Story by Metal Head Cosa
Photos by Lexi Miles, Photographer
Last week, Spider One and his band Powerman 5000 made good on their promised makeup date at the Outland Ballroom in Springfield, Mo. Powerman had to cancel a stop scheduled earlier in the year and knowing how disappointed fans would be, vocalist Spider One made a sincere promise to return soon to melt faces and that they did with the “New Wave” tour. Joining Powerman in direct support was the band Vyces and completing the lineup were local bands B.I.V. and ReSeN.
Springfield’s own, and new to me, band ReSeN kicked off the night and with the 420-friendly vibe and tribute to Zig Zags tapestry, they immediately caught the attention of the small but rowdy crowd. ReSeN is a full five-piece band led by the guitars of Josh Price and Michael Smoot, joined by bass player Douglas McCue, drummer Travis Wickham and lead vocalist Chad Swearingin.
ReSeN is a strong band with a full Pantera-ish sound and bring with them a deep groove. Price and Smoot have a great feel for the stage with blazing solos that just leave fans having no choice but to bang their heads, while the percussion and guttural sounds of McCue and Wickham had a feeling of the chunk and just made you want to bounce.
Also making for a good mix of screams and growls, Swearingin held his place as front man very well and brought back a more classic metal, in your face style of “I’m just going to make you throw up horns.” The crowd responded very well to the sounds of ReSeN, assuring they will make for a good draw in the future and was a great pick to kick off the night. Make sure and check out their first single off the new EP “Black Door.”
Also representing the Queen City was local band B.I.V. Having already garnered the local reputation of putting on a good metal show, B.I.V. was a sure pick for this bill. B.I.V. have been busy just completing a small Midwest tour and then killing it at the “Big Bad Weinerfest” last month.
On this night, the band debuted an altered line up. Original bass player Lex Weiss, keyboard player Sarah Cornell, guitarist Justin Flood, vocalist and rhythm guitarist Baden Page were joined by new drummer Dru Rohlman. Having parted ways with drummer Daniel Motti and guitarist Christopher Stika, B.I.V seemed to have a new determination and drive to rock it even harder.
Despite some obvious nerves and a bit of the new lineup sharp edges, they did a good job keeping the crowd going. They played fan favorites “Liberated,” “She,” and their cover of the Killswitch Engage song “End Of Heartache.” B.I.V. at times seemed to be trying to find their stride, while at the same time showing their strengths and desire to be a great metal band. Be on the lookout for big things from B.I.V., including a rumored new collaborative video.
In direct support was L.A.-based Vyces, a hard rock, heavy metal band formed in 2014. Vyces consist of front man Dave Naruszewicz, guitarist Shawn Patterson, drummer Russel Ray and Andrew “Bones” Trujilo on bass. Rocking a more techno-metal style and sound joined with a matching industrial looking wardrobe, Vyces comes out with a strong, fast-paced performance.
The group has had success with their first radio single, “Nocturnal,” which includes an accompanying video directed by Ron Underwood of 9 Electric and featuring Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies. Vyces made sure to have it in the set list as well as their most recent single, “Thin Luck.”
Patterson and Ray were great at their interaction with the crowd backed by some stunning musicianship. Trujilo, being a name directly related to bass, did a fantastic job of living up to the name with deep bass lines. Naruszewicz’ desire, drive and passion show in his performance as he takes control of the crowd and makes them feel his smooth, clean vocals as well as his well-controlled growls. Narauszewicz had everyone in the palm of his hand as he rocked the stage. Vyces prove with their stage performance they are a great pick to be in support of any band on their way to headliner status.
Finally the time had come for the headliner, the mighty powerhouse veteran band Powerman 5000. Going strong ever since their first album “True Force” in 1994 up to their latest release, 2017’s “New Wave,” Powerman has proved they have the energy and sound to kill it on the big stage of festivals like Rocklahoma and Kansas City Rockfest but don’t lose anything when playing the small club shows for a smaller crowd.
They bring it all every time, even in the Outland Ballroom despite it being “stupid hot” as described by Spider One as he took a seat halfway through their show to catch his breath in the heat of the Ballroom. Joining Spider on stage were the blistering licks of Ty Oliver and Ryan Hernandez on guitars, heart-thumping beats of DJ Rattan on the drums and the human with the best damn “robot” moves of any bass player, Murv Douglas.
Douglas is a highlight for sure and not just for his unique hairdo. Backing his talent with a very enjoyable and intriguing performance, he makes it hard to watch anyone else. PM5K brought all the fan favorite hits to the set list like “Nobody’s Real,” “Footsteps and Voices,” and as their encore, the biggest hit, “When World’s Collide.” Spider is a pro at entertaining the crowd and getting folks off their feet as he insists the crowd jump when he says “jump,” and makes sure they put their hands up and jam.
They left every fan well rocked and thankful for the made-up date. Powerman 5000 just announced their new endeavor, the Summer of Screams Tour with Mushroomhead to go through mid-August and are for sure a must see.