Photojournalist: Carrie Bergan

Anyone who works in the music industry knows how busy weekends can be and sometimes most of my Saturdays are spent at a concert. This past Saturday was one of those nights, and it was only my second time inside Milwaukee’s newest and first official Live Nation venue, Landmark Credit Union Live. Dethklok and Amon Amarth are co-headlining for their AmonKlok co-headliner tour with Castle Rat as their opener. These were not bands I was super familiar with, but I was informed by many people that this was not a show I’d want to miss. 

Castle Rat was the first band to take the stage and they were amazing! Their set was about thirty minutes long and featured around five songs. I was given permission to cover the entirety of it, and it’s not something to skip out on. Between each song, vocalist Riley Pinkerton and the Rat Queen told the tale of their kingdom with extra stage theatrics. The star of the show was the Castle Rat. I was so taken aback and in awe of its presence that I almost forgot to take photos when it entered the stage. I was in love with every second and I definitely would love to see them headline a show. If they could command a stage like that in such a short amount of time, I’d love to see what they could do with a longer set. Do not miss Castle Rat. 

I was not approved to cover Amon Amarth but watched their set from the side. 

Dethklok was covered from the soundboard and I had been told by several people that this band was about the screen showings. They are a metal band based on the adult animated television series Metalocalypse. The screens on stage showed clips and moments from the show. Most of the actual band on stage was shrouded in smoke and darkness appearing as silhouettes to the audience. Everyone in the general admission and mosh pit area loved it and sang along to the music.

Unfortunately, due to several issues within the venue, their set was ultimately cut short after the venue’s fire alarms were activated by the amount of haze on stage. After nearly an hour, the venue announced that the show would not be continuing and everyone needed to evacuate the building. I think Dethklok managed to play about seven songs before the night turned into a catastrophe. What was supposed to be a wild night of music in the Deer District left many fans frustrated by the experience.

The venue is issuing full refunds to those in attendance so you should check your spam or junk folders if you have not received word. Fingers crossed that Dethklok can make a more triumphant return to Milwaukee in the near future. 

The AmonKlok Tour still has a few remaining dates if you want to grab tickets. Hopefully you’ll have better luck than me and get a full set. 

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DETHKLOK

photos by Carrie Bergan

CASTLE RAT

photos by Carrie Bergan