Concert Recap: Wednesday 13's "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" Tour in Raleigh, NC (April 5, 2025)

I've waxed poetic about artists like Alice Cooper and Ice Nine Kills several times on here, but an artist I hold in similar regard that I haven't really covered until recently is Wednesday 13. My introduction to Wednesday 13's music and the impact it had on me is a story for another time in the near future, but to make a long story short, having grown up with artists like Cooper and Marilyn Manson on constant repeat, it was a matter of time until I made my way to the Duke of Spook's discography. In simplest terms, his music came into my life at the right time and revived my passion for both rock music and horror films, which I still credit to this day as one of the catalyst circumstances for me having the ambition to start Dead Noise in the first place. Needless to say, I've been waiting for the chance to see him live for quite some time, and that chance finally arrived over the weekend in Raleigh, NC, at the midpoint of his only US tour of the year, the cross-country "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" run.

First things first, the venue was the perfect place to see Wednesday 13 for the first time – I was already interested in visiting Chapel of Bones for a few months after seeing their stuff pop up on my Instagram feed, so I was ecstatic to learn that Wednesday 13 would be playing there. The gothic/horror-inspired decor was even more impressive in person than online, and it made for a fantastic backdrop for a show like this. With it feeling like forever since the last show at my hometown venue, Hooligans Live in Jacksonville, NC, it felt nice to visit a new venue that hosts similar artists. I'd heard good things about Chapel of Bones from a couple friends that have performed or photographed shows there, and I had an equally positive experience at this show. In my limited interactions with the staff, they were all really nice and helpful, and I'm looking forward to attending another show there in the future.

There also aren't many artists that I've gone the VIP route for, mainly because of the pricing on top of the cost of the tickets themselves (along with hotels for the bigger out-of-town shows), but it was a no-brainer to do VIP for Wednesday 13. Not only was this a rare circumstance in which the VIP actually includes a ticket to the show, but everything was super smooth. I've seen a few different VIP sessions over the years, and this was easily the nicest one I've been a part of – Wednesday 13 took his time talking with each fan in line, never made anyone feel rushed, and signed anything and everything that was brought to the table. I wasn't sure if there would be an item limit so I just brought a small stack of 5 of his albums, and he had no problem signing each of them while we talked about his upcoming album and how he brought back his cult-classic single "Xanaxtasy" for it. It was also really cool to learn that he actually played in my hometown around 20 years ago. His merch manager did a great job as his VIP assistant and keeping things running smooth by taking pictures for everyone in line, helping to put CD booklets and other things back in their cases after they were signed, and selling merch to everyone before doors opened. It was an awesome experience, and I'd definitely do it again if the opportunity presented itself.

Once the general admission doors opened, it was finally showtime – despite what was on the flyer for this show, Dead Rabbitts kicked things off due to what seemed like an abrupt cancellation from opener I Ya Toyah. I've been an Escape the Fate fan for a while, so getting to hear Craig Mabbitt's vocals in a live setting was great. Dead Rabbitts has a heavier and more experimental sound than Escape the Fate, and Mabbitt's vocals are extremely powerful with this material. Even with the masks on, his voice could still be heard clear as day, from his insane screams to his reposeful cleans. This was my first time seeing Dead Rabbitts, but it definitely won't be the last – they set the bar super high with their performance, and I'd love to see them as a headliner one of these days. A lot of their setlist was made up of tracks from their brand-new album Redefined, including the singles "Oxygen," "Artificial Gods," and "Hellscape," with the latter featuring Mixi from Stitched Up Heart joining the band onstage.

Speaking of Stitched Up Heart, I've got nothing but respect for the band after watching them pull double-duty playing in both Dead Rabbitts and Stitched Up Heart for this show – I'm sure it's not easy having to do two sets in one night, but I can't imagine having to do them back to back. That being said, the band absolutely killed it for both sets. Guitarist Merritt Goodwin has a very stoic and generally "locked in" stage presence, with his guitar skills honestly speaking for themselves, and bassist Randy Mathias is constantly moving around and banging his head while performing. As a bass hobbyist, it's a lot of fun watching him do his thing while still managing to play his parts precisely. Mixi is also an incredible frontwoman, captivating the audience from the very beginning of their set and keeping the energy up the entire time (there was even a moment where she crowd-surfed towards the end of their set).

I had also heard good things about the band's new drummer, Delaney Jaster, and had a good time talking with her before and after the show, but nothing could've prepared me for her drumming ability and overall energy onstage – from a photography standpoint, it was a fun challenge getting any photos of her in focus because of how animated she is while playing, and she did such a great job in keeping the band together during both sets. She's definitely a perfect fit for a band like Stitched Up Heart, and with this being her first tour, to say her professional future is bright would be an understatement.

I've seen Stitched Up Heart live only one other time, last year at Hooligans for one of their one-off headliner shows while they were touring with Steel Panther last spring, and they were even better this past weekend, which is saying a lot because I thoroughly enjoyed seeing them last year. Their setlist was relatively similar to the last time I saw them, with the exception of some new material being played at this show, which made me even more excited for what they have coming soon. It's felt like a while since the release of their last album, To the Wolves, so it was cool to get a preview of what they're doing next. It was also a lot of fun seeing my friend Klover Jackson again, who's doing merch and photography for both Dead Rabbitts and Stitched Up Heart (check out her work here, it's amazing). The band put on another great set and were a fantastic fit for direct support for Wednesday 13, and I hope to see them again soon.

Dead Rabbitts and Stitched Up Heart did their jobs really well, with the crowd ready for the Duke of Spook. Every Wednesday 13 tour is different, but the marketing for the "There's No Such Thing As Monsters" Tour over the past few months did a pretty good job of letting fans know what to expect from the setlist, stating that many songs from his debut solo record Transylvania 90210: Songs of Death, Dying, and the Dead will be played in celebration of the album's 20th anniversary. His days in Murderdolls are also acknowledged with a "Best of Murderdolls" block at the end of the set, and three singles from his upcoming album Mid Death Crisis (out April 25 via Napalm Records) make an appearance as well. With plenty of sonic ground to cover just with those three bullet points, that doesn't leave a lot of room for other eras of his discography to be represented, but even as a hardcore fan who loves all of his work, I can confirm that it still feels like a complete show with an amazing and memorable set. My dream setlist contained a fair amount of Transylvania 90210 tracks, so this was honestly probably the perfect tour for me to experience my first Wednesday 13 show. It's been a long time since some of these Transylvania 90210 cuts have been played live, including two of my all-time favorites, "God Is a Lie" and "The Ghost of Vincent Price," so to be treated to deep cuts like this is nothing short of epic. To pick just a couple other favorite moments setlist-wise, "From Here to the Hearse" (along with the clever nod to Alice Cooper's "Under My Wheels" at the end of the song) was an unexpected surprise, and "Love at First Fright" was probably my favorite track from the "Best of Murderdolls" set. There honestly wasn't a weak moment in the entire show, so it's a good problem to have so much difficulty picking favorite parts of the set.

Wednesday 13's band is phenomenal as well, with Jason "Shakes" West never missing a beat on the drumset, and guitarists Ashes and Jack Tankersley musically complimenting each other flawlessly. Again, as a bass hobbyist, I loved bassist Troy Doebbler's stage presence and musical execution throughout the set. The backing vocals from all three guitarists also added another layer to the performance as well. In a lot of ways, Wednesday 13's voice is the same as it's always been, but the lower end of his vocal range has had much more prominence in the later half of his career, so it was cool to hear a lot of these older songs have a more resonant tone on the low end compared to how the original recordings sound, which was further amplified with the backing vocals from Ashes, Tankersley, and Doebbler.

I've seen my fair share of rock and metal legends over the years, and Wednesday 13 is without a doubt one of the most energetic frontmen I've seen live, easily up there with the likes of Rob Zombie – even during the Murderdolls block at the end of the show, he was still swiftly parading around the stage and remarkably light on his feet during songs like "Slit My Wrist" and "Dead in Hollywood." With Wednesday 13 himself being a North Carolina native, it made the experience of seeing him live at a location like this even more momentous – in such an intimate venue in his homestate, he seemed to feed off the energy of the audience, and vice versa. I loved seeing and hearing the audience's excitement during the show from beginning to end, singing along to every deep cut and new single.

I've been wanting to see Wednesday 13 live for what feels like forever now, so to finally check him off the concert bucketlist was a phenomenal experience, made even better at a venue like Chapel of Bones, along with an impressively solid support lineup and unforgettable celebratory setlist. As one of my most anticipated shows of 2025, it definitely delivered and is already an obvious concert highlight of the year. I'm looking forward to seeing him and the band again in the future, and keeping my fingers crossed for a return to Virginia Beach or the Carolinas next year. With this being his only American tour this year, I'm anxiously curious to see what 2026 has in store for his schedule. Until then, I'm beyond ready for his upcoming album Mid Death Crisis, with just a few more weeks to go until its release.

Wednesday 13 Setlist:

1. Look What the Bats Dragged In
2. 197666 (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13/Murderdolls song)
3. I Want You . . . Dead
4. When the Devil Commands
5. God Is a Lie
6. From Here to the Hearse
7. The Ghost of Vincent Price
8. No Apologies
9. Rambo (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 song)
10. House By the Cemetery
11. In Misery
12. I Walked With a Zombie
13. Bad Things

"Best of Murderdolls" Mini-Set

14. Slit My Wrist
15. Love at First Fright
16. White Wedding (Billy Idol cover)
17. Dead in Hollywood
18. I Love to Say Fuck

The “There's No Such Thing As Monsters” Tour continues through the US and Canada until May 3, with the last stop taking place Colorado Springs, CO. A return to Europe has also been announced, with both headline shows and festivals throughout the UK and Europe scheduled this summer and fall, including an epic Germany run this October with fellow horror-punk mainstays Blitzkid, The Other, and Calabrese. For all tour dates and to buy tickets, click here.

To keep up with Wednesday 13, click here.