Metal thrashing mad

There is something special about seeing one of your favorite bands perform live. Especially when they don't come to town often enough for your liking.

Anthrax was in the Eagles Ballroom opening up for Megadeth and Slayer. Three of the four bands that made up the Big 4 tour (Metallica being the fourth), stopped in Milwaukee with the American Carnage Tour. Thrash metal had come home.

Of the 3 bands playing, Anthrax is easily my favorite. I would rather see Anthrax perform than any of the other 3. It may be the fact they don't play Milwaukee that often. Or it could be that they were my introduction to thrash metal over 20 years ago.

Anthrax moshed it up for just over 40 minutes last night. It was 40 minutes that I savored. Time slowed down as I watched the march around the stage. They were feeling the music, not just playing it. They let their emotion slow through their fingers and there legs. It was a mutual show. Anthrax seemed to enjoy playing as much as the crowd did.

And that is what made their performance so great in my eyes.

When a band is not just playing for a crowd, but with the crowd, feeding off its energy, the show goes off into a different tangent. They want to get louder, harder, more powerful. The fists get pumped into the air, the mosh pit opens up, and bodies get tossed about. It makes watching the crowd from atop as part of the show.

Of course I wish Anthrax would have played a full show. With a new album coming out next year, hopefully they come back to town and give the crowd what they want. Again.