Review

The Young Man is a die-hard Type-O Negative fan. While I wouldn't consider myself fanatical, I did like them very much back in the day. I certainly liked lead singer Peter Steele, both with and without clothes (Not safe for work, but certainly impressive. Homeboy's 6'8" and quite proportional.), so I happily agreed to go see their Halloween show at Irving Plaza last night.

The crowd was about what you'd expect. Staten Island, Long Island and New Jersey were well represented. Every girl had red hair, thick black eyeliner and was clad in head-to-toe black. I fit right in wearing this.

The opening band was Liverpool's Twin Method, with two lead singers, and they may or may not be the official spokespeople for Manic Panic. Metal fans are a tough crowd, and TYM and I are no exception. We hated them immediately. Then, much like when we listen to Linkin Park, we found ourselves grooving to the music and ultimately enjoying it despite our best efforts not to. I also forgave them for their look when I found out they were British. Not because Brits are inherently lame or anything -- I'm just willing to admit that metal might look a little different across the pond than it does here, and maybe looking like Green Day circa 1994 is cool where they're from. It's possible.

Next up: LORDI! They don't officially spell the name in all caps, but I added it because I was so very excited to see them. I'd describe them as GWAR-lite -- they're Finnish, they won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006, they dress like monsters and play songs that are more pop-rock anthems than doom metal dirges. They know they're over-the-top ridiculous, and work it in impressive fashion. I loved every minute of it and would gladly see them again and again and again.

Then it was time for Type-O Negative. Peter Steele came out dressed like a priest, and despite the fact that he turns 46 in January, he is still one sexy motherfucker. He drank a bottle of wine, told the crowd to shut the fuck up, and gave one hell of a performance. The rest of the band did, too, but it's hard to pay attention to anyone else when a band has such a charismatic frontman.

It's been awhile since I've been to a metal show. I used to go to so many, in fact, that I'd just say "show" and the "metal" part would be a given. And in my younger, pluckier days, I didn't take too kindly to being shoved around by alpha males. It would usually go something like this:

Alpha male, eager to get to the pit, shoves me out of the way. I shove him back with all of my (admittedly not much) might.

Alpha male: What's your problem?

Me: You shoving me is my problem.

Alpha male: It's a metal show.

Me: Yeah, and you can shove whoever the fuck you want when you get to the pit. I stand here because I don't want your fucking elbow in my back.

Alpha male: Bitch.

Last night, I just rolled my eyes and shot dirty looks. I'm either mellowing out in my old age, or becoming more of a pussy. I'm also deaf today, but it was totally worth it. I need more metal shows in my life, and possibly some earplugs.