Super Bowl Night of Metal at X-Ray Arcade
I really don’t follow sports at all. If it’s on the TV, then I’ll watch it. I do enjoy a good basketball game, but I’m not a dedicated fan of any of them. I do root for all Wisconsin teams, as I have lived in Milwaukee for over three years now. I completely forgot that the Left to Suffer concert was the same night as the Super Bowl, which happened to be the New England Patriots vs the Seattle Seahawks. I had confirmed with the venue that the game would be playing at the show, so between sets and when I needed a breather, I did go watch the game. I even managed to catch the halftime show featuring Bad Bunny and special guest Lady Gaga & Ricky Martin. It was well done and super fun to watch. I gasped when Lady Gaga appeared because she is queen. It was such a fun collaboration with Bad Bunny to watch on television.
Photos By: Carrie BerganI will also state that I was mostly at the show to catch two of the openers play, Errors of Humanity and The Last Ten Seconds of Life. I was very interested in seeing Left to Suffer, and I wasn’t familiar with the third opener, Larcenia Roe. There was supposed to be another band, but they dropped off the lineup, which I found out after I arrived at the venue. It was very clearly a full show as the room was crowded, and due to an act no longer playing, it meant the time between doors to start time was longer than normal.
I was antsy by the time Errors of Humanity took the stage, and I think the rest of the crowd was too. The pit opened up immediately from the very get-go. The metal scene is a very welcoming community, and I love the crowds. Errors of Humanity are from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and their set was amazing. I have seen them several times now, and they do not disappoint between the energy and connection with the audience. This Sunday night was off to an amazing start, and I think the audience shared the same vibes with the band.
Next up was Larcenia Roe, and I had never heard of them, but boy was I hooked. The drummer sported a horror-esque mask, and from eavesdropping amongst other attendees, they pushed the horror-metal feels in their sound. I definitely heard that, and it was all fitting. The most pit continued to conquer the floor space in front of the stage, where there were few corner spots to avoid the massive energy.
The final opener was The Last Ten Seconds of Life. I had seen and photographed this band once before in 2023. I was super excited to see them again. I had been streaming their latest release, “The Dead Ones,” on repeat since it came out. It’s a very good single. They played it during their set, and hearing the track played live was everything. I love getting hooked on a song before hearing it live because it’s such an amazing feeling, knowing it's absolutely going to be played live. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you absolutely should. I hung out in the back after the first three songs of each band because the crowd was super rowdy and not exactly my goal to get pushed over while holding a very expensive camera. It was during The Last Ten Seconds of Life when the stage divers and crowd surfers emerged. I was wondering if anyone would have the guts to start that because no one likes being the first person, usually, and it takes a lot of courage to muster that action, because sometimes it’s not always well-received. It was received well, and more people joined in on the fun.
Up until now, the bands had decent lighting. I was almost too hopeful because by the time Left to Suffer took the stage, it was darkened and all red. Their set was brilliant and amazing, but by then I was entirely worn out from a long weekend and already dodging this crazy crowd, so I bailed after two songs. I loved their set and hope to catch them again when I have more energy to join in. The entire show was a super Sunday night, and congrats to the Seahawks for defeating the Patriots. I wasn’t really rooting for anyone, but someone has to win, and someone’s gotta lose. Bad Bunny was an amazing time, and I honestly wish I could have been one of the giant grass background characters. It looked like an absolute blast.
