Michale Graves – Live (April 20, 2013)

 “The primary goal of the LEO LIVES MEMORIAL SHOW is to preserve and honor the memory of Leo John Del Pinto. A Canadian citizen who was murdered in Thailand by a corrupt police officer at the age of 24.” The back story behind this event can be found online at http://www.leolives.ca

Events that are based upon a good cause tend to have a positive atmosphere and for the most part this night was no different. Due to the lack of a decent sized punk/metal venue in the small prairie city of Lethbridge, Alberta, the show was held in a sleazy dance bar complete with meathead bouncers and a guy who looked like a fat, old Bret Michaels in snakeskin pants and a straw cowboy hat.

The first band was terrible and their vocalist was getting pissy with the crowd because they weren’t listening to his whiney set, which sounded like acoustic Avenged Sevenfold. They played too long and only a couple of extremely drunk 40 somethings seemed excited for them. I won’t bore you with their name.

The event really got going when the second group took the stage. Calgary’s Frightenstein come across as a blend between GWAR and The Misfits, with their fast metal and horror stage show, complete with blood, intestines and alien arm wrestling. They were both entertaining to watch and talented enough to listen to. The crowd became more engaged with every song. These were the perfect opening act for a show featuring former Misfit Michale Graves. High energy, high action, loud and fast metal and punk music. Exactly what I was looking for. Unfortunately, they weren’t the last band to play before his set.

The Pindolls were good friends of Leo’s, so they reunited to play this memorial show. Mutual friends and family were very excited for their set, but for those not familiar with either party, they were merely a misplaced act on the bill. Their glam rock/ nu metal music was dated and they were embarrassing to watch. Not surprisingly, their drummer was the vocalist from the first band.

Leo’s dad came on stage and gave a heartfelt speech which told the story for those who were not familiar. Friends and family were crying and it was a somber reprieve from the fast paced music.

The Pindolls friends faded away from the front of the stage as everyone got ready for Michale Graves. The Misfits were one of Leo’s favorite bands, so his friends and family reached out to Michale Graves when organizing this fundraiser. Currently on tour in support of his soulful solo release Vagabond, not only was the Lethbridge show his only Canadian date, but it was the only date on the current tour where he played a set of familiar horror punk. Kicking off the night with Scream, Graves indulged the rabid crowd with the majority of the songs from the two albums he released with The Misfits, American Psychoand Famous Monsters. His backing band was all decked out in black with white face paint. They all appeared to be stoked to be playing these songs live and were much more adept at playing The Misfits songs than the current farce of a lineup that Jerry Only is fronting. There will always be discussions about the Danzig years vs the Graves years, but everyone at the show seemed excited to be a part of this rare performance. Michale Graves came out in a familiar outfit, which fans will remember as his scarecrow persona from the late 90s. His familiar voice was the backbone of the songs and his wild energy helped to whip the crowd into a frenzy. He is a wonderful showman, who can actually back his actions up with his music.

 It was one of those rare live shows where I became too involved with singing along to pay attention to all of the little details that I should have, but it was nice to relive a piece of my teens for an evening. The mid set double shot of Resurrection and Fiend Club (which Michale prefaced with a short speech about Leo and the closeness of The Misfits fanbase), left my voice shredded singing along with the crowd, which almost drowned the band out at times. The enthusiasm was infectious and the group fed off of it, starting strong and building momentum as they burned through the set. Watching the crowd, you could tell which songs were individual fans favorites, but when they returned to the stage for the encore of Helena, Dig Up Her Bones and Crying on Saturday Night everyone in the room gave every last bit of energy they had to dance and sing along with one of their heroes.
 After seeing the current lineup of The Misfits a couple of times in recent years and punishing my eardrums with The Devil’s Rain, it rejuvenated my passion for the music that I listened to so much back then. It is always wonderful to see a musician who you loved so much as a teen and they somehow manage to surpass your high expectations. Graves is currently working on a new horror punk album “The Lost Skeleton Returns.” If this night was any indication of what to expect, longtime fans of Graves and The Misfits are in for a treat.