Megadeth’s Destroy All Enemies Tour - iThink Financial Amphitheatre West Palm Beach 8/24/24
Megadeth's Destroy All Enemies Tour
What do you get when you’re a holder of Megadeth Digital’s NFT project when Megadeth’s Destroy All Enemies tour comes to town? A chance to win free tickets, free VIP upgrades, and so much more. I was able to fulfill a lifelong goal of meeting the master of shredding, Dave Mustaine, because I’m a member of Megadeth Digital (MDD). While crypto isn’t for everyone and it’s simply confusing for sure, MDD allowed me to get 4 free tickets and 2 free VIP upgrades for less than the price of what it would cost to buy it from Ticketmaster. And because of that benefit, I got into the venue hours before anyone else to get the ultimate experience, which with a band like Megadeth, it is amazing. Once I got to meet Dave, take a photo with the band, and have the ability to purchase exclusive signed merchandise from them as well, it was time to head to the barricades.
With an empty pit, except for other VIP members, I was able to chill out and get some gnarly rail action at the iThink Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, FL. While I am familiar with the name, I will say that I didn’t know a lot of songs for All That Remains. Being in the metal scene for a long time, I had always heard their name and knew a song or two, but after seeing them live, I am much more of a fan than ever before. I was able to see them backstage and heard Phil Labonte mention how amazing the show was and how the energy here was so amazing. It was definitely awesome to see them play and see behind the scenes access of how they felt the show went.
Next up was Mudvayne. Being a millennial, I knew that Mudvayne was a band I always listened to, but never actually saw. I knew how amazing their stage personas looked, but you never get to appreciate the look until you see it close up. I will admit that Ryan Martinie’s look was simplistic, but almost terrifying to see. His stage presence is a force to be reckoned with. That dude just simply is a maniac onstage and puts on an amazing performance. If you thought that they were amazing to see normally, then when they played “Dig” and “Happy?” would blow your mind. The energy was through the roof. The crowd was thrashing, the band was playing harder than ever. It was amazing.
Lastly was Megadeth. Standing side stage, I watched the band set up and prepare for the curtain to drop. Having this rare experience that many don’t get to see was pretty gnarly. You get to see them get into place and mentally prepare to shred. They opened up with the title track from their latest album, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! Hearing “Bring Out Your Dead” while seeing them behind the curtain was pretty awesome, as they started to play with the lights off and the curtain up still, until it dropped revealing everyone on heightened platforms with a giant Vic Rattlehead backdrop. With the upgraded VIP experience, you’re able to stay side stage for the first 6 songs and then head down to the pit for the remaining portion of the show. The plus side with that is that the iThink Amphitheatre has a super small pit, so you’re still up front for the action. Teemu Mäntysaari is such an amazingly talented guitarist and fits so well with the band. His addition brings some youth to the lineup and it shows. He is constantly moving and just absolutely dominating the stage. Dirk Verbeuren absolutely jams so hard on the drums and it elevated super high up on the stage right below Vic. James LoMenzo is constantly moving and interacts with the VIP section the most, giving fans side stage a personal view that most will never see.
One of the gnarliest surprises is when they played “Washington Is Next,” which hadn’t been played on this tour yet. I would say though the most iconic moment of the night is hearing the opening sound of “Symphony of Destruction” when the lights are off and then the lights popping on when they start to play the introduction to this song. With a triple encore of “Mechanix,” “Peace Sells,” and “Holy Wars,” you can’t go wrong with seeing Megadeth play. Dave still shreds like there is no tomorrow and his voice is like some fine wine, it has gotten better over time. With Megadeth’s tour wrapping up in Nashville, TN next month, you still have time to check them out for the last portion of the tour.
If you haven’t joined Megadeth’s Discord already, it is something I would recommend as well. The band members are in there and have interacted in certain parts of the server this year. From there you can chat with other metal heads and get assistance with guitar help or show off your Megadeth gear. There is also sections for Cyber Army and Rattleheads (MDD). If it wasn’t for MDD, I would have never gotten to meet Dave, scored 4 free tickets and 2 free VIP upgrades to the show. It is a truly awesome collection with some amazing perks and utilities attached to it, like the ones above, but there are also tokens that have dinner with the band perks, or a signed Dave Mustaine Kramer Flying V guitar. There’s exclusive merchandise that only holders get, there’s skip the line access for shows where you can get in quicker and not stand in line waiting. There is just honestly so much the MDD team is doing right now and if you’re a Megadeth fan, this is what you need to have. The perks alone pay for it and you get the ultimate in fan experience. See you in the virtual mosh pit!