I met Steve at Leesburg’s Sidebar before the show, a resident of Leesburg’s “hysterical” district, already half-pickled and waxing poetic about Ozzy Osbourne and adverbs. He promised he’d swing by the show later. My Reuben was delicious, a greasy communion to prepare for the night’s ritual. Virgil trailed behind me muttering about the sins of the early Aughts, taking notes for the next millennial plenary.
Carbonstone
Carbonstone was the first of four bands to perform at Tally Ho Theater on Sept. 18. A nu-metal quartet with synth pads swelling behind them, Carbonstone looked cramped against the barricade, with drum kits, amps, flight cases all stacked up like a stagehand had just robbed a pawn shop. The band could barely move.
“What, y’all can’t share a drum set?” Virgil barked from the wings, amused by the redundancy of it all.
And yet: They were charming. A jazz-fusion detour, a singer with surprising pipes (or Auto-Tune, but who isn’t guilty now?), and then a guest vocalist pulled the whole thing into Birthday Massacre territory. Their best moment came with the chorus of “I’ll let you leave when I say when,” which clung like a threat.
Watch the official music video for “Standoff” by Carbonstone featuring Jonny Santos of Spineshank on YouTube:
Whispers of plagiarism hung in the air, maybe they had lifted a riff or two from Deadlife, that shadowy French producer, but the theft was stylish. Then came revelation: “This is Rivethead’s work,” Virgil hissed, pleased.
Carbonstone closed with a cover of Rammstein’s “Du Hast,” the guest vocalist returning to share the load, and it was flawless. Impossible to resist. Strong closing. Virgil applauded, a rarity.
Julien-K
House lights dimmed while “Land of Confusion” roared through the speakers before they cut off Phil Collins to start their set. I nearly rioted.
They strutted on, a mash-up of Industrial stereotypes: a guitarist in a goth conductor’s cap, a singer in a leather kilt, trying their best KMFDM impression but landing somewhere between Marilyn Manson and Orgy. The conductor hat apparently lit up and then he abandoned his guitar for an iPad on a stand spitting textures. Virgil sneered.
Watch the official music video for “All That Glitters” by Julien-K on YouTube:
Still, they had pedigree: remnants of Orgy, Long Beach lifers, old friends of Spineshank. And then, like the prodigal sons they were, they closed with “Blue Monday.” The famous Orgy cover. The crowd lost it. I lost it. Virgil absolved them on the spot and we swore to do better, kneeling down in our pews and begging for forgiveness.
Spineshank
They opened with “Asthmatic.” Of course they did. Followed with “Synthetic.” And immediately the cracks showed. The singer’s voice was frayed, a man who hasn’t carried this weight for 25 years. He begged for a pit, and the crowd tried, but nostalgia doesn’t multiply bodies.
Watch the official music video for “Synthetic” by Spineshank on YouTube:
They rolled through “The Height of Callousness” like a sacred text. “Play God” still slapped. Between songs, the singer spilled exposition like confession: stolen guitarist from Chimaira, drummer’s son now in the fold, disbelief at the very existence of a 25th anniversary tour.
And then “New Disease.” The pit finally churned. The Orgy singer returned for the title track, the nostalgia wave crested, and Spineshank powered through “Smothered,” “Beginning of the End,” even “Dead to Me.” A smattering of addicts and faithful circled, sweating, screaming. Virgil whispered, “Necromancy is an ugly magic, but sometimes necessary.”
The Union Underground
“Cruel Summer” by Bananarama bled through the PA. A joke, a hex, a wink. Then the lights scorched on and The Union Underground descended from heaven. The room was emptier than it had been for Spineshank, but no matter. They had WWE residuals to fund a light show, LED panels framing their silhouettes across the stage, optical illusions of grandeur.
Truth is, it’s a cover band now: one original singer, a fleet of hired guns. But the songs held. “Turn Me On ‘Mr. Deadman’” triggered a communal headbang, a reminder that Powerman 5000 was not the only one chasing that pulse. A new track, “Faith Collapsing,” actually impressed. And then, inevitably, “Across the Nation.”
Watch the official music video for “Across the Nation” by The Union Underground on YouTube:
“This was the soundtrack to a dirtbike video game,” Virgil mused as fists pumped. Then he leaned in close, teeth bared in the strobe light: “I predict a surge in domestic violence after the show.”
The crowd roared anyway.
The night felt like a séance for the Y2K undead: Carbonstone offering Rammstein as blood sacrifice, Julien-K resurrecting Orgy, Spineshank clawing back to life, and The Union Underground basking in their WWE-funded afterglow. Virgil filed his report and slipped away into the night, muttering about dirtbikes and doom.
Here are some photos of The Union Underground performing live at Tally Ho Theater on Sept. 18, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
Here are some photos of Spineshank performing live at Tally Ho Theater on Sept. 18, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
Here are some photos of Julien-K performing live at Tally Ho Theater on Sept. 18, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
Here are some photos of Carbonstone performing live at Tally Ho Theater on Sept. 18, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Marc Shea.
