Hollywood Undead at Portland's Roseland Theater

In one of the most eclectic bills of 2017, we were guests at the Hollywood Undead show at the Roseland Theater in Portland, OR. Opening up for the night and pouring out a big dose of hip-hop was West Coast’s own Demrick.

Demrick, known for his raw and personal style, took the stage, turning the Roseland Theater into a bunch of swaying and bouncing hip-hop fanatics. He played over a dozen songs closing out with “I Don’t Give A Fuck.”

The set change was relatively quick, and quite frankly I was a bit confused when the next band came out. Seemingly, the Village People decided to drop in to entertain the masses. I was expecting to see Heidi, Carla, and the Butcher Babies, but the YMCA was playing and standing before me were each of the characters; the biker, the construction worker, the policeman, the indian… all of them right there, in living color. Once the Butcher Babies kicked it in, with Carla lunging over the monitors with a menacing grin across her face, I was able to regain my composure and all was well with the world once again.

Butcher Babies not only put on an incredible metal show, but they clearly had a great time doing it. The audience in Portland was feeling it just as strongly. After solidly destroying the Roseland, Heidi announced that she and Carla would be hanging out at the merch table for a while. The ladies stayed at the merch table until Hollywood Undead hit the stage, signing autographs and spending time with the hundred plus fans that got in line to get a moment with them.

Los Angeles rap-rock titans, Hollywood Undead, were the headliners for the evening and rightfully so. Combining styles from each of the two artists that graced the stage before them this eve, they skillfully rocked every single body in the venue, their masks merely concealing their faces as they each took place at the front of the stage. The crowd surge had pushed the front couple of rows of passionate Portland concertgoers into the barrier, squeezing several of them into submission. The security team was very responsive getting those that wanted relief up and over the barrier to safety, while the rest of the crowd just kept on rocking on.

Midway through their set, the guys from Hollywood Undead invited two local guitarists up for a shred battle. With Tyler Mahurin pounding the drums, each guitarist got to play a short riff, the Portland fans ultimately determining the winner. The winner of this battle got to play the rhythm riff for the following song, “Comin’ In Hot,” the Portland crowd proudly cheering on their own.

After more than 15 songs, the raucous Portland crowd was spent. And perhaps, this rock-rap thing is the new hotness. Either way, Hollywood Undead sure knows how to deliver it.