Ever since Adema announced their return with new vocalist Ryan Shuck, there’s been quite a buzz. A well deserved buzz. When the announcement was made they were going on tour with Powerman 5000 and Hed PE, I was immediately stoked. Oh, a date in Vegas too?? I’m SO there. Wait, what… an invitation to cover the show? Well god fucking damn. I’m on my way now!

Once Adema hit the Vamp’D stage and started slaying through only their classics from 2001-2003, I think it was safe to say that we all knew they were back. After all the in and out off and on with Marky Chavez for the last 15+ years, this band needed someone to put their feet on the ground and actually start taking some steps again. Ryan Shuck has done just that. It’s a shame it took so long, but better now than never. I think we’re all ready for some new tunes, Adema included.

Hed PE slowed the pace down for the night. Mostly anyway. It’s hard not to appreciate Jared’s live performances. He’s super entertaining to watch and listen to. Whether he’s rapping, screaming, or laying down some reggae, he’s the got the voice to master it all. About midway through the set, the pit started. Unfortunately, many people and most bands aren’t told about the absolutely no moshing rule in Vamp’D… So security instantly jumped in and got aggressive and earned their dollars this night. Jared eventually stopped the set while the smoke cleared (yes, pun intended). He wasn’t aware, so shit calmed down again and we watched the rest of their set in peace.

In the last 14 years, I’ve seen Powerman 5000 17 times. Crazy really, because I remember the 1st one like it just happened. In those 17 times, I’ve seen them play to 25 people as well as sold out shows. From Los Angeles to Toronto. On their worst night, they’ve still been awesome. Spider has had an extensive list of bandmates, and I’ve basically seen all but the original cast. Currently, drummer DJ Rattan and bassist Murv are the longest tenured, with guitarist Ty Oliver falling just under them. They have fun and you can see it and feel it. Powerman 5000 are a well oiled machine, and even on the nights where Spider has a rough voice from touring and being sick, guess what? Still a memorable bad ass performance.

They busted out 2 brand new songs, 1 of which will be released as a single/video soon. Yep! New music and album coming hopefully next year. Nothing before 1999 was played. I think for the 1st time ever, “Nobody’s Real” wasn’t played. Surprisingly, neither was “Sid Vicious in a Dress”. But, many of their other staples were present, like “Supernova Goes Pop”, “Invade Destroy Repeat”, “How to be a Human”, “Hey That’s Right”, “Horror Show”, “Super Villain”, “V is for Vampire”, and obviously… “Bombshell” and “When Worlds Collide”.

Yo Spider, when are you going to re-record “Horror Show” the way that you play it live? Asking for everybody.

In all seriousness, this was a super sweet touring package and it wasn’t hard to tell how much everyone loved it. I’d argue that it should’ve been in a slightly larger venue. As always, I look forward to the next time!

*Side note* There were a ton of great photos taken. I’m going to post the rest in a separate article, which will be the interview with Ryan and Tim from Adema. Also, you’ll see some at Instagram.com/AudioVein

Review by Marcus Miller, photos by Casey Jade

#Powerman5000 #PM5K #Adema #HedPE #LasVegas #VampD