By Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa
Live Review: The Birthday Massacre with Julien-K – The Orpheum, Tampa, Florida – March 23 2022
Toronto-based electro dark wave veterans The Birthday Massacre (TBM) are on tour across the U.S. with Julien-K and Rock At Night was lucky to catch them at the Orpheum in Ybor City, Tampa. We recently reviewed a single “Dreams of You” from their 9th studio album Fascination and you can see it HERE.
Wednesday is usually an off night in Ybor City, the nightclub district in Tampa. However, the venerable venue The Orpheum was packed from floor to the balcony with people dressed in black lace, platforms, and the usual Goth fare. Tampa has always been a city that embraces Goth and counterculture which had its heyday in the 90s with the opening of the bar The Castle.
We were lucky to catch Julien-K, the Long Beach band that consists of former Orgy members Amir Derakh and Ryan Shuck. The crowd appeared very receptive (lots of head bopping) to the band that put on one hell of a show amid tons of smoke and colored lights. Shuck was a maniac as he danced, slinked across the floor, belted out tunes, and eventually ripped off his jacket to reveal a ripped up leather shirt. His voice was superb and his stage presence reeked of charisma. Their music sounded like NIN at times but with heavy influences of Depeche Mode and Marilyn Manson. The lyrics to the song “Stronger Without You” really hit home—and I wondered if it was a jab at former Orgy lead singer Jay Gordon.
Shuck was very appreciative of the audience and noted how receptive Florida crowds are to the band. He noted the last song was one of Orgy’s hits as the entire place was dancing. After the set ended, I overheard this conversation between Millennials:
Millennial 1: What was that song? Does anybody have an idea?
Millennial 2: I think it was New Order.
Millennial 1: New what?
Millennial 2: New Order. Let’s look them up to find the song.
Me: Guys, it’s “Blue Monday” by New Order.
“Blue Monday” was actually recorded 40 years ago—1982.
Wearing newly purchased The Birthday Massacre t-shirts, the crowd went wild as TBM performed a roster of songs that spanned 20 years. Chibi and the band performed songs like “Superstition”, “Destroyer”, “Blue”, and “Fascination”. One of my favorite songs was “Video Kid” from the album Nothing & Nowhere (2002). The keyboard player got the crowd clapping at specific intervals in the song.
During one of the songs, an audience member handed Chibi black rabbit ears to wear. Some may know the band’s mascot is a killer rabbit and the color purple is their trademark.
TBM turned The Orpheum into a dance party and again proved that Tampa is very welcoming to Goth or dark wave music. Try to catch the tour as the band makes their way north toward Pennsylvania in early April.
Photo Gallery
The Birthday Massacre
Julien-K
The Birthday Massacre 2022 U.S. tour dates:
February 24 — New York, NY @ (Le) Poisson Rouge
February 25 — Pittsburgh, PA @ The Crafthouse
February 26 — Hamtramck, MI @ Small’s
February 27 — Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
March 1 — Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Music Cafe
March 3 — Indianapolis, IN @ Emerson Theatre
March 4 — Kansas City, MO @ BLVD
March 5 — Denver, CO @ The Oriental Theater
March 6 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Soundwell
March 8 — Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
March 9 — Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theatre
March 11 — San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill
March 12 — West Hollywood, CA @ The Whisky a Go Go
March 13 — San Diego, CA @ Brick By Brick
March 15 — Mesa, AZ @ Nile Theater
March 17 — Dallas, TX @ Amplified Live
March 18 — Austin, TX @ Come And Take It Live
March 19 — Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
March 22 — West Palm Beach, FL @ Respectables
March 23 — Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
March 25 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
March 26 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Hell)
March 27 — Nashville, TN @ The Basement East
March 29 — Virginia Beach, VA @ Elevation 27
March 30 — Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Sound Stage
March 31 — Cambridge, MA @ The Middle East
April 1 — Parsippany, NJ @ Dark Side Of The Con
April 2 — Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedraft’s Brewing
SOCIAL MEDIA
The Birthday Massacre
Julien-K
I grew up in a household full of rock music, studied journalism in college, and then became a scientist.Although my science career has served me well, music has always played a major role in my life. I grew up reading "Creem" magazine; I play several musical instruments as a "hobby";and it seems a camera has always been in my hand. Now, I am combining what I love the most--music and photography--serving as editor of Rock At Night. I travel between the US and UK seeking my dream! My motto: life is short...no regrets. Chyrisse
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