Fans pack in for an evening with Static-X and Sevendust in Michigan

By Daniel Bird

Fans came out in droves on Friday, February 23rd to 20 Monroe Live to catch Lines of Loyalty and Dope open for the dual headliners Sevendust and the kings of Evil Disco, the mighty Static X. Nestled in the bustling heart of downtown Grand Rapids, MI, 20 Monroe is a vast venue with lots of floor space and a retro, art deco style. All ages of people from young and old alike were there to witness the raw power of these musical behemoths. The stage setup on this tour, titled Machine Killer, was a colorful mix of LED stand lights and monitors, displaying the band’s art and video along with the music, providing an incredible visual experience to match artists musical energy.

Lines Of Loyalty are a three piece out of Wisconsin that felt right at home in the metal/hard rock scene of Grand Rapids.

You would never guess they were a three piece by their incredibly full sound, with booming bass lines and soaring vocals, playing with every ounce of their heart and putting everything into their performance.

The vocalist, Nubz Morrison, took a moment to talk about the difficulty of addiction and the beauty of becoming sober, quoting he “hasn’t had a hard drug” in 10+ years in a touching moment, sharing an insight into his own personal struggles that almost everyone can relate to.

Dope returned with an incredible, driven performance that would bring older fans back to the 90s. Proving they haven’t lost their touch over the years, every member was incredibly active, jumping and moving over the stage in ways that would rival even the youngest bands. Backlit by a monitor displaying their logo, they performed old and new hits and lighting up the crowd with their ripping single, Die MF Die that got the crowd primed and ready to move. Taking a moment to recognize the opening trio, they thanked Lines of Loyalty for performing with them and hyped up the dual headliners Sevendust and Static X.

Walking out to a backing track synth intro, Sevendust took a moment in the beginning of their set to bask in the glory that is 1,000+ fans watching one of their favorite artists take the stage. Starting the show with I Might Let The Devil Win, the opening track from their latest album, Truth Killer, a sultry, electronically and bass driven track that flirts with themes of mental strength and not giving in to temptations. Sevendust was surrounded with bright and colorful lights that bathed the venue in reds and yellows, emulating the flames of success the band has come to know over the past two decades, and the fans showed that their love had not wavered, singing along with every track that boomed through the venue.

The lights went out, and out of the darkness came a 10 foot tall Discoball Jack-o’-lantern bathed in blood red light, after all, who was Wayne Static but the King Of Evil Disco? A quick introduction to the band was made, and the artists took their place on stage. Surrounded by fog and foam, XerO, Wayne Static’s cybernetic, red glowing eye tribute replacement, climbed a set of stairs on center stage and started the show with an electrifying performance of Hollow. With a mysterious X-headed mascot touting a hand held fog machine traipsing between band members, they continued their pounding set, moving the crowd to mosh and jump along with riffs and choruses. Closing out their set with their huge hit Push It, Static X left the crowd in Grand Rapids with a night they certainly won’t soon forget and will talk about for a long time to come.