Mudvayne is finally back on the road again as “The Psychotherapy Sessions" tour marks their first headlining tour in over fourteen years! The band recently reunited in 2021 after going on hiatus back in 2010. While this tour marks Mudvayne’s first run as a lone headliner since 2009, the band did co-headline the “Freaks on Parade Tour” with Rob Zombie in 2022. “The Psychotherapy Session” tour felt more like a festival with such a stacked lineup featuring support from Coal Chamber, GWAR, Nonpoint, and Butcher Babies!
With five bands on the bill, the show started a little earlier than normal with the Butcher Babies hitting the stage around 5:30 pm. Formed in Los Angeles, Butcher Babies is fronted by Carla Harvey and Heidi Shepherd and are backed by Henry Flury on guitar, Chase Brickenden on drums, and Rocky Bonazza on bass. Carla and Heidi are so drop-dead gorgeous with such powerful vocal range and dynamic interactions with the crowd!
Nonpoint always comes out on stage looking super sharp! The last time we saw them they were wearing all white, and this time they were wearing all red. Their uniform with each other gives their performance such class. Nonpoint is another band whose energy is just so mesmerizing to watch with all of their long hair and constant movement. Drummer Robb Rivera has his kit facing sideways so he is able to interact with fans more. It’s a really interesting setup because I’ve never seen another drummer do this before him. They closed their set with the classic “Bullet With a Name”.
If I were to just tell you about the events that took place at a GWAR show with zero context, you would think I’m insane.
Because like, where else can you watch a man run around in a G-String, a Monkey get his dick cut off by said G-string man, and see Putin getting his nipples ripped off!? I heard a few people talking in the crowd saying that they had never heard of GWAR before. They were definitely in for a surprise then especially since GWAR covers you in “blood” for like 90% of their set. Even if you somehow managed to stay dry during most of their performance, they make sure to get you with their final song which was a cover of AC/DC’s “If You Want Blood (You’ve Got It)! Even if you didn’t want blood… You Got It!
Coal Chamber has been an on and off band over the last several years. Even frontman Dez Fafara joked about how they have a reunion every 15 years or so. They recently reunited to play at the Sick New World Festival in Las Vegas and became a part of the Psychotherapy Sessions tour shortly after that. This tour actually marks their first proper tour in eight years! The lights dimmed as the theme from the movie Halloween started playing. There’s nothing more ominous than hearing that song at an open amphitheater and I love it! The band came out and kicked things off with “Loco.” Bassist Nadja Peulen wore an elegant, silver, sleeveless dress with long black gloves and her hair flowed so gracefully in the wind, It was like something you could only see in the movies! Midway through their set, Dez asked, “Who The Fuck Wants To Drive With Me?” right before launching into 1997’s “Big Truck.” They “set the roof on fire” closing out their set with “Sway.”
The lights dropped and a giant curtain with Mudvayne’s logo glowed above the stage.
The current dropped revealing the band going straight into “Not Falling.” Lead singer Chad Gray has such an iconic look with his signature overalls, face paint, and newly added multi-colored dreads. It’s such a creepy and intriguing look that is so mesmerizing to look at! As they played their second song, ”Not Falling,” Chad almost immediately jumped into the pit and stood on the barricade high fiving and grabbing hands. He stood up there pretty much the whole song, making sure that every fan was noticed and acknowledged. In between songs, Chad had made several speeches throughout the night talking about the importance of mental health and taking care of each other. Something he kept repeating was, “The world is a better place with me in it.” He said that you had to believe that too. You could say it over and over again but it’s not going to work unless the belief is there. At the end of their set, After repeatedly asking them “Can you dig it?,” the band went into 2000’s “Dig.” The final song of the night was “Happy?,” from their 2005 album Lost and Found. The Psychotherapy Sessions Tour still has about a week left until it closes out on August 26th in Englewood, CO.
Remaining dates on The Psychotherapy Sessions tour:
Aug 20th - Reno, NV – Grand Theatre
Aug 22nd - Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheater
Aug 23rd - Ridgefield, WA – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
Aug 25th - West Valley City, UT – USANA Amphitheater
Aug 26th - Englewood, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheater
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