May 10 2019

Rob Zombie Brings His Bloody Horror Spectacle to the Fillmore

By: Landon Murray

If you happen to be a fan of horror films and heavy music, chances are you are likely a Rob Zombie fan. Judging by the sold-out Fillmore show last night, it seems as though his brand of shock rock is still going strong. For the record, Zombie has been a household name for over two decades now, and with that comes a certain amount of expertise in how to properly present this type of show.

Sadly, while enjoyable, it could've been better rounded, although it can't all be put on Zombie's shoulders. During the intermission, a huge stage with multiple screens and various other satanic images was positioned on the stage, and once the house lights dimmed, it was time to welcome the Astro Creep himself. The stage show was spot-on with his brand of music, and the crowd instantly joined in. Shortly into his set, he began to pepper the performance with better-known songs, all of which were welcomed with various chants, floating, bumping, and general metal behaviors-like the devil horns and such. "Superbeast" exploded with violent lights and a crowd singing along to the big moments in the chorus, while other hits like "Living Dead Girl" got similar reactions. But still, something seemed off. Earlier in the evening, Zombie mentioned having a sore throat and said he would do his best, and he did, but it's still a slight bummer when a performer can't be at 100 percent. I'm sure he was not thrilled either, but like I said, it didn't really matter much. Even with the vocal setbacks, the show was fun.

One of the biggest treats in seeing Zombie and his touring band is the visual display the show brings to the audience. It is large-scale theatrics, with a fair number of huge creatures gracing the stage at various times. Last night, we got some space aliens, this weird ape-robot hybrid, and then a seven-foot-tall terror-filled robot prancing around the stage.

Overall, it was an enjoyable experience, even if the show was kind of short (14 songs spanning about 75 minutes) for the price of admission. No one really seemed to mind the price as they watched the band tear through classics by Alice Cooper, the Ramones, and even Zombie's best-known songs, such as "Thunder Kiss 65" and the ultimate monster-themed banger that is "Dragula." It was another notch in the belt of Fillmore's growing wealth of rock bands, and it doesn't appear they plan to stop anytime soon. I mean, why would they? All of their recent shows have brought in big crowds and kept plenty of people smiling.

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Rob Zombie Brings His Bloody Horror Spectacle to the Fillmore