Last night (June 29, 2019) Justin and I attended the Static-X and DevilDriver show at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ. It is no secret that I am a huge fan of Coal Chamber and jumped at the opportunity to see Dez, with his great new band DevilDriver. While I was there for DevilDriver and Static-X was an awesome added bonus, it was a lesser-known band named Raven Black who stole the show.
Raven Black is made up of 4 members:
Raven – Vocals/Screams
Muppet – Drums/Vocals/Screams
Stitches – Bass
The “Doctor” – Guitar
They have a fun story on their website about how they formed and I encourage everyone to go and check it out, as it adds to the atmosphere and energy the group brings to the stage.
Raven Black took the stage and started out hot and heavy with guttural screams and fast-paced music. They immediately took control of the crowd and drove everyone’s interest in the venue. Since the band was one of the first on stage, the venue was still filling up. As more people came in, more people fell under the spell Raven Black was casting. They didn’t have a bad song in the set. I especially enjoyed the closer, Carnival, which has become one of my favorites. The only change I would make to their performance was to give them more time to play a few more songs. I personally would have loved to see them play Marilyn Manson’s The Nobodies as their version rivals Manson’s.
While the band’s stage act alone was amazing, their fan interaction makes them even more likable. After playing their set and roughly taking a 20-minute break they made their way to their merch table to hang out with fans and take pictures. They didn’t charge for pictures and would sign any merch you purchased from them at no extra charge. They stayed around for the rest of the show and hung out and talked with anyone who came over to the table. It was great seeing this as most paid meet and greets don’t get this personal and I know I’ve paid for quite a few.
Raven Black is an upcoming band who definitely will be headlining their own tour in no time. I can see them easily becoming one of the biggest names in the metal scene soon. Hopefully, with how big they will get, they will still make time for the fans. If Raven Black is coming to an area around you and you’re a fan of bands like Stolen Babies, Marilyn Manson, and the like be sure to check them out on the Static-X and DevilDriver tour now.
Tour dates below:
June 30 – Scranton, PA @ Levels
July 2 – Toronto, ON @ Opera House
July 3 – London, ON @ London Music Hall
July 4 – Ottawa, ON @ Brass Monkey
July 5 – Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally’s
July 6 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
July 7 – Reading, PA @ Reverb
July 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Jergel’s
July 10 – Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater
July 11 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Citadel
July 12 – Ft. Wayne, IN @ The Clyde Theatre
July 13 – Detroit, MI @ Harpo’s
July 14 – Lexington, KY @ Manchester Music Hall
July 16 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection
July 18 – Cadott, WI @ Cadott Rockfest
July 19 – Sioux City, IA @ Anthem @ Hard Rock Casino
July 20 – Joliet, IL @ The Forge
July 21 – Belvidere, IL @ Apollo Theater
July 23 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
July 26 – Los Angeles, CA @ Catch One
July 27 – Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues
November 12 – Baton Rouge, LA,@Varsity Theater
November 13 – New Orleans, LA,@House of Blues
November 15 – Ft. Lauderdale FL, @Revolution
November 16 – Tampa FL, @The Orpheum
November 17 – Design FL, @Club LA
December 02 – Chicago IL, @House of Blues
December 06 – Sauget IL, @Pops
December 07 – Lincoln NE, Bourbon Theater
December 08 – Colorado Springs, CO @Sunshine Studios
For tickets check here.
