Static-X, Sevendust, Dope, and Lines of Loyalty
February 23, 2024
GLC Live at 20 Monroe – Grand Rapids, Michigan

This was an evening of nu-metal and industrial metal from bands which were popular 20 years ago, but still continue to draw a crowd. The crowd at GLC Live was definitely ready for a metal show, and we managed to get seats in the front row mezzanine – a safe place to watch the chaos down on the standing room floor.

We did not get there in time to see any of “Lines of Loyalty” set, so I can’t offer any opinion on them.

We got to our seats during the break, and first thing we saw was some kid on the floor with a clown mask on (and light up nose). This kid was there for the whole night, and was amusing to watch.

Anyway, second band up was “Dope”. Dope has been around since 1997 and is primarily led by lead singer Edsel Dope. The music is considered Nu-Metal, and Edsel is know for his frequent use of the “F” word. Not the most eloquent speaker but certainly brought energy. The band had supporting guitar, bass, and drums. I found the music forgettable, but was impressed with Mr. Dope’s crowd interaction and gracious attitude – he really seemed happy to be playing on stage. Not a bad performance, but not something I see myself recommending or regularly visiting.

Next up was the band “Sevendust”. I have always wanted to see this band as I’ve heard nothing but good things about them. They are described as “alternative metal” – so I’d say a bit more melodic than “Nu-Metal”, and more musically interesting. They have been around since 1994, but began getting noticed after hiring lead vocalist Lajon Witherspoon. Drummer Morgan Rose is also quite the talent and entertainer. The band has 2 support guitars and bass (along with Morgan and Lajon). Lajon is a fantastic lead singer, but his voice got a bit buried in the mix. The band did have some vocal harmonies, which was nice to hear. Lajon doesn’t run around like crazy, but more prowls the stage engaging the audience. Morgan provides some backing vocals from the drum kit, much of which included more “F” words. However, it was easy to see Morgan is an amazing drummer and quite “animated”. He also had a face contraption on which wasn’t clear to see, but appeared to also include his vocal microphone. Overall, Sevendust put on a solid 50-60 minute set that was both entertaining and musically interesting. I’d see them again.

Sevendust Video:

Headlining band for the night was “Static-X”. Static-X is described as “industrial metal”, and they like to call their style “evil disco”. I saw Static-X open up for Megadeth back around 1999, with founding lead singer “Wayne Static” leading the charge – with a signature “pointed up hair” style. At the time, they were an upcoming young band, and had great energy – but I didn’t think they had much future. The band hung around, but in 2014 Wayne Static died of an overdose of drugs and alcohol. Fast forward a few years, and the band started to turn up around 2018 with a “mystery” person in a costume resembling Wayne Static but more as a cyborg. Although initially a mystery, it is now known the cyborg person is actually Edsel Dope (from Dope) performing under the name “Zero”. They have quite a few stage props and characters during their show, and the music all has kind of a “dance beat” to it. Supporting bassist Tony Campos and guitarist Koichi Fukuda keep the movement going on stage, while drummer Ken Jay holds everything together rhythmically. As you will be able to see from the videos below, the show is quite entertaining. Still a few more “F” bombs from the stage for my taste, but the band is definitely entertaining. I especially like their extra characters that came out on stage. If you like your metal with a bit of dance beat, you might find something you like in Static-X.

Static-X Video:

GLC Live was doing a good job of keeping the crowd safe on the floor. We did see one person appear to pass out, and the crowd quickly signaled security and made room for a wheel chair. It appeared all crowd surfing ended safely, and mosh pits was generally watching out for each other.

Lines of Loyalty – no rating since we did not see them

Dope – 6 out of 10 stars – not bad but forgettable

Sevendust – 8 out of 10 stars – talented band and decent music

Static-X – 8 out of 10 stars – crazy entertaining show with high energy

Setlist.fm does not have a Static-X, Dope, or Lines of Loyalty set list showing.

Here’s the Sevendust set list as posted to setlist.fm: