On a cold February 16, 2018, evening (or as those in Milwaukee say, “regular February night”), Pop Evil brought their friends in Black Map and Palaye Royale to party at the Rave.
The Rave is a historic building that houses three venues. As per usual, there was more than one show going on that night, which made finding the right line and the right room a bit tricky for some who have not been there. Luckily for us, our man-on-the-town was able to get right where he needed to be, as this was not his first Rave rodeo.
Black Map, a San Francisco-based trio kicked off the night. The crowd was still filing in for the show, but the ones who were paying attention to the stage really seemed to dig the vibe from Black Map. It’s not every day that the first opening act has rapt attention, but Black Map got the party started in the right way.
Canada’s own Palaye Royale, took the reins from Black Map and got the crowd really ready to go. With their usual on-stage theatrics and out of this world style, they seemed to bring everything that the fans needed. Musically, they were on point, with nary a beat missed. As far as modern rock goes, these guys know how to bring their passion and energy to the stage in a way that is completely unique, yet familiar. The crowd loved them, which made them the perfect gate keepers for the night’s main event: Pop Evil.
When the familiar bass line from the opening song “Ways To Get High”, the crowd erupted into hollers and screams. Horns were thrown up and voices collaborated with the band to make sure not one single note was missed. Pop Evil brought it down a bit with “Torn To Pieces,” but got the crowd jumping with “Deal With The Devil.” It was a sight to behold, for sure, when every single person moved in time with the music, like a sea of music-hungry waves, ready to overtake each song. “Monster” was a crowd-pleaser, and again, it was hard at time to discern the vocals coming from the stage versus the ones in the crowd. If the Rave was looking to host a crowd of rock fans who were going to give it their all, then their mission was more than accomplished.
Their new album was released that day as well, and Leigh mentioned how happy he was to be in Milwaukee for the official release day. The crowd, of course, broke into cheers when he said this, clearly showing their passion and appetite for the new stuff, in the form of Pop Evil’s fifth release. After they played “Legendary,” Leigh shouted, “Are you fucking kidding me Milwaukee?!? It’s a good old fashioned Wisconsin PARTAAYYY!!”
It was a night no one in attendance is sure to forget.
Pick up your copy of Pop Evil, their latest release at the link here. Definitely catch them on tour on one of the nights listed here:
Pop Evil Setlist
