Horror Meets Humor in Cedar Falls

by Clayton McDaniel

\"\"

An amazing show at The Wheelhouse in Cedar Falls, Iowa? Yes!

The opening band, Tenafly Viper (Southern Metal band), with Skinny (drums) and Shmotz (bass) from Mushroomhead was not what the listeners expected. The crowd showed their lack of interest by standing idly, listening. Although good music to drink to, they didn\’t seem to fit the bill.

The show really started when Ventana took the stage. They have so much power live, and their music and makeup/masks make you feel uneasy in such a good way. The crowd rolled in when they started, and you could feel the energy from the audience as Ventana built up the show.

Then came Blue Felix. What an energetic band. You could feel the adrenaline

\"\"

from the crowd when these guys got going. The audience, filled with men and women from all ages, showed their enthusiasm for this band with their extreme mosh pits and intense screaming. Even with all of this, the night was nowhere near its end.

An oddity with the rest of the lineup, Psychostick, although very humorous, kept the show going with brutal yet sarcastic riffs and hilarious lyrics. Being very interactive with the crowd and wearing odd things on their heads that made you question their sanity, these guys have more energy than most bands could ever pull off live.

After finding a very willing audience member, the lead singer of Psychostick, Rob \”Rawrb\” Kersey, cleared a circle in the center of the crowd, and as the guy from the audience stood in the empty circle, Rob threw an unexpected sombrero to him. They asked him to hold on tight and told the crowd that on Kersey’s cue to take that sombrero from the slightly confused but very anxious fan.

\"\"

As the song started, the opening lyrics \”Get the mother—— with the sombrero!\” sent the crowd into a frenzy. They bombarded the fan and annihilated the sombrero. It was unforgettable entertainment.

This onslaught of intense music perfectly led up to the night\’s headliner—Mushroomhead.

\"\"

After forming in 1993 and releasing seven studio albums, these guys are still going strong. Their performance was extreme live entertainment at its best. Watching these guys was like having a very frightening \’trip\’ that ends great. The crowd was explosive the entire time with what seemed like never- ending mosh pits. A horror film with water-drum theatrics, Mushroomhead industrializes metal into a new form of music.