MuDvAyNe Celebrating 25 years since first album release "L.D. 50"

As the title suggests, Mudvayne is celebrating the quarter century mark since the release of their first album "L.D. 50," which was released on August 22nd of 2000. With the tour spanning approximately a month and a half (September 11 through October 26th), in this entry, we are covering their 3rd stop on this tour - Chicago, IL.

It is incredible to see, and hear, of a band still touring after almost three decades of being together - and as strong as ever. There aren't many words to say for such a feat other than "impressive." The best part of seeing such a legendary band in action is seeing the years worth of practice and experience being put into play - everything from the stage presence and theatrics, all the way to the refinement of the vocals.. performing is an art and doing it in front of a live audience is the best way to get better. And, while I cannot say that I had ever had the opportunity to see Mudvayne live before, it is clear to see that they have a had a lot of practice.

While on the topic of this tour, we of course have to bring up the two bands that were, and will continue to, support Mudvayne. Each of these two openers were absolutely phenomenal, so I can see why they were chosen as supports to this tour.

First up, let's talk about opener #1 - Vended. I almost don't even want to start with the fact that the vocalist is none of the Griffin Taylor, Corey Taylor's son (Slipknot), but once it was pointed out to me, it's like listening to the same person. With that said, I say that as high praise and think that Vended has the ability to grow so much more - especially for a band that was only formed in the late 2010's.

Although the band has been together since 2018, and while they have put out singles and EPs, their first official album was not released until September 20th of 2024. As of writing this, we are two days away from the 1-year anniversary. There are more than just a few years to catch up to that 25-year anniversary, but I am sure that if they continue down their own path, then they will have no problem reaching those huge milestones too.

Finally, we get to the second supporting act, Static-X. From the very beginning, they put on a SHOW! If you can name it, they almost assuredly had it. The music was amazing but it is so easy to get lost in the moment with Static-X. A mix of a high-energy performance, along with an array of LARGE costumes and effects, made their performance feel like a Disneyland for adults.

This whole night felt very magical, in a head-banging Halloween-like way. I really wish I did more crowd work because the crowd was also showing out. It really isn't every day that you get to experience such a high-octane crowd and performances, so be able to capture some of the moments - especially for such great milestones - is such a fulfilling experience.