Live: Static-X in Indy
April 7, 2023
It’s rare for a tour to feature bands where anyone can headline but that’s exactly what Static-X’s Rise of the Machine Tour is with Dope, Fear Factory, Mushroomhead and Twiztid as support, which recent spent some time in Indiana.
When the trek hit Indy’s Vogue Theatre, it didn’t include Mushroomhead- who had played the Fort Wayne date, but the sold out crowd wasn’t phased and showed up early to catch Cultus Black, who opened the evening in dynamic fashion.
Twiztid asked the crowd who was seeing them for the first time, which was met with a roar of excitement as they aren’t a band who comes through Indy often so the Twiztid faithful showed up in droves and, even though it was a first-time for many in the room, they were more than familiar with the music and sang along with every word. It was clear that many came just to see Twiztid.
Dope was up next and was in a similar situation with a lot of people seeing the band for the first time as they had just reformed just a few years ago and, with a new record out, the band was ready to make a memorable return to Indianapolis and they did exactly that.
While they didn’t play the longest set, they packed all the Dope classics in with “Bitch,” “I’m Back,” “Die MF Die” and their cover of “You Spin Me Round” all making their way into the set. Edsel Dope took time to talk to the fans, almost taking them down a journey through the past and even telling fans they could get the new record- Blood Money Pt. Zer0- for free by going to the band’s website and signing up for the mailing list. He also made sure to tell the fans that if they did that, he would keep in touch with them with band updates directly.
Halfway through the set, Dope told a story about Fear Factory taking them and Static-X out on the road for one of both bands’ tours and discussed how Fear Factory had changed the game and given a lot of bands a start. He mentioned how big of a deal it was for all three bands to be out together again and expressed his appreciation for Fear Factory and for the fans still supporting the band all these years later. If you haven’t seen Dope before or if you’ve been waiting 20 years to see them, this is the tour you need to catch.
Fear Factory took over after a short break and took the energy up even more. This was the first time for fans seeing new vocalist Milo Silvestro, who had just joined the band a few months ago and was embraced by the capacity crowd, which ate up every minute of the band’s set like it was 2000 all over again, especially with Tony Campos on bass, who was pulling double duty as he played with Static-X on the next set.
Static-X closed the night out memorably, with singer Xero donning a mask that made him a real-life cyborg. Partner that with the giant LED video boards that adorned the sides and back of the stage, making for a visual experience that hypnotized you with the videos matching the music perfectly.
The band have done an impeccable job honoring the memory of Wayne Static and keeping the essence of what Static-X was from the beginning and this tour has been the perfect tribute and this show gave every Static-X fan the night of their life, keeping true to what Static-X is all about.
-Reggie Edwards