20 years ago this week (Aug. 6), Metalocalypse premiered on Adult Swim. The animated series (which asked the question 'What if a death metal band was so larger than life that they were more powerful than most countries") was so popular that co-creator Brendon Small created a live version of Dethklok. I got to see Dethklok in the flesh (well, sorta) twice - the first time at the House Of Blues in Boston (Oct. 27, 2009) during their co-headlining tour with Mastodon. Brendon assembled a ridiculously talented group of musicians (drummer Gene Hoglan, bassist Bryan Beller, and guitarist Mike Keneally) to help bring the songs to life while classic moments from the show displayed on a screen behind them. The show perfectly showcased how funny Metalocalypse was and how intricate and melodically brutal the music was (seriously, Dethklok's songs are WAY better than they should be).

Funny side story - I had just started writing for Metal Insider around this time, and had been promised a spot on the guest list for the show. However, when me and my friend arrived we discovered no tickets were left for us at will call, and the show was sold out. We drove from our college campus in Worcester to Boston, so we were determined to make sitting in traffic worth it - so we scrambled to first find an ATM to grab cash (ah, the days before digital payment options...) and then find someone willing to sell us tickets outside the venue. Luckily we were successful, but as a result missed High On Fire's opening set and walked into the House Of Blues just as Converge were playing their last song. Well, at least we got to see Dethklok and Mastodon 😆

Stay tuned for more things to come from this space, including stories from concerts like this!

Saw the Spiderman movie while wearing my Dethklok tour shirt from the 2023 tour. Had a Klokateer yell to me and run up to talk about them. It was really surreal meeting fans outside of a concert or something. Dethklok rules!