KING DIAMOND WITH EXODUS - THE TABERNACLE - NOVEMBER 16TH ATLANTA, GEORGIA By John Lester
It was the perfect setting for a road trip on the day that the 'Abigail' tour was announced. Since King has not hit the Cleveland area in a long time, the best venue option for us was paired with an opportunity to see my older brother in Atlanta. A bit of a hike, but we'll worth the trip; a mini-vacation. Having never been to Atlanta, Ihad no idea what to expect. The motorists are insane, the traffic sucks, and downtown is fucking awesome! We would definitely hit many more attractions on the next trip, but this was a mini-vacation, no time for that nonsense. We were here for two reasons: King Diamond, and 'Abigail'. Psst, never repeat to my brother, lol.
The Tabernacle sits directly next to the Ferris Wheel in downtown, just a rock's throw away from the famous CNN building. The night was beautiful, skyline bright, and the beggars, plenty. A security cop shouts orders, an employee fastens wristbands for those of drinking age, and the door open. The show sure seemed sold out, yet tickets were still available at the box office. 1035 is the capacity of The Tabernacle,yet it seemed like much more. A visit to the merch stand was out of the question, at first. The line equalled that of a Chipotle at noon. TO THE BAR!
Exodus, obviously, we're first up. Since Rob Dukes' departure, and his subsequent description of the dudes from Exodus, they will always draw a nice crowd. They're legends, for Christ's sake! Mixing in old and newer material, Exodus warmed everyone up just nicely. The return of Steve 'Retro' Souza is very welcoming, and Gary Holt is just a fucking beast. Juggling between Exodus and Slayer has to be a dream come true. Who wouldn't want that job? Anyways, they skated through their set with ease, making way for the Main Attraction.
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