The inimitable shock rocker was in Denver this past Wednesday, Feb 11 — and we learned a few things while we were there …
Sweat marked shirts and red, drooping eyes mark the crowd as a lone protagonist chants his name with ear-piercing fandom and glory. People trip over one another in their laced up Doc Martens while a bearded giant howls over the top of everyone else about how many beers “this gut’s able to hold” — and we’re still only in line to get into the venue …
A Marilyn Manson show is an all-encompassing type of spectacle. For blocks each way from the Fillmore fans decked in black could be seen descending on the building with a smile across each of their faces that only comes when an expected night of elite entertainment is near. Everyone — from the youngest of the tweens tagging along with parents, to the oldest, grey haired man with a Filter hat on — were there to engage.
Engage in what, it would seem, was the only probable question running through everyone’s mind. What had Marilyn Manson become after all these years — and — would it be the same media-churning spectacle we had all come to expect of him in this state (a state which had once before tried to ban the artist altogether)?
We were curious, too, and managed to get inside before the house jammed itself tight with revelers old and new. While we were there we learned a few things, not just about the show, but about the crowds Manson still attracts and a few reminders of our short time on this thing we call Earf.
– Parking around the Fillmore / Ogden is worthless
Honestly, this probably isn’t anything we have to get into much detail about. Everyone already knows. With the growing gentrification of the city and businesses actually able to open up and attract paying customers along that stretch of Colfax, it’s made it all but impossible to find even the quickest of spots to park. A mechanic’s lot across the street from the Ogden wanted $35 dollars to use it — that’s a weeks worth of groceries. Seriously, fuck that.
– Seeing your icons in their prime > Seeing your icons when they’re older
It’s sad, aging is. Even though we’ll all go through it and it’s likely not half bad once you get there, the reality is we’re all finite in our time here and Manson is no different. We hadn’t been out to see him live before, unfortunately, and were really looking forward to hearing that iconic screech of his through the sound system. Rampant issues of the mics aside, he didn’t seem as he was all there physically — and that’s a shame. We’ve seen other legends get older too, and watching them go after that bit of glory like it was when they were younger is a rough thing to watch. It’s not their fault, really, but it detracts from the experience as a whole.
– Marilyn Manson is still the living epitome of his craft
Bitching about longevity aside, Marilyn Manson is truly still the ruler of the shock rock genre. There will never be another Marilyn Manson, especially not one who will be able to make such a ruckus in a heyday wrought with people worried about artists forcing kids to shoot-up schools with lyrics. What happened during the beginning of his tenure is perennial to how we go about our lives now; and he’ll forever go down as the one who came through it all.
– Rock crowds have a lot in common with hip-hop crowds
We’re big fans of hip-hop, and even bigger fans of hip-hop crowds. They’re peaceful, pleasant and always willing to spark up … conversation … with anyone about anything. Call it the power of music, or whatever, but we’d much rather sit and converse with a hip-hop head at his/her favorite show than someone in, say, an indie rock phase or whatever they want to call it. Not to entirely diss on other genres that bad, but we have our own experiences we go by.
The crowd at the Marilyn Manson show wasn’t any different from a hip-hop show. More black shirts and longer, unkempt beards, but all in all everyone we spoke with had an addictive energy about them and was enjoying themselves without any ego getting in the way.
– Time travel isn’t possible, but time pause-el is
It was like walking into 1999 all over again. The torn shirts from rock tours past, large pipe-legged pants and white guy dreads were all over the place. Spend any time on South Broadway or North Denver (“The Highlands” now, we guess?) and the carnival of rotating fashion is enough to give a baby motion sickness. Everyone has to be dressed one way this week and this way the next. Sometimes it’s too hip for its own good. Not with this crowd. This crowd was done up exactly how they would have been on a Manson 2000 tour. It was refreshing.
Notable happenings:
- The sound was terrible and Manson looked as if he stormed off a few times in disgust
- We counted 3 tambourines being ripped open by Manson and his butcher knife through the set
- Oh yeah, Manson had a butcher knife as a microphone, and a flashlight, and some other shit
- The Fillmore sells Oskar Blues — we approve
- Always use the north side bar behind the stage — trust us
- That said, the best time to buy a t-shirt or drink is always during the most popular songs.
Long live Manson, and long live Rock ‘n’ Roll … \m/
Photos/Videos from Instagram users: @Warpath23 and @m9r1a10mmy
Leave a Reply