The anticipation of the crowd was building for the show to begin. This was the moment they had patiently waited for. The final show of the run for The 69 Eyes, Wednesday 13, Sumo Cyco, and special guests the Suicide Puppets would happen here at the Reverb in Reading, PA.
The lights dim and the Suicide Puppets, a local six-piece Metal band from central Pennsylvania, take the stage greeted by an attentive audience. They started their six-song set with ‘Jesus Loves Me’ and showed everyone exactly why they recently earned the first annual Central Pennsylvania Music Award (CPMA) for Best Metal Band. They kept up their high energy pace throughout their set which set expectations high for more to come.
The next band to take the stage was Sumo Cyco, a female-fronted four-piece Punk Rock and Heavy Metal band based in Ontario, Canada. Vocalist Skye Sweetnam is vibrant and excels at interacting with her audience. She makes full use of the stage as well as erases the line between the band and the audience as she makes her way out into the crowd on the shoulder of lead guitarist Matt Drake while he continues to play without missing a note! They played a nine-song set to an enthusiastic audience and asked if they had any new Sumo Cyco fans in the crowd to which the response indicated a resounding yes!
Next on the stage, the audience is excited to welcome Wednesday 13, a five-man Horror Punk and Heavy Metal band from Hollywood, CA who is touring to support their latest release Necrophaze (Nuclear Blast Records). This band is known for its theatrical stage presence and tonight was no exception. Frontman Wednesday 13 is covered in glowing body paint and goes through several outfit changes throughout their performance. From a black ski mask to another face mask that is worn backwards for dramatic effect while he moves about making seemingly unnatural moves, definitely engrossed his audience. He also dons a cape and swings a long glowing pitchfork rhythmically to the music commanding everyone’s attention. To add to the horror visual, at one point he pulls glowing worms out of his head and throws them into the crowd much to their delight!
The audience now is ready for the headliner, The 69 Eyes, to take the stage to support their album West End (Nuclear Blast Records). The multi-platinum Gothic Rock band hails from Helsinki, Finland and is also affectionately known as the “Helsinki Vampires”. They have been making music together since 1989 and are celebrating their thirty-year band history! Their newest full-length record features guest vocalist and tour mate Wednesday 13. Their fourteen song set began with ‘Two Horns Up’ which was a treat to their fans who appreciate their dark brooding and melodic style. Dressed in black leathers and sunglasses, frontman Jyrki 69’s baritone vocals really complement their vampire-like ballads. Their song selection was heavy on their newest release, but also represented their rich history well with favorites from five of their previous albums.
If you missed this amazing lineup at the Reverb, you can catch The 69 Eyes as they head overseas to continue their tour there. Wednesday 13 is also heading overseas in the near future and is planning their headliner tour to commence in the U.S. over the summer.
Set Lists:
The 69 Eyes
Two Horns Up
Never Say Die
Black Orchid
Perfect Skin
Betty Blue
Borderline
Hell Has No Mercy
Crashing High
The Chair
Cheyenna
Wasting The Dawn
27 & Done
Feel Berlin
Brandon Lee
Encore:
Framed In Blood
Dance D’Amour
Lost Boys