Marilyn Manson Live at The Sylvee – Madison, Wisconsin

We weren’t even supposed to see Marilyn Manson live in Madison, Wisconsin.  We were supposed to see Marilyn Manson live in Chicago, Illinois.  But things changed, for the better, honestly.

I haven’t see Manson in twelve years.  I’m a huge fan of his, but the last time I saw him, it was a disaster due to his addictions.  Kyle saw him a few times throughout the years.  But with him being one of my absolute favorites, I wasn’t going to see him like that again.  I would have rather just had the good memories of seeing him years prior.

That all changed with this tour.  Now completely sober, this tour sounds like the 90’s.  It’s crazy how much better everything is.  He sounds better than I have ever heard him.  It’s very obvious that he is enjoying himself onstage and is very thankful for the support from all his fans.  This show was incredible.  If I was close enough to other ones, I would just go.  But the calendar isn’t open enough to allow that.

The Sylvee, to begin with, is an awesome location.  Neither of us had ever been there before.  After driving from Minneapolis after an already busy weekend, it was nice to come to a good place.  It’s the sort of venue where even with a lot of people in it, you feel like there is space.  Like you can breathe.  No one enjoys being completely crammed into venues.  The area is also cool.  If you’ve never been to Madison, it’s a fun city.  There are plenty of places to eat at prior to shows.  We also loved that after the long time in the car.

Being a huge Manson fan, no setlist will ever be perfect for me.  You know how it is.  You go see your favorite and know that they have 100 songs you want to hear.  But there is only so much time.  I rather enjoyed this setlist though.  He opened with “Crucifixion in Space” which I really love.  The “Holy Wood” album is a favorite of mine, so I loved those inclusions.  He then went on to a mix of greatest hits and newer stuff including the newest single, “As Sick as the Secrets Within”.

The whole show was just amazing and completely worth the drive there and immediate drive back.  Not only was his performance wonderful, but the audience had a great energy.  Everyone just felt really happy and they were all having a good time.  Having a great audience makes a show so much better.  If you get a chance to see him on this tour, take it.