Concert Review
W.A.S.P.
Armored Saint
Saturday November 12, 2022
Cleveland Agora
Cleveland, OH
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
W.A.S.P. invaded the full house at the Agora Saturday night to a very hungry crowd. Many have waited an extremely long time to see the band and were starving and craving for the chance to see Blackie Lawless and Company finally return. Cleveland had long been a regular destination for W.A.S.P. for nearly every U.S. tour. This show marked the band’s first tour of the states since 2010 with having done a one-off appearance at the M3 Festival in 2013. It had been even longer for their last Cleveland appearance which dated back to a 2005 appearance at the House of Blues.
Hitting the stage with a medley of the band’s gems got the crowd right into it not that they needed any urging. Following up with crowd favorites “L.O.V.E. Machine” and “Wild Child” the band then went into a mini set of songs from The Crimson Idol to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the 1992 release. Other standouts on the night were The Last Command‘s “Blind In Texas” and “Animal (F*ck Like A Beast), the latter being the song where the issues with the PMRC all began.
Lawless took a moment before “I Wanna Be Somebody” to address the crowd and stated “Your town has always been special to us”. Never one to shy away from the establishment he then proceeded to give his thoughts on the Cleveland Indians name change to the Guardians. While the set has been condensed some from the initial first dates of the tour, Lawless has managed to put together a solid set that showcases the bands high points from their forty year career. While the set was shorter than one would have hoped it still made a huge impact on the sold out Agora crowd.
Lawless has defied the odds by selling out and packing venues across America on this tour. Many of the so-called experts and promoters did not think the band would be able to sell many tickets to have a successful tour but Lawless has once again proven them wrong. Let’s hope this will open the door for some more potential U.S. dates down the road as there are many fans who have never had the chance to experience the band live. The band clearly puts on a remarkable show and for all the detractors out there, be glad Lawless and the band are still out there touring here in 2022. The performance may not be like it was in 1984 but I for one am enjoying the 2022 version of the live band just fine.
Set List
On Your Knees / The Flame / The Torture Never Stops / Inside the Electric Circus
L.O.V.E. Machine
Wild Child
The Idol
The Great Misconceptions of Me
Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)
Blind in Texas
Encore
Animal (F*ck Like a Beast)
The Real Me (The Who Cover)
I Wanna Be Somebody
