STATIC X AT SONY HALL IN NEW YORK CITY
It was almost the end of the year. The very first day of November 2014, Wayne Static left this world. It is now almost the end of another year marking the 20th anniversary of Wisconsin Death Trip, Static-X’s debut album. If this wasn’t a sold out show on paper, it certainly looked as it was inside the venue. This year has been one of many “firsts” for me. For the first time in my life, I witnessed a band play with a lead singer dressed and impersonating the original lead singer. I witnessed a band celebrate the memory of their lost front man, yet acting as if he was still there in physical presence. I witnessed a band prove that the reincarnation of Wayne Static exists. I watched a crowd of dedicated fans absolutely lose their minds as Static-X, along with Xer0 (lead vocals and guitar) did the honors for Wayne Static, and took stage after a lengthy and well worth wait.
The lineup for this tour featured support from DevilDriver, Dope, Wednesday 13 and Raven Black. Sony Hall in NYC was packed from side to side and front to back. The sound was simply perfect. Lighting for the opening acts all fit, and looked amazing, per group. Each band hand their own unique setup and appearance. When it was time for Static-X to take their turn, the venue went black and the huge screen that fit perfectly behind Ken Jay (drums) and covered the stage from beyond each side, slowly started to come alive. As the heart beep and pulsating bass build up slowly played over the PA, the visuals slowly built with it on screen. The buildup led to the appearance of the headliner’s logo, Static-X. When the band appeared, the place deep below the streets of Time Square, was so loud that you could easily hear the excitement from the busy and loud streets above (in the noisiest city of them all, the Big Apple)!
“Bled for Days”, “Wisconsin Death Trip”, “Sweat of the Bud”, “I Am”, “Get to the Gone”, “This Is Not”; hit after hit the band played and played. Of course Xer0 made it a point on several occasions to show love and respect to Wayne Static, speaking about his presence being with us all in the room. One observation I noticed that I found to be extremely important and very meaningful, was that Xer0 would step to the back of the stage and let Ken Jay, Koichi Fukuda (lead guitar, programmer, keyboards), and Tony Campos (bass and backing vocals) unite as 3 and show honor to the late Wayne Static. Xer0 is spot on with his vocals and his stage presence. As emotional as moments like these can be, this night was all about the celebration of this amazing album and the life of someone who was a huge part of it.
Static-X will be releasing Project Regeneration in May of 2020. This album will feature the original lineup of Wisconsin Death Trip bandmates Ken, Tony, and Koichi, with Wayne Static’s final recordings (all previously unreleased). This album will also feature plenty of special guest vocalists to help finish with the songs that needed just a little more love. As this special tour has come to an end, the band surely will be adding future shows in support of the soon to be released Project Regeneration. Until next time, keep rocking!