Live Review: DOPE, Motograter, and Flaw at Sherman Theater in Stroudsburg, PA

Oh, I had such a crazy night tonight. Here I sit at 12:45AM in my cozy little bedroom with my feet resting under my sheets and I'm wondering, "What a doozy." I had to drive to and fro the concert venue twice for my spiky boots were too spiky and I needed to change shoes, I saw some girl slap her boyfriend (who I presume to be ex-boyfriend now) in the face and saw said girl then crying outside the venue. Lastly, watched as another person got pissed off shouting, "I'M DONE!" after being accidentally bumped by a mosher who was involved in a mosh pit. Whoever knew those things existed at metal concerts...

Anyway, all minor complaints aside that already have me laughing on the inside, the show was absolutely fucking awesome. I came in halfway on the second opening act Twisting Life (again, because I had to run home and change my shoes and then come back) and sadly I can't say much about them. The only song I got to see them perform was a cover song and I didn't even get a chance to hear any of their original material. Sorry guys, maybe I'll get to check you out on the flipside. 

Shortly after their one song I was introduced to the beasts known as Motograter. Seven tribally painted metalheads with enough energy to purge into at least another thousand people was brought onto their set. Each one of them looks psychotic and ready to fucking throw down with the next motherfucker that dared step on their stage. The home made instrument consisting of what seemed like keys, random components, guitar bits, and some bones was something out of a post-apocalyptic wasteland. They dominated and easily won over the crowd and they knew it, so they kept the energy high, spit their drinks into the crowd, and stomped around as much as possible. The red lighting at the beginning of the set easily impressed as it turned them into demonic looking beings paired with their white and black body paint. 

After such a high I was somewhat confused when Flaw came on next. Motograter's performance was absolutely cinematic and could easily be someone else's nightmare. When Flaw came on we got four guys wearing normal metalhead wear. Now, I'm not complaining about that bit because I thought to myself, "It's not the outfit that counts, but the music and energy." But that wasn't all that great either; the crowed riled down, the response was not that terrific, and I even caught a few folks leaving the crowd to piss or talk to Motograter who was at the merch booth. Not saying that they can't perform well, but maybe this set just wasn't their best outing. 

Once they left stage and new equipment was brought out, the lights darkened, and BAM. DOPE was there. They didn't take more than a moment to get the show started, and kick drums, guitar riffs, and just grinding, distorted metal overtook the whole theater. People immediately threw themselves into the mosh pit smashing into each other, the ring, and the floor alike. DOPE kept getting the whole crowd to jump, kept the good times rolling by throwing tons of guitar picks out into the crowd, and had us sing along to their tunes both new and old. Perhaps my favorite part of the set was when Edsel stated that he was "...going to play the dumbest song of all time." He then proceeded to play a cover of 'You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Record)' which not only I, but the whole crowd, sung along to and loved. Edsel, you won me over. 

This reunion tour, from what I can see, is going great. I wish I could have seen the other two opening acts in full, but there's always a next time for that. Motograter and DOPE were absolutely flawless in their performance. I was a little underwhelmed by Flaw, and maybe for future shows they should have Flaw play first, Motograter second, and DOPE as the finale. Next time I just hope I have a better camera so I can get up close and personal with the bands and take better pictures! 

If you're interested in catching Motograter, Flaw, or DOPE on any of their other tour dates you can check out the locations below: