // negative spaces
BULLETS AND BUTTERFLIES - "abandon ship" // abandon ship - single
AMIRA ELFEKY – “will you love me when I'm dead" // will you love me when I'm dead - single
PAPA ROACH - "born for greatness" // crooked teeth
RISE AGAINST - "ready to fall" // the sufferer and the witness
UNDEROATH - "teeth" // teeth - single
IN THIS MOMENT - "next life" // beautiful tragedy
GORE. - "babylon" // a bud that never blooms

HOUR 2
MACHINE HEAD feat IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL & UNEARTH - "these scars won't define us" // these scars won't define us - single
IN FLAMES - "end the transmission" // foregone
LACUNA COIL - "oxygen" // sleepless empire
UNEARTH - "the wretched; the ruinous" // the wretched; the ruinous
ODDS OF AN AFTERTHOUGHT - "bearer of bad news" // where dreams go to die
MAKE THEM SUFFER - "venusian blues" // make them suffer
EVERNOIR - "eater of worlds" // eater of worlds - single
BETTER LOVERS - "future myopia" // highly irresponsible

OPETH - "paragraph 3" // the last will and testament
FUTURE PALACES - "rays of light" // distortion
BETTER BROKEN - "queensberry" // tundra
SLDG - "1000 yard stare" // predicaments
SOULKEEPER - "heavy glow" // holy design
OUR COMMON COLLAPSE - "languish" // languish - single
SALTWOUND - "severance" // the temptation of pain
HATEBREED - "last breath" // satisfaction is the death of desire

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/08/24 - 24th Anniversary Show

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/08/24
24th ANNIVERSARY SHOW

HOUR 1
SPIRITBOX - "soft spine" // soft spine - single
ALIGN - "worth 3 scene points" // some breaking news
REVILWEN - "those who control" // follow the money
DIESL - "back home" // the failsafe
BURNING BOTH ENDS - "every reason" (live acoustic) // midwest beatdown acoustic session
ARROWS AT DAWN - "save love" // save love - single
AVADO - "death express" // viscera

THE BURN VAULT - "even rock stars die too" // ignite
LOST ISLAND SOCIETY - "living the meme" // living the meme
HOUSTON - "cover" // overhead
BEULAH RUE - "hospital bed" // aftermath
ONLY TIME - "the pull" // compassion fatigue
RAD OWL - "aladdin's castle" // madison beast
ANGRY WATERS - "invasive species" // hold the high ground

HOUR 2
MAKE THEM SUFFER - "epitaph" // make them suffer
ODDS OF AN AFTERTHOUGHT - "where dreams go to die" // where dreams go to die
SLDG - "1000 yard stare" // predicaments ep
VENDED - "the far side" // vended
DESTROPHY - "monarch" // the way of your world
DISKORD - "who am I?" // distance to nowhere
AFTER ALL - "red is your color" // demo
OLD TOWNE GHOSTS - "trve" // the end

LACUNA COIL - "oxygen" // sleepless empire
BLACK FLOOD DIESEL - "chasing the atrophy" // new asylum
REAPING ASMODEIA - "shattered leviathan" // shattered leviathan - single
DISEMBODIED - "anvil chandelier" // diablerie
HARVEST - "epicure" // transitions
KILLING STARES - "for the record" // for the record - single
BETTER LOVERS - "love as an act of rebellion" // highly irresponsible
SLIPKNOT - "all hope is gone" // all hope is gone

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/01/24 - GORE.

MIDWEST BEATDOWN PLAYLIST :: 11/01/24
GUESTS :: GORE.

HOUR 1
SKILLET – “fire inside of me" // revolution
HOT WATER MUSIC - "undertow" // Hot Water Music/Quicksand split
WEEKEND PICNIC - "running out of time" // running out of time - single
MADAM DRIVER - "through the trees" // negative ghostrider
POPPY - "the cost of giving up" // negative spaces
BULLETS AND BUTTERFLIES – “abandon ship” // abandon ship - single
GREYWIND - "antidote" // antidote ep
JOHNNYROOK - "anything that'll sink" // the more things change

DEVIN TOWNSEND feat JAMEY JASTA – “powernerd" // powernerd
INDEX CASE - "for nothing" // index case
JINJER – “kafka” // duel
GHOST – “if you have ghosts" // if you have ghost
MVRROW - "hope" // fever dream
THROW THE FIGHT - "obey" // strangeworld
BETTER LOVERS – “love as an act of rebellion" // highly irresponsible
TURNSTILE - "big smile" // time and space

HOUR 2
GORE. - "pray" // a bud that never blooms ep
GORE. - "babylon" // a bud that never blooms ep
GORE. - "angels like you" // a bud that never blooms ep

GORE. - "Heaven is above me" // a bud that never blooms ep
KNOCKED LOOSE feat POPPY – “suffocate" // you won't go before you're supposed to
DRAIN – “living proof" // living proof
EVERNOIR – “eater of worlds” // eater of worlds - single
ENTHEOS – “return to me” // an end to everything
BY THE THOUSANDS – “the flood" // the descent
REFLECTIONS – “deva" // deva - single
REAPING ASMODEIA – “shattered leviathan” // shattered leviathan – single

**SPECIAL THANKS to HALEY from GORE. for zooming in to the Midwest Beatdown tonight! GORE.'s excellent new EP "A Bud That Never Blooms" is out now on Spinefarm Records!

Midwest Beatdown · Gore. interview

KORN and GOJIRA stun on the last night of the tour in St. Paul!

CONCERT REVIEW :: KORN, GOJIRA, SPIRITBOX
Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN
October 27, 2024
Photos by Brett Zisler
Review by Nick

KORN brought a fantastic lineup with them to celebrate 30 years of KORN with GOJIRA and SPIRITBOX! KORN had a huge stage with a minimalist set up utilizing screens that monuevered all over the stage. KORN brought out all the hits for the set including a few that haven't been played for a while, which is always a bonus when you've been seeing this band for the last 25 years. Coming out swinging from the moment they took the stage with a fiery (no pyro) "Here To Stay" and you knew the band was not going to mess around tonight.

KORN was in top notch form tonight with vocalist Jonathan Davis taking full advantage of a big stage, guitarists Head and Munky whipping their hair around like they haven't aged a day, bassist Ra Diaz throwing down the low end and the phenominal Ray Luzier with his massive drum center holding court on a Sunday evening. The two screens that moved all over the stage made the stage look clausterphobic for "Blind" and "Ball Tongue" a great nod to the smaller stages they would play during the first album tour cycle. Following it up with "Clown" made it a great mini set of songs from the debut record.

You can about imagine that they couldn't play every one of their hits or every song a KoRn fan would want to hear but throwing "Good God" and "Ball Tongue" in the set tonight was well the price of admission alone. KORN played just as hard tonight as they did back on the Sick and Twisted Tour or the Family Values tours and the sold out crowd was here for it singing along with "A.D.I.D.A.S.", "Got the Life", "Twist" and "Y'all Want a Single". The biggest surprise of the night had to be "Oildale (Leave Me Alone" from KoRn III, kind of a deep cut that was a single for the hardcore KoRn fans played in between arguably two of their biggest songs "Falling Away from Me" and "Freak on a Leash."

KORN and the crowd both came to play and to have a blast celebrating 30 years on a Sunday night! Here's to many more years!

GOJIRA took full advantage of being on an arena tour and put the money in to not only give long time Gojira fans something they've never seen before but also to bring in as many KoRn fans as possible in their hour set. GOJIRA had a beautiful stage set up with drummer extraordinare Mario Duplantier bashing in the drums in to submission on top of a good 10 foot riser with screens below it and to both sides of him. GOJIRA brought the pyro and weren't afraid to use it during much of the set cementing future arena headliner status for themselves.

Vocalist and guitarist Joe Duplantier demanded everyone's attention front and center while guitarist Christian Andreu and bassist Jean-Michael Labadie commanding stage left and right respectively. GOJIRA know how to deliver a show and they have taken that and turned it to 11, everything was bigger, better and louder. The set list had something for every fan including a blistering versions of "Born for One Thing", "Backbone" and "Stranded".

GOJIRA brought out a punishing version of "L'enfant Sauvage" before tearing in to their contribution as the first metal band to ever play the Olympics this past Summer in France with "Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)". "Silvera" was a big hit with the crowd and you couldn't have asked for a better closer with an epic "Amazonia"! GOJIRA dominated their hour long set and set up KORN to deliver the home run win for the evening.

SPIRITBOX had a solid 30 minute opening set that was highlighted by their newest slugger "Soft Spine" that made for Spiritbox at their heaviest tonight. Their set sounded awesome, just wish they had a little more time to play with to get in more than 6 songs. Overall, making this a night not to forget for any fans of the 3 bands, well worth the money spent to get in to the show and buy some merch!

SEE MORE of BRETT's PICTURES of KORN and GOJIRA here!