Municipal Waste – The Castle Theatre

By: Shem Villacarlos

On Saturday, February 24, 2024, the Castle Theatre in Bloomington, Illinois, became a night full of thrash with an awesome community. With four different bands performing in one night, I knew I was in for a treat. I really had to dig back into my roots because it has been a bit since I last went to a thrash and metal performance. But Municipal Waste did just the trick to remind me why I love their kind of music and concerts so much. Every minute was thrilling and full of absolute headbangers, quite literally. 

Municipal Waste was a new name for me, and out of habit, I had to sample as many of their tracks as possible before entering this venue. I used to listen to a lot of thrash and metal music back when I was still in high school, so their music did hold a familiar tune. But seeing and hearing the band perform was a completely different experience from listening to them on my phone. No pair of headphones or speakers could replicate the same energy the band created that night. Especially when “You’re Cut Off” was performed, the crowd was chanting with hands lifted in the air and the room is echoing with shouts of “You’re cut off!” The venue is flooded with exhilarating energy with mosh pits forming and fans crowd-surfing leaving you on the edge of your seat for every song that was about to be performed. That energy never died down.

The audience was filled with exciting people decked out in their best metal t-shirts, jean jackets, and with some of the best personalities. Everyone was very considerate of each other and when individuals were in mosh pits. It can be intimidating for many first-timers attending hardcore performances, but it is all well worth the experience. All bands were very interactive with the audience and security at the Castle Theatre was always on top of their duties. The venue itself was very accommodating for all people and made sure everyone got a chance to get some water throughout the night. Also, the venue provided many spots to advertise for upcoming shows, including the bathroom so there truly is no excuse for not knowing when they will be hosting another performer. The Castle Theatre has a stunning interior with a ground level and balcony for audience members while being easy to navigate, especially for first-timers in the venue.

Every opener did phenomenal hyping up the crowd before ending off the night with Municipal Waste’s setlist. My absolute favorite and memorable tracks from that night are “You’re Cut Off” and “High Speed Steel” because the high energy and immense crowd interaction were immense. I’ll surely never forget the bright green “toxic” waste barrels on stage after all that headbanging from some of the coolest performers out there. It is definitely one of my favorite concert nights ever and I can’t wait to listen to more of their music. I look forward to many more thrilling performers at the Caste Theatre!

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