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The Birthday Massacre Setlist
Sumo Cyco Setlist
Tour Dates
05/26/2017 Salt Lake City, UT Complex 05/28/2017 Vancouver, BC Venue Nightclub 05/29/2017 Seattle, WA El Corazon 05/31/2017 Portland, OR Hawthorne Theatre 06/01/2017 San Francisco, CA Slim's 06/03/2017 West Hollywood, CA Roxy Theatre 06/04/2017 Pomona, CA The Glass House 06/05/2017 Scottsdale, AZ Pub Rock Live 06/06/2017 El Paso, TX Tricky Falls 06/08/2017 San Antonio, TX The Paper Tiger 06/09/2017 Dallas, TX Gas Monkey Bar & Grill 06/10/2017 Houston, TX Scout Bar 06/12/2017 Tampa, FL The Orpheum 06/13/2017 Orlando, FL The Social 06/14/2017 Atlanta, GA Heaven 06/16/2017 Baltimore, MD SoundStage 06/17/2017 Philadelphia, PA Trocadero Theatre 06/18/2017 Asbury Park, NJ Stone Pony 06/19/2017 New York, NY The Marlin Room 06/21/2017 Boston, MA Brighton Music Hall Read More
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Excited fans at the Cabooze wearing lighted bunny ears weren’t holdovers from any extended Easter Parade…
They instead were among the most devoted fans, in attendance for a roaring appearance from Ontario, ONT Rock/Goth/Industrial band The Birthday Massacre.
The three-band lineup began with fellow Canadians, the curiously named Sumo Cyco, a punk hard rock Hamilton Ontario band in support of self-released second full-length Opus Mar, single ‘Move Mountains (feat. Benji Webbe)’ and led by Skye Sweetnam, aka Sever, and guitarist Matt “MD13” Drake.
The band’s stage presence is well seasoned, despite them only being active for just over five years, but Sweetnam got her own start years prior, as an indie pop artist, even providing the singing voice for Barbie. Sweetnam has more than grown up since, now with a seething metal growl, dressed in Emma Peel-esque black zippered bodysuit, and rarely standing still during their thirty-minute set.
Highlights included new songs ‘Anti-Anthem’ and ‘Free Yourself’, with Drake and Sweetnam taking advantage of their wireless equipment; he, soloing on the main bar’s countertop and she eventually climbing on his shoulders, to rock out in the middle of the crowd.
Genres slightly shifted as Milan, Italy by-way-of-Los Angeles band Army of the Universe was next, the group headed by producer Albert (Trebla) Vorne, guitarist Dave Tavecchia and vocalist Lord K turned things a little more electro, industrial, and goth for their thirty-seven minute middle slot.
The band has toured with the likes of Skinny Puppy and KMFDM, had The Birthday Massacre’s Chibi guest on 2013’s ‘Until the End’, is in support of last October’s 1999 & The Aftershow (Metropolis Records), and opened with the new ‘Another Escape’. Lord K seemed the consummate front man, inciting the crowd and posing while Tavecchia planted both feet to launch his solos, as his long blonde mane swayed with the rhythm.
Light again dimmed and headliner The Birthday Massacre emerged, beginning its eighty-minute set with the opening ‘One’ and its beginning lyric, “Caught up in the waves in death of the day, sing like sirens in shadows”. The Toronto band has been in existence for almost two decades, continually gaining acclaim and a greater audience, but still remains a bit of a dark wave musical secret and cult band (hence, the fans in bunny ears) to most mainstream audiences.
Singer Chibi’s voice remains in fine form, easily singing over guitarists M. Falcore and Rainbow as touring drummer Joe Letz (Combichrist) played like a man possessed, hitting the skins with such ferocity and determination, moving like a goth Tommy Lee (with just slightly less arm tattoos) on the kit (note: just days later, he was removed from the tour, in lieu of some previous controversial content).
Via PledgeMusic, the band has funded completion of a new album (due out in June on Metropolis Records) and was eager to road test a few new songs including ‘All Of Nothing’, alongside old favorites. The band’s devoted fans expressed their love between songs, not only but cheers and applause, but with raised hands forming a heart shape, which Chibi returned to the crowd in gesture.
‘Destroyer’ from 2014’s Superstition came off even darker than on record, though the same album’s ‘Divide’ with its upbeat synth intro, helped diffuse some of the blackness. Title track ‘Superstition’ was dedicated to the opening bands and signature track ‘Happy Birthday’ went out to anyone recently celebrating, with Chibi mocking her Canadian heritage after a raucous ‘Video Kid’, remarking “that was fun, eh?!”
The new ‘Under Your Spell’ was so new, the band almost forgot some of the lyrics, 2012’s ‘Leaving Tonight’ is a haunting song based on a true and unsolved murder/kidnapping, and 2010’s ‘In the Dark’ finished the main set, though the band would never leave the stage for the three-song encore that would follow.
“So, we have time for three more songs”, Chibi mentioned going back to 2004 for ‘Blue’ before electro beats took over for a bouncy version (sounding more Tiffany inspired?) of the classic ‘I Think We’re Alone Now’. The evening ended with “ a song from the old days” ‘Broken’, with its moody synth turning to a driving beat with equally moody lyrics, “Time is the promise, it turns and tells them what to do ; It makes them dishonest , they let the suspicion kill the truth” but the fans’ reaction was anything but moody.
Even after thanking the crowd, waving and leaving the stage, the crowd refused to disperse, chanting for “one more” as the house lights came on and outro music grew in volume. Fans finally took off their bunny ears, exhausted but smiling as The Birthday Massacre made it seem like for eighty minutes, it was everybody’s goth birthday party.
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Sumo Cyco |
Sumo Cyco |
Sumo Cyco |
Army of the Universe |
Army of the Universe |
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Army of the Universe |
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Army of the Universe |
The Birthday Massacre |
The Birthday Massacre |
The Birthday Massacre |
The Birthday Massacre |
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The Birthday Massacre at The Cabooze, Minneapolis (21 May 2017) |
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