A Night Of Metal At Uptown Theater
A delightful few days left in September, the autumn downpour earlier in the day thankfully turned into a pesky drizzle while on my way to Uptown. Been a hot minute since I’ve haunted the halls, excited for a plump line up of five fun metal bands fill the historic venue (it’s one of the oldest surviving theaters in Minneapolis, opened back in 1916!)
Parking can be a bit spicy near there, but luckily found a meter for two bucks an hour just a block away since it was still raining a bit. Pretty substantial line outside the building, and it was very obviously a 15+ show. As a former youth, love seeing how much metal resonates with the generation or two beneath me. Many trying-to-not-shiver bros and gals with almost every death and hardcore band shirt covered amongst the hoard. It’s okay to bring a hoodie, kids. You don’t lose your cool card. Toasty warm in my zip-up, made my way inside to a moistened but elated crowd inside.
Deterioration was first up. Locally grown and internationally loved, these two are just a blast live. Even though they are just two musicians on a big stage, fill it with their signature sound. Intense and brutal, Jim Kahmann on guitar plus bass plus vocals is explosive. His voice is commanding and fast paced playing makes you need to watch. Of course with drummer Joe Kahmann vibrating away is the perfect accompaniment. Even though they classified as grindcore, there is some deviation from the traditional genre restrictions into more of a deathy vein. What a great opening support choice, gotta love a badass Minnesota metal band cracking the crowd open for a good time.
As the already buzzy crowd began to pour into any available space, Left To Suffer started their engines. Founded pretty recently in 2019, this nu deathcore band has some mighty fricken legs on it already. Bold and in your face, the young kids in the audience were immediately sold. What was a wee pit morphed into a healthy whirlpool of black shirts after only a few songs. Taylor Barber is a perfect frontman and vocalist, balanced perfectly on a line of imposing and a guy you wanna get a drink with. Making sure to keep the front row hyped the entire time, their set was short but potent. Also being my first time seeing them live, immediately added them to my ‘next listen’ playlist. Those Georgia boys got a new fan out of this reviewer.
Oodles of folks I chatted with throughout the night were here for Louisiana’s Crow Bar. Nola is a very special place to me like so many music fans, as it seems to be an everlasting wellspring for music and the home of countless phenomenal musicians and bands. Going there every March for the last decade or two, can tell you there is a true mysterious aura that oozes from that city. Crow Bar inhabited that legendary lore with informed repose. American sludge metal is an acquired taste to some but those are flavors I can savor. Though a short set of seven songs, chose to dot their setlist with tunes from five albums, always appreciated in my book. “The Cemetery Angels” ending out the fierce performance, all horns were up in the air to hail with zeal.
When I saw Sanguisugabogg was heading back to the Twin Cities after only a few months since seeing them last, well knew I had to go. And now after the performance they did at Uptown Theater, are a non negotiable must-see any time they haunt Minnesota. Devin Swank’s blissfully guttural vocals are just so scrumptious, and opening up their set with “Face Ripped Off” was a sterling example to show off of how powerful it is. The crowd and pit was lava-hot. Standing from the bar level area after escaping the floor, the pops of strobes glitched over the audience who was transformed into a violent human tornado. Swank also made sure to state how proud he was of the metal community for being inclusive of everyone, including us endearingly coined “tacos in the audience.” Calling out handsy bros, warning them if they tried to cop a feel of any female crowd surfers their teeth would soon meet the concrete. One of my favorite sights of the night was when they started “Murder Ball,” tossing a football into the floor for folks to fight over, and at the end of the song the winner would win some free merch. It got a little spicy, but for the most part played as fairly as possible. Love a show with in a show. Sanguisugabogg, come back soon. Even though every band was stellar, they won the extra gold medal from me that evening.
Every band praised headliner Dying Fetus either within or after their set, and I get it. Teeming with lets-do-this energy, the crowd still had plenty of gas in the tank after four bands for these guys. A few familiar tunes were played between tear down and set up, including the YMCA. One of the members from Dying Fetus came out to encourage the audience to participate, which of course they did. Founding and only remaining original member, John Gallagher, is THE fricken man. Mouthwateringly ruthless and raw, hearing him extrude hellscape lyrics while feeling collected is amazing to see live. Paired with bassist and vocalist Sean Beasley is a perfect pairing. Joining the band in 2001, Beasley began contributing to vocals a few years later in 2004, and has been destroying ever since. Rounding out their soundscape is Dying Fetus’s speedy and intense drummer Trey Williams. Even though drummers tend to hid in the shadows when on stage, he shined easily and couldn’t take my eyes off of him. After Sanguisugabogg’s set, wasn’t sure if the people could push through and show up with full power for the final band, but was once again surprised and impressed by how much stamina metal fans have.
Seeing the countless sweaty and smiling faces leaving Uptown Theater after a whirlwind of a night gave me another jolt of happiness as I made my way to the car in the misty rain.
Metal is magical.
