Nonpoint and Butcher Babies, two heavy hitters hit the stage in Portland, Oregon on this near summer night. I came in mid-way to Sumo Cyco’s set. As I found my way through the foreign non-metal crowd, I found an empty pocket somewhere in the middle of the floor. Just as I settled, the crowd turned to the right, and there she was…the pretty singer of this Gwen Stefani blurred with Babymetal band had dropped down to the floor and was fluttering about, singing to the crowd, one-by-one. She was quick, and just as I spotted her, she ducked, danced, and ended up right in my face. I was a little out of place with my decision to wear Watian, but the night slowly progressed to sort of metal.
This, after all, was the Kings and Queens tour, and I was all about seeing Nonpoint again.
Before we could get to the Kings (nonpoint) or the Queens (Butcher Babies) we had to get through Islander. It was rap/hip hop metal, and there was a significant amount of bounding going on. While the two openers that I saw didn’t really fit the bill, they did provide for a well rounded musical experience. The crowd loved Islander.
After a little delay, the stage was engulfed in thick smoke backed by red ambient light. Then the silhouettes of the two front women emerged. They were fully clothed, and full of fire and energy. “We are here to fuck shit up,” something they often say was met with the roar of the crowd. Hey played a full set, full of energetic screams and groove.
A 20-minute delay from start time had the crowd a little irritable. But when nonpoint hit the stage with “Bullet with a Name on it,” the gun hand gestures went straight in the air, and the night took a turn for the better. Nonpoint is a fun band, and the audience on this night sang along as loud as the band.
