(Live Review) LITTLE JOHNNY'S TOP 40 LIVE SETS OF 2024 (#s20-11)
Well, here we are with part three of this stupid list assignment. I am already tired of writing. I don’t get why Beard does so damn much of it. Hasn’t he heard of YouTube? People don’t “read” anymore. None of us have the patience or attention span to actually read. We want our information spit out to us in video, and 140-character chunks so we don’t have to think. Beard says that’s the downfall of a society (when thinking becomes too troublesome for the masses to bother doing, and the only thing important to anyone is telling someone else their opinion is wrong and yours is right.)
That old half deaf wizard may be onto something there, but why does that mean “I” have to do homework? Oh well, let’s pop a brew and get into today’s part three list 20-11.
Top live sets of 2024
20: Boris 10-10-24 The Vivarium Milwaukee, WI

This band was LOUD! I mean it was a tiny room anyway, but these Japanese rockers were the loudest band I heard all year. Beard said they were playing doom metal, and I guess that was what it was. It was slow with LOTS of low-end reverb going on. They had a chick guitar player who didn’t talk, but played very well, and a dude who played a double neck bass. The singer was like a Kung Fu Priest guy with chanting and screaming and banging on stuff. Beard was really into these guys, and I am sure he will bore you to tears with details so I will just leave it as they were the loudest band of the year.
19: Judas Priest 9-18-24 Miller Theater Milwaukee, WI

This was a kind of surprise as Beard got last minute tickets, so he had to hang with me up near the front where the action is. Apparently Judas Priest is one of the greatest bands in metal history. I don’t know a ton about that, but I will say that the Santa Claus looking singer in the trench coat and sunglasses sure could sing. The guitar player was impressive too. Great lights for his solo.
Beard said the singer guy, (Rob Halford) was losing his voice some, but I thought he sounded really good. I liked the songs I knew like “Breaking the Law” and “You got another thing coming.” Beard didn’t like all the standing, but he was banging and clapping to a few of the songs, so I thought it was a good time.
18: Soilent Green 5-18-24 Milwaukee Metalfest, Milwaukee, WI

Beard said this was a reunion show because the singer now performs mostly in Goatwhore. I remember that band and I like them a bunch. This band was good too. Kind of my style of fast mixed with some southern sludge metal. The singer was real animated and got right in our faces at the front of the stage. Very intense set and I loved moshing to it.
17: Destructor: 3-21-24 Hells Heros White Oak Music Hall Houston

Beard almost missed these guys because he was up in VIP land swooning over Doro’s set. I mean she’s cool and all and very committed to her music, but come on, I mean she must be over 60 by now.
Anyway, I ducked into the smaller stage early to get a spot for these guys. Granted they are also old having first started back before I was born, but Beard's boss said they were good, and he is always right about that kind of stuff so I figured it would be a cool set with lots of speed and jamming.
It was and man those old dudes tore it up for about forty minutes. Every song was fast, and the crowd was into it. We bounced off each other a bunch during this set. I told you; I rank these bands by how much of a good time I have at them.
16: Acero Letal 3-21-24 Hells Heros White Oak Music Hall Houston

That first day at this fest it was kind of raining but that didn’t stop these South American dudes from tearing it up. They ran around that outside stage and jammed non-stop. I didn’t really understand anything they were singing, but the energy was great especially so early in the day and fighting the rain. They really kept the fest from being a bummer that first day with all their passion and the crowd really responded with big cheers for them.
15: Bleed From Within 5-19-24 Milwaukee Metalfest Milwaukee, WI

This Scottish band was awesome. Metalcore and death metal, but with some musical structures (that Beard liked.) About four songs in though I got to meet the Mosh-Rooster. A dude wearing a giant rooster head mask that was moshing around in the Pit and pecking people!
Beard was hiding upstairs (like always) but he did see that dude, so I wasn’t imagining it. We had a great time slamming and banging to that Scottish death band and I asked Beard if I could buy a rooster mask too. Of course, he said no. Beard’s a buzzkill sometimes. That was a definite little-known act that I had never heard before but enjoyed a bunch.
14: Morbikon 5-18-24 Milwaukee Metalfest Milwaukee, WI

Man, I think this had to be by far my favorite festival all year. Beard wasn’t as into a lot of these bands as I was, but I hope we go again because with three stages all day there was always something cool to mosh to.
This band mixed a thrash sound with a singer who wore the full corpse paint and did black metal vocals. Beard said the singer went by Quotidius, which is the weirdest name I have ever heard, but at least he was a good singer. They were the first band of the day, so there wasn’t too much of a crowd there but all of us who were got a great first set of the day.
13: Burning Witches 7-14-24 The Forge Joliet, IL

This act was five hot chicks who sang and played like a female Iron Maiden. The singer looked like an adult Kelly Bundy and was always smiling at me and flirting I think. Once she even jumped into the crowd and was moshing with me. Both guitarists were mostly serious and into their playing. I think Beard was into them (of course), and even the bass player was animated.
They played all good stuff and certainly knew how to do the metal pose thing and make their hair and sexy outfits look flashy while playing. I told you music is about having a good time and I most definitely had one with these ladies.
12: Halestorm 7-21-24 Credit Union Arena Tinley Park, IL

This was a really cool band that we have seen before. The chick singer can REALLY wail, and she is mega-intense up there. Of course, Beard is WAY into her. I also thought their drummer, (her brother) was the best drummer of the year. During his solo, he brought out these sticks that had to be about three feet long each and used them to play. That was SO cool!
Additionally, the band had catchy songs, great lights, good solos and a hot crowd. Everything rocked that night and shows like that are why Beard and I do this stuff all year.
11: Nervosa 8/28 & 10/13 Blades of Steel Madison WI & Reggie’s Chicago, IL

I have a “special” relationship with these ladies and so I enjoyed both shows. The one in Madison was the first one of the tour. Prika was a little nervous because she was going to handle lead vocal duties for the first time in the band’s history. Plus, their bass player couldn’t do the tour and they had to substitute in for her. The first show went okay, but afterwards when I was backstage, the girls admitted they had a lot to clean up.
By the Chicago gig though, they had played almost forty dates and were now in a great groove. I took Beard backstage to meet them at the Chicago show (which was their last night on the American Tour.) Beard was all fawning on Prika and kissing her ass about how much he had enjoyed them since their first American tour. The fact that the old man remembered so many specific details though did make her laugh, and she told me later she enjoyed talking to him.
Nervosa played a great final show that night and afterwards when Beard found me backstage, we were all laughing and having a good time with the other bands from the tour. Beard likes to hint that I got something going on with one of the girls, but that’s “our” business so I ain’t gonna talk about it none here. I will just say, great ladies, great show. (Ed: And that's only your #11 show of the year, Johnny? What happened at the Top Ten shows? We shall see next week I guess!)
Okay, so that wraps up part three. Just one more writing assignment and my year is done. Beard says we are going to try and do our own site next year, which is cool and all, but I will miss our boss. He and I always got along great, and he even invited me to visit him in Canada (if I left Beard back in America.) (Ed: He's just slow us down!) So, thanks for following along on this, and every other article we have done. Until next time this is Little Johnny saying Drink IPA’s and listen to metal. Oh, yeah and Horns Up.
Comments