Destroy All Enemies Tour

By: Christie Bilbo

Toyota Music Factory in Irving hosted the Destroy All Enemies Tour on August 20^th. The 33-city summer and fall tour featured the thrashing bands All That Remains and Mudvayne and was headlined by Megadeth.

With temperatures at a scorching 104 degrees, the venue was packed. I will give you a little hint about the parking. If you park in the venue parking garage, you will be paying $35 plus tax to park. However, parking in the Irving Convention Center garage next to the hotel will cost $25.00 and no tax. You will have a little extra walk, which is an additional block, but if you are like me, you are willing to pay the cheaper rate…and here is the kicker…you get out faster! It seems that the majority of concert attendees park in the venue garage, and I’m all about a fast exit.

Also, With Toyota Music Factory, you have a great selection of places to eat that surround the venue. I made the mistake of getting off work late for this concert and had to grab a bite to eat inside the venue. The food is overpriced and subpar. You can have a much better meal at the Thirsty Lion, The Blue, Bar Louie, Budlong Southern Chicken, Chino Mojito, and others. So, take the time to have a great meal and a frosty beverage before heading into the venue.

Now for the show:

All That Remains was the opening act. This was the first time I had seen them. I knew a few of their songs, and let me say…they are a band that did not disappoint. Even though they only played seven songs, they did what the opening band was supposed to do: hype the crowd. With songs “Six” and “Let You Go, ” they worked the crowd and ensured everyone was pumped up. They closed their set with “Two Weeks.”

I had wanted to see Mudvayne for a few years but was never able to make a show. The band hit the scene in 1996 and is known for its make-up, social experiments, and masks. In 2003, the guys stopped wearing the make-up and costumes. Some of it was due to being compared to Slipknot. Also, there was an influx of bands wearing costumes, so the shock factor was losing its effect on people.

They started their set with “Dig” and kicked the fans in the face! Thumping out ear-splitting tuneage with songs like “Death Blooms,” and “Internal Primates Forever.” Mudvayne had the crowd worked up. Heads were banging. People were jumping. Fists were pumping. I loved seeing a father and his young son on his shoulder. I would say the son was about the age of 7. He was having the best time ever! He knew every song. The guys in the band acknowledged the young man with his father. They made sure that they handed him the bullet hole from Gregg Tribbett’s forehead. The guitarist gave him a guitar pick. They also ensured that both father and son had water, and security hand-delivered them a cold bottle of water. (This was metal as fuck!)

The crowd was worked up for the headliner, Megadeth. Dave Mustain and the band didn’t disappoint. The crowd went wild with the opening song, “The Sick, the Dying….and the Dead!” When they sang “Sweating Bullets,” there was no denying that the entire crowd was drenched in sweat. It was hot as hell. We were packed in the place and stacked so close to each other that nobody’s deodorant was doing its job.

With Megadeth as the headliner, this is what the crowd was there for. Dave Mustain and the guys had everyone rocking. They came out killing it with fast licks and hard-hitting songs. Scanning the crowd, I saw hardly a soul in the venue or their seats. With hits like “We’ll Be Back” and “Symphony of Destruction,” the place was thumping. However, their biggest hit is the song that always kills, “Peace Sells.”

One thing about Megadeth is that Dave doesn’t talk a lot. It’s all about the music. He doesn’t go into many crowd interactions. He doesn’t talk about the history of any songs. He does introduce the bandmates. Other than that, he gives you what you are there for. Fast-ass-kicking music that will set you on fire.

I want to touch on something that happened to me while I was at this concert…PIT ETTIQUITE. I was in the pit and encountered a rude “younger” fella. I was standing right behind a row of men who knew I was there alone. I had spoken to them, and they all said they would watch me if something got out of control. This kid in his late teens, possibly 20 years old, decided to shove me out of the way so that he could get close to the stage. When I told him I had been standing there all evening and couldn’t see, he quickly spouted, “It’s not my fault that I’m taller than you!” When Megadeth took the stage, he started throwing elbows at me. A group of three men in the Navy moved this young fella out of the way, literally, by picking him up by the arms and away from me. Don’t get me wrong, I’m 52 and have been in so many mosh pits that I know my way around a pit. But this was a little excessive and deliberate towards me. You must be mindful of the people around you when in the pit. Women and some young kids were on the floor so that moshing would be out of the question that night. If it weren’t for those men watching over me, I would have been hurt. So, thank you, whoever you guys were; I appreciate y’all.

There are some amazing concerts this summer. Look one up. Hope to see you there! Horns up!

All That Remains

Mudvayne

Megadeth