This is the third time I had photographed
DevilDriver, and Dez Fafara never fails
to deliver. It an excellent show as al-
ways. He will leave you with your hair
blown straight back!! At 10 p.m., Super-
joint hit the stage and you could feel it
in the air as Phil strolled out on stage.
The place just imploded, as I knew it
would. Phil welcomed the enthusiastic
crowd with open arms and a vocal roar
brimming with spite. The band wasted
no time delivering one body shot after
another with the raw distortion provided
by Kevin Bond and Jimmy Bowers, both
on screaming guitars from either side of
the stage. Superjoint played from each
of their albums with the desire to in-
flict maximum punishment on this rabid
crowd. New music fit right in with songs
like “The Alcoholik” and “Fuck Your
Enemy.”
Phil takes command of the show. Every
move, every word he makes is under con-
stant watch. The way he interacts with
the crowd, the way he makes eye con-
tact, he is the perfect front man. Now
he doesn’t move around as he did with
Pantera because he is getting up there in
age, but regardless of that, he still is the
captain of the stage. Let’s not forget the
classic Superjoint tunes such as “Every-
one Hates Everyone” and “Waiting for
the Turning Point”. It was as if Phil was
throwing buckets of blood to a school of
white sharks. All this did was fuel the
circle pit that never stopped. In no time,
Phil and company had burned through
their set, delivering a knockout blow that
had left this audience in awe.
All in all, in my professional opinion,
this show was a huge success. It was a
performance full of focused energy, with
a dose of fun thrown in for good mea-
sure. I couldn’t imagine a better way to
conclude a West Texas summer. Super-
joint made Sunday night a reminder why
metal is alive and well here in the great
state of Texas!!
In closing, it’s shows of this caliber that
make my career as a photojournalist
special to me. Truth be told, I wouldn’t
have it any other way. So, if you’re a fan
of Pantera mix/ groove metal/ hard core
music peppered with a little black metal,
Superjoint is the band for you. I highly
recommend seeing this epic national
metal act. Superjoint never fails to de-
liver; a powerful, high energy act that
serves as a reminder of the vitality found
of giving zero fucks. So, if you’re look-
ing to blow off a little steam, and Super-
joint is in town that particular evening,
make no mistake, this show is just what
any doctor would order!
Photos by Tim Schumann