Municipal Waste may have just played one of the most high-energy, raucous shows Detroit has seen in the post-COVID era.
The Richmond, Virginia-based thrashers stormed into the Motor City as part of their Brainsqueeze Tour 2024, honoring the 21st anniversary of the release of their debut album, Waste ‘Em All. The tour name came from a tradition the band had back in the day of bringing together people from all over the world to their local metal scene. And bring people together, they did. Detroit’s Magic Stick was wall-to-wall metal heads, well before the band took the stage.
As you’d expect from a Municipal Waste show, it was electrified energy right out of the gate. The guys started with “The Executioner,” the intro track to the Waste ‘Em All album that launched the band’s career and helped pave the way for a crossover thrash-punk resurgence that hadn’t been seen since the ‘80s.
In some shows, it can take a while for the crowd to get warmed up but not this one. Almost immediately, the circle pit formed and fans started diving off the stage. Vocalist Tony Foresta commented that he normally hates stage diving but he noted the crowd’s excitement and that it clearly was going to be “one of those nights.” The guys then played a mix of classics and new tracks – like the thrash-focused “Mind Eraser” and the hardcore punk “You’re Cut Off” before getting into one of their latest songs, “Grave Dive,” from their 2022 album Electrified Brain. By this time, the circle pit was going full force and fans were passing crowd surfers around the room and the band was feeding off the crowd. Dave Witte was beating the drums with a fury, speed, and precision that you’d think they owed him money. “Nikropolis” Poulos and Ryan Waste raged on their guitars while “Land Phil” Hall matched their pace and drove the rhythm forward.
About halfway through the show, Foresta paused to tell the crowd this had already been the best Detroit gig they had ever played and noted that it was even better than the legendary and now-shuttered rock venue Harpo’s. Waste kept the energy going by diving back into several deep cuts, starting with “Waste ‘Em All,” the title track from their 2003 debut album. That was followed by “Toxic Revolution,” “Drunk as Sh*t,” and “Substitute Creature.”
Foresta went on to tell the crowd that Detroit had given them the best show of the tour so far and said, “New York City, f**k that sh*t!” He said their next song only gets played when the band is having a really good time and called on the circle pit to get even bigger. That song was the relatively new “Nuclear Protection” from 2022’s Electrified Brain.
With the party nearly coming to a close, Waste wrapped up their set with a couple of songs from their sophomore album, aptly titled The Art of Partying, including the title track and “Born to Party.” Once that song wrapped up, Waste fans chanted with bullhorns raised in the air and crowd surfing still ongoing, “Municipal Waste is going to f**k you up! Municipal Waste is going to f**k you up!”
The relentless energy from the crowd ensured there would be an encore. Waste came back with “Demoralizer,” again from Electrified Brain. No one could have possibly left the venue anything resembling demoralized though. This was the type of show that leaves every single person wanting more.
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