On Friday, February 2nd, the Machine Killer tour blew through the Orlando Amphitheater and brought a wild, fantastic nu-metal show for the ages. Headlined by the newly reformed Static-X alongside industry titans Sevendust and fan favorites Dope, this show was a nostalgia trip back to the 1990s. This was the second show on the second leg of this tour, which saw the lineup traverse the United States in the latter half of 2023 and will see the band play another large swath of dates this spring in cities not hit on the last go-around.
Review by Sully Smith
Photos by Chris Vergara
Kicking off the night with a bang was Dope. As soon as lead singer Edsel Dope, who’s pulling double duty on the tour as singer for both his namesake band and Static-X, roared “what’s up Orlando” into the mic, the party was on. With blue LED lights contrasted with red and black backgrounds, the stage looked set for a pipe bomb as the band roared through riotous renditions of hits like “Bring It On” and “Debonaire”. One of the truly funny moments of the night that showed the band’s age was when Edsel between songs had to go side-stage to talk to his young daughter, who he then told the crowd that he “rarely takes her on the road but did for this show”. Addressing the crowd and pointing out “who would have thought we’d be getting back together over twenty years later after coming up together” with the other two bands, Dope closed their set with a fury of their biggest hit “Die MF Die” and a super fun cover of “You Spin Me Round”.
Dope
Co-headlining the night was industry titans and local favorites Sevendust. Bellowed in with chants from the crowd of “Sevendust has arrived”, it was clear most of the crowd was there primarily for the band that calls Orlando a second home. Adorned in all black, the band strutted out and played a few songs off their newest album “Truth Killer” before addressing the crowd and getting banter leading into their first deep track of the night, “Alpha”. One thing about seeing Sevendust is that every tour is different as the band loves to change up what deep tracks they play, and this was no exception as the mosh pits roared to life for tracks like “Pieces” and “Hero”. As singer Lajon Witherspoon was joined on complementary vocals by drummer Morgan Rose and guitarist Clint Lowery, along with a crowd giving every ounce of energy, the band ripped through unforgettable tracks like “Denial” and “Black” before finally closing with a rendition of “Face to Face” as fog encapsulated the stage and left the crowd in a borderline mob scenario.
Sevendust
Finally, closing the party was the Evil Disco themselves, titans Static-X. After the death of lead singer Wayne Static a decade ago, it was thought the band would never reform. However, with Edsel Dope filling in on vocals as Xer0, rocking a mask with red glowing eyes and the iconic spiked hair, the band felt truly back with him at the helm. With several giant figures popping up throughout the show including a giant skeleton with a disco ball as a head, a person with a round head emblazoned with a giant x, and a zombie for the track by the same name, this band truly brought a party that mixed mosh pits with dance moves. As most of the setlist came from the band’s seminal album Wisconsin Death Trip, this was truly a show for all the old heads in the crowd that never thought they’d relive this moment. Dedicating the show to Wayne and company with a tribute during and following “Cold”, Xer0 told the crowd “Wayne was my old friend. These are my old friends. You are my old friends. Thanks for coming tonight”. Finally, any Static-X show wouldn’t be complete without closing with “Push It”, which caused the biggest mosh pit of the night and left everyone in attendance truly blown away.
Static- X
Overall, the Machine Killer Tour was an excellent start to 2024 for both bands and fans alike. This tour will cross the continental United States over the next couple months, so fans will have plenty of opportunities to see these iconic bands live. With Static-X, Sevendust, and Dope all at top form, this is truly a show not to miss for any music fan who loves and misses the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Get tickets to the Machine Killer Tour in a city near you: https://static-x.org/pages/tour
