First, the Roxian Theater is an extraordinary venue, one of my favorites in Pittsburgh. I pre-purchased parking, which gets you as close to the venue as possible. Itâs a modern, cashless venue with reserved seating upstairs and GA on the main floor. GA has a sunken pit in front of the stage and a raised area behind.
I didnât get there in time to see the first act, Gates to Hell. The second band was a young metal band out of Sweden, Orbit Culture, I think. The lead singer wore a Penguinâs jersey. During one song, he was working the pit into a frenzy and growled something like, âLetâs start surfing, but be careful.â Overall, they did a good job. The third band was Fear Factory. Great band and performance. Their new, young lead singer from Rome crushed it.
Machine Head quickly proved why they were the only name on the marquee. Robb Flynn is a true rock star. His incredible lead guitar play while growling, spitting, and delivering operatic choruses was masterful. I wish I had a dollar for every time he said Pittsburgh, PA, or a combo; I would have easily paid for my ticket and parking. Truly, every member of the band had a great time entertaining us all. Lastly, their video and lights accompaniment were great, despite being a bit haphazard.
The show was not sold out. My only wish is that MfnH would have performed Darkness Within. The last they played it was a dozen-ish shows back in Seattle.
It was great evening of metal. If you havenât seen MfnH, you should go out of your way. If you havenât been to the Roxian, you must go. Youâll have a blast.