Grand Rapids, MI – 20 Feb 2024
Thousands gather to celebrate the legacy of the Abbott brothers and music of Pantera.
I've talked about the one small benefit of being older – I got to see a lot of great bands in their prime. You'd be irritated to hear how many mostly still intact bands I saw for $20 or less. However, there is a downside – I struggle with paying today's prices for diminished versions of the same bands. Case in point, the recently reunited Pantera.
Love them or hate them, Pantera were THE metal band of the ‘90s. When Metallica started wearing makeup and chasing the alt-rock money, Pantera kept the heavy metal faith. I saw them a handful of times as both an opener and a headliner, and they were certainly a force to be reckoned with live.
The band split up in the early 2000s, and guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell was tragically murdered on stage in 2004. The other founding member, his brother Vinnie Paul, died of a heart attack in 2018. Those two were the heart and soul of the band, and it was hard to imagine Pantera without them. Fast forward to 2023. Somehow classic lineup singer Phil Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown brought Pantera back from the grave.
I was glad to see that their current tour was coming close to me at the Van Andel Arena in downtown Grand Rapids on Tuesday February 20th, but the tickets were expensive. Many were over $100. Even some of the upper level “cheap seats” were running $80 or $90 with fees. Apparently I wasn't the only one feeling the pinch. I assume it was slower than expected sales that forced the promotion that got us seats for about $30 total.
Pantera have been touring with Lamb of God as direct support, but they've also been giving some lesser known bands the opening slot. The Grand Rapids show featured Detroit punk/metal/noise weirdos Child Bite, who record for Anselmo's Housecore Records. I'm a big fan of this long-running quartet, but had never seen them play for more than a couple hundred people. I was certainly curious to see how they would do on the massive stage.
The GR metal audience was surprisingly welcoming to the spastic quartet. I've known these people to be quite fickle. (I once saw them mercilessly boo the Melvins opening for Tool.) Child Bite would get into a good groove, and then shoot off in an unfamiliar direction. Their half hour set time didn't let them wear out their welcome. Check them out if you're open to something a little stranger.
Lamb of God were up next. I've seen them several times, but I'm not a fan. In this case, I was clearly in the minority. Most people really enjoyed their nearly one hour set. I know these guys are an important part of the current metal landscape and I respect what they do, but they've just never resonated with me,
Pantera's intro was a video of the Abbott brothers in their prime, doing what they do best – having fun. Then came “In Heaven”, the creepy song from the cult movie Eraserhead. When the curtain dropped, Anselmo, Brown, Wylde and Benante launched into “A New Level”. Current guitarist Zakk Wylde is best known for his long tenure in Ozzy Osborne's band. Current drummer Charlie Benante has been pounding the skins for Anthrax for more than 40 years. There's no question that these guys have the musical chops for the gig.
From the beginning it was obvious that this was a real band, not a bunch of famous musicians showing off. It was refreshing to see rock stars sacrifice their egos in service to the songs. Wylde did a little extra jamming at the end of a couple of songs, but there was no extended guitar solo. The setlist was basically the greatest hits, focusing on Cowboys From Hell (1990), Vulgar Display Of Power (1991) and Far Beyond Driven (1994).
Anselmo looked as comfortable as he might have in his own living room, in shorts and a T-shirt with no socks or shoes. Ditto Benante, who looked like he was on his way home from the gym. Brown still has his long hair, even if it's mostly gray. Wylde resembles a muscular, sparkly biker. The air in the venue was thick, and it was hard to tell where the pyro smoke ended and the cannabis smoke started.
The quartet ripped through fan favorites like “Mouth For War”, “I'm Broken”, “5 Minutes Alone”, “This Love” and regular set closer “Cowboys From Hell”. All eyes were on the video screens during “Floods”, where Dimebag and Vinnie were very much alive and well, having the time of their lives. Anselmo seemed genuinely grateful for the second chance and love from the crowd.
My biggest fear about the Pantera reunion was that it would feel tacky. There were a lot of hard feelings surrounding the initial breakup, and I'm not sure that any hatchets were buried before the Abbott brothers left the mortal coil. Fortunately, it felt really natural. Maybe more of a celebration of the music more than a true reunion. “Fucking Hostile” was the single song encore. After 75 minutes or so, the headbanging crowd left happy.
Confessions of a merch whore: I refuse to buy anything at arena shows. They can keep their $40 T-shirts, $15 beers and even $5 bottles of water.
Part-time punk writer, suburban dad and angry old man. Follow my adventures on the Punk Till I Die podcast!