The Kiss of Death Tour: Part 2
Aug. 6 2024
Saratoga Springs, NY
In this Moment
Ice Nine Kills
Avatar
TX2
photos and review by Eric Riley
After a handful of summers following the COVID shutdown and eventual reopening, metal finally made its way back to Saratoga.
On a dreary, rainy, cold and gray Tuesday, hometown horror hero Maria Brink and In This Moment led a three-ring circus of costumed carnage into the amphitheater.
Wandering the venue lawn as the gates opened and the crowd started to file in, there was a buzz on the grounds that felt new or different. Of course, in a venue that can house anywhere from 5,000 in the seats of the amphitheater to upwards of even 30,000 fans depending on how much the lawn sells (or better, how much of the lawn they choose/allow to sell), large and excited crowds are hardly a rare occurrence. But for the most part, it had been a while since we’ve had a “fandom” show roll through – dressed-up fans, signs and posters and props, hair & makeup and friendship bracelets, the whole nine yards.
The Kiss of Death crowd had been waiting for their chance and they brought their A-game.
To start things off while the merch line stretched practically from north to south gate and people found their seats or chose a spot on the lawn, TX2 opened the show. It was over in about twenty-five minutes.
For the first of the big three, Avatar put the pedal to the floor right out of the gate.
Emerging from out of a birthday gift at center stage, a balloon on a string in one hand and a ringleader’s cane in the other, his face covered in ghost-white makeup and a grimacing grin, Avatar’s Johannes Eckerström began their set equally playfully and predatorily as The Damned’s “Beware of the Clown” played.
The jaunty “The Eagle Has Landed” was a crowd favorite early, with “The Dirt I’m Buried In” later and closer “Hail the Apocalypse” earning the biggest reactions.
Joking at one point how the band came all the way from Sweden just to steal an American metal band’s job as the opening act, because “we’ve heard that’s a big deal to some people over here,” the punchline landed but also, the star power the band has can’t be understated; this is a headlining-caliber act with the charisma and kick to carry them as far as they want to go. I found out that they had semi-recently done a headliner that swung through here, and I’m kicking myself now for missing it. Their thirty minutes was a great kickoff before the two co-headliners, but thirty minutes was hardly enough. They swore to be back and I’ll certainly be in line when they do.
Following Avatar’s departure, Ice Nine Kills’ killing spree was next up. Retooled and rearranged, with new stage props and background visuals & clips connecting the stage show to the murder mystery Horrorwood saga, the updated setlist was still as sharp as ever.
Bathed in blood-red light with alarms blaring, the band rushed the stage, chasing away a swarm of Infected as they kicked off the night with the Resident Evil-inspired “Rainy Day.”
The bloodbath continued next as armed guards wheeled a masked and bound Hannibal Lector onto the stage for the band’s most recent track “Meat & Greet,” unshackling the straightjacketed psycho and siccing him on the guards just before the song’s finale.
Already one of their more upbeat and lighter songs, “Ex-Mortis” was treated to a bit of a remix, played more upbeat than usual, which paired well with the ska-infused recently-released “Walkin’ on Sunshine” cover that came later.
This wasn’t the only callback to the band’s earlier days; “The Greatest Story Ever Told” from 2010’s Safe Is Just a Shadow – “a treat for any of the original Psychos out there,” according to primary susp- I mean, primary singer Spencer Charnas, as well as “The Nature of the Beast” off of 2015’s Every Trick in the Book, both (according to setlist fm) returned to the setlist for the first time since 2017 and 2019, respectively.
As the band’s popularity continues to rise and the crowds continue to grow, it’s always a treat when a deeper cut makes its way into the night’s tracklist, especially on the night’s when the sets are shorter.
Bringing the night to a close, In This Moment took the stage with a backdrop of flames, moments after rain started hitting the venue.
Opening with “The Purge,” Brink was surrounded by a group of masked priestesses throughout the night, mirroring her movements. Her personal raised stage served as an altar, gallows, a burning stake, and plenty in between. Dishonor, death, rebirth, the cycle repeated itself over and over through each song.
A quick costume change saw Brink reenter wearing a new mask, exchanging her blank white facade for a spiked headdress with a face reminiscent of Rorschach’s mask. The mask and costumes, the music, the visuals, it was a perfect combination of gorgeous and gore. We haven’t been given a release date yet, but all throughout the night, I continued to think of Brink being cast as the Antler Queen for season three of Yellowjackets.
(Hardly the end of the world, but if I had to find a negative to mention, no photo pit for all but one of some of the most cinematic acts around was bit of a downer.
But hey, hardly enough of a reason to sway any concertgoer from going to this tour.
Just a quick mention from my own personal experience of the night. But if getting soundboarded for part of the night is the worst thing that happened, probably safe to say it was more than likely a pretty good night.)
Whether it was Brink’s command of her handmaidens from her pulpit, Charnas’ endlessly-rising body count, or Eckerström‘s baton-waving barrage, if the night was any indicator of what has been lacking and what has been longed for, the upstate crowd wants and has wanted its summer metal.
As someone lucky enough to have lived here and attend concerts here every summer his entire life, even as good as they are, none of other the amphitheaters I’ve gone to rival what SPAC offers. Hopefully, a show like this can showcase the fans’ interest and kickstart a resurgence of heavier acts routing tours through this way, because these fans deserve it.
They bought the tickets, they wore the costumes, donned the makeup, fought the heat, braved the rain;
if you book it, they will come.
Ice Nine Kills setlist:
Rainy Day
Meat & Greet
Ex-Mørtis
Thank God It’s Friday
Walking on Sunshine
The Nature of the Beast
Wurst Vacation
Funeral Derangements
IT is the End
Hip to Be Scared
The Greatest Story Ever Told
The American Nightmare
The Shower Scene
Opening Night… / Welcome to Horrorwood
In This Moment setlist:
The Purge
The In Between
Blood
Sacrifice
SANCTIFY ME
Sex Metal Barbie
The Fighter
Big Bad Wolf
Whore
Remaining Kiss of Death tour dates:
8/14 Irving, TX – The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
8/16 La Vista, NE – The Astro
8/17 Waukee, IA – Vibrant Music Hall
8/20 Bismarck, ND – Bismarck Events Center
8/21 Billings, MT – Downtown Billings Skatepark
8/23 Calgary, AB – Grey Eagle Events Centre
8/27 Idaho Falls, ID – Mountain America Center
8/28 Salt Lake City, UT – The Great SaltAir
8/30 Airway Heights, WA – Northern Quest Amphitheater
8/31 Portland, OR – Alaska Airlines Theater Of The Clouds
9/3 Sacramento, CA – The Backyard
9/4 Los Angeles, CA – Hollywood Palladium
9/5 Las Vegas, NV – The Theater at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas
9/8 Denver, CO – Mission Ballroom
9/9 Wichita, KS – Wave
9/10 Chesterfield, MO – The Factory
