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Marilyn Manson sure knows how to make an entrance. Last night before a sold out crowd at House of Blues, he started the show dancing behind a giant illuminated scrim. His lanky silhouette resembled that of some kind of fiendish ghoul as he defiantly twisted the microphone stand above his head and gyrated as if he were possessed. Dressed in a tight fitting leather outfit and wearing what looked like a gas mask, Manson, who sounded rather hoarse throughout the entire concert (we were told he was suffering from the flu), looked quite menacing once the curtain dropped and he launched into the industrial strength “Hey Cruel World.” But as much as he put his all into the first half of the show, the songs just didn’t connect. Even “No Reflection,” the catchy, Goth-inspired single from his latest album, Born Villain, fell flat. Manson also furiously pumped his fist during “Slo-Mo-Tion,” but the song came off as generic industrial rock.

This article appears in Jan 16-22, 2013.

Jeff has been covering the Cleveland music scene for more than 25 years now. On a regular basis, he tries to talk to whatever big acts are coming through town. And if you're in a local band that he needs to hear, email him at jniesel@clevescene.com.

4 replies on “Concert Review:Marilyn Manson at House of Blues”

  1. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THE PERSON BEHIND THIS SHOTTY ARTICLE ACTUALLY ATTENDED THE SHOW, BECAUSE I DID… AND WAS BLOWN AWAY!
    -SAVANAH BLAKLEY
    DAYTON,OH

  2. Sorry… Shoddy is the word I was looking for. I must have been distracted by how CONNECTED I was/am/will be to every song played last night!

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