The 69 Eyes brought their 30 years of hits to the stage at Fine Line in Minneapolis on January 30, 2020, along with the always chilling Wednesday 13.
The evening started out with Texas natives The Crowned. They brought the heaviest music of the night along with balloons and a blow-up doll as the fifth member.
Up next was the active and Interactive Sumo Cyco. The Toronto based band showed why they were just signed to Napalm Records. Singer Skye Sweetnam and lead guitar player Matt Drake fed off each other during the show when Sweetnam was not airborne on stage or moshing with the crowd. At one point she appeared behind the bar. Her mic reception forced her to reposition herself dead center in the middle of the crowd. Their set was too short but any longer would have been considered a workout for participating crowd members.
The Duke of Spook made his way to the stage under the cover of darkness with only hints of neon paint giving his location away as “Necrophaze” introduced the impending horror show. If you are a virgin to the spectacle that is a Wednesday 13 show, you are in for a soiling. Wednesday and the band tore through a way too short set. The set was comprised of some classics and featured a good sampling of the songs from the new album “Necrophaze.” As the show progressed, I tended to find myself watching people and photographing their reactions to the show. It is like watching a horror movie you have seen before and gauging their reactions someone seeing it for the first time. Some are really in shock when they see some of the imagery mixed with the theatrics that the band brings to their set nightly. One of the best moments in the show is when Wednesday appears with a mask on the back of his head and sings to the crowd while facing away from them. His movements look like that out of The Exorcist. This combined with neon paint covering his body makes for a psychedelic, but yet eerie 45-minute show.
The stage was cleared and the paint cleaned and with a quick drop of the house lights, it was time for The 69 Eyes. Their carrier spans 30+ years and sometimes it is tough to find a good mix of old and new songs to satisfy the entire crowd. The set started with “Two Horns Up” from their latest release West End. The entire set included a total of five songs from the album which set the stage proving their relevance in the modern metal world. Singer Jyrki’s voice sounded amazing still as he hit the notes from songs from years past. The band’s attire has not changed in 30 years, everyone adorning black leather. Some of the highlights of the night included “Perfect Skin,” “Feel Berlin,” “Lost Boys,” and one of my favorites “Wasting the Dawn.”
All in all, it was a great night. Two of my favorite bands on the same stage and in addition to that I added two more bands to my playlist for a future show. The 69 Eyes “Hell Has No Mercy” tour will continue through the end of the month. Check it out you won’t be disappointed.
