Co-headlining the Machine Killer tour with Sevendust, Static-X opened their set at The Paramount in Huntington, NY on February 14, 2024 by introducing us to their incredible cast of characters, starting with the Disco Ball Giant. From there, the band came on stage and broke into Hollow, with masked singer Xer0 performing from the top of a metal podium, while a blizzard of soap bubbles snowed down all around us. And then, it just got weirder.

The thing about a Static-X show is it’s not so much a concert as it is a fever dream, complete with a 10 foot tall Frankenstein, a giant with a double-sided pumpkin head, and an X-headed character shooting colored smoke into the crowd with his smoke gun. Add to that other little sensory experiences, like bubbles floating down that break when they touch you and let out little puffs of smoke, and it starts to feel like you’re in a remake of Alice in Wonderland, except this time Alice is really into industrial metal. Sure, the music is great, and absolutely there are all the concert standards of crowd surfing and circle pits, but that’s not even the most interesting part. The visual and creative experience trumps all of that and makes you feel like part of the show.

Taking a break from the festivities, the one somber moment of the show was during the performance of Cold. The band dedicated the song to former frontman Wayne Static, who died in 2014, and played a video tribute to him on the screens behind the band during the song. While the audience cheered at the tribute, it was very obvious that Static was truly loved and missed.

In all, this was probably one of the most interesting music experiences I’ve been to in a long time, and I cannot wait for them to come back to town so I can see them again.

Review & Pix by I’m Music Magazine Photographer Amanda Packey