Static-X and GWAR with Dope at Uptown Theater, Kansas City MO (2025-06-17)

STATIC-X TOUR DATES

In the war between Machines vs. Monsters, the winner was…Mother Nature?

Mother Nature always wins, as we found out in Kansas City when this loaded four-band line-up came to town – Static-X and GWAR (who are also celebrating 40 years), along with Dope and A Killer’s Confession, to make up the “Machines Vs. Monsters Tour”, originally slated as an outdoor show in the Bottoms at Grinders KC.

But, the threat of impending severe storms forced the show to re-locate, which meant indoors at the nearby Uptown Theater, as equipment, lighting, and gear was moved to the new location. Knowing GWAR’s stage show, tarps and protective plastic also covered everything near the stage.

Still, the faithful were happy to adapt to instead being inside, as long as it meant almost five hours of industrial metal, aggro-rock, theatrical ‘evil disco’, and a visual spectacle from each band. The tour kicked off in Tucson, AZ on May 23 and made its way to mid-America, just in time for Arizona-like temps and approaching storms outside.

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Cleveland’s A Killer’s Confession got the evening started, with a short but memorable set of theatrical metal, in support of last year’s full-length, Victim 1, with its sequel, Victim 2, due out later this year. A couple of singles, “In Case of Emergency” and “Hollow” have already dropped ahead of the new record.

The band has solid ties to Mushroomhead, as its leader is their former vocalist, Waylon Reavis, with another previous band singer, J Mann Popson (who toured with them earlier this Spring) being featured on “In Case of Emergency”. The band managed to carry on, (even working in Mushroomhead’s “Qwerty”) despite a couple members recently leaving mid-tour, and entertained everyone with their masks, costumes, and refined blend of nu metal.

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The sound shifted to more industrial as NYC’s Dope was next, still in support of 2023’s BloodMoney Part Zer0, a sequel of sorts to their previous 2016 album. The band was formed way back in 1997 and still continues to be led by main songwriter, vocalist and guitarist Edsel Dope (who sort of acknowledged that their crowd has grown older with them).

When your lead guitarist’s name is Virus, you know they’re not messing around, and while the band couldn’t squeeze in their 2023 cover of The Cure’s “Lovesong” from their recent EP, they did of course work in their driving battle cry hit, “Die MF Die” that set the mosh pit ablaze. Some parts of a few songs followed, but the band found their full groove again, in time to end with their anthemic cover of the famous Dead or Alive track from the 80’s.

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As long as the previous band has been around, shock rockers GWAR have been around since their humble beginnings in 1984 Richmond, VA (what a sight that must have in those times of big hair, glam rock, and New Wave!).

2022’s The New Dark Ages was their most recent album, but the band has a recent single (which they didn’t play live), “The Great Circus Train Disaster,” the second track from their upcoming multimedia release ‘The Return of Gor Gor,’ out July 25 via Pit Records/Z2 Comics.

The band was in fine form and ready to battle in those bulky, oversized medieval warrior costumes (though we’re betting much more blood would have been spilled at the original outdoor venue) – to fight each other, their loyal fans (many of whom purposely wear white to take on the blood splattering as a badge of honor), and even our Glorious Leader himself (during “El Presidente”).

The more the blood flew, the louder the crowd got, and while their lineup may change, the very spectacle of their stage show will be timeless. They are one live act that even the mildest metal fan, should witness at least once, and this 40^th anniversary outing is an ideal time to do so.

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Speaking of anniversaries, Static-X is celebrating the 25^th anniversary of their defining “Wisconsin Death Trip” album with a lineup that still retains Tony Campos (bass),Koichi Fukuda (guitar) and co-founder Ken Jay (drums) along with current vocalist/guitarist Xer0, complete with high hair and light-up glowing eyes (and who is generally acknowledged to be Dope’s Edsel, but does it matter that much, as it’s two different personas!?).

Original bandleader Wayne Static died in Nov 2014, mixing Xanax and other prescription drugs with alcohol, and most assumed the band was ending for good, after releasing six studio albums and with Static then already pursuing a solo career. But the band was reborn just a few years later with new albums following- “Project Regeneration Vol. 1” (released in July 2020) and its follow-up, “Project Regeneration: Vol. 2″, out last January.

Fans were just pleased to see a band they maybe thought they wouldn’t ever have a chance to; or for more longtime loyalists, a chance to see the 2.0 version of this influential industrial band, to see where they go next. Since this new chapter began in 2018, the band has managed to find its balance in both honoring its own legacy, while also evolving to chart a new musical path all their own.

Tracks from “Death Trip” got the most reaction, with songs like “Terminator Oscillator” and “Bled for Days” sounding spot-on and which suitably frothed up the crowd, while 2001’s “Cold” was an emotional and heartfelt tribute to Wayne. The pit got one last energetic chance to swirl with its flailing crowd surfers on the band’s biggest hit, “Push It” which everyone in or near the mosh, seemed to do.

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So, initially it seemed like Mother Nature won the day, by forcing the Machines Vs. MonstersTour indoors, but with its epic lineup of Static-X, GWAR, Dope, and A Killer’s Confession, the real winners were the fans that delighted in seeing the four bands live and got to rock out for a full weeknight evening, safely inside and away from any approaching storms (which never ended up coming through the immediate area, by the way).

ALL PHOTOS BY JASON DOMINGUES

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