Marilyn Manson Came to Madison

To be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect about Marilyn Manson’s live show.  I like his new album – The Pale Emperor – but have never seen the band perform, and I wondered what the scene would be like.  Would he come out like a bloated Elvis wearing his bespangled jumpsuit, going through the motions? Would he be playing to a small crowd of hardcore fans?  (After all, this was a $50 ticket on a Tuesday night in Madison.)

In fact, the missus deemed him to be “surprisingly fuckable.” And the Orpheum was full of really pumped up fans. The stage set and lighting were dramatic, as was Marilyn Manson’s performance. He was very engaged with the audience and frequently came off the stage and into the crowd, performing with passion and also showing a light-hearted sense of humor. Really entertaining, and rocking hard. It was a big show, and well done.

Here’s one of my favorite tracks from the new album and the show:

Just three more dates on this tour before they head over to Europe, but they will be touring with Smashing Pumpkins this fall. If you get a chance to see Marilyn Manson along the way, I don’t think you will be disappointed.