Photos by: Glenn Woodell
Article by: Wendy Podmenik Darugar

The line wrapped around the building this last Saturday night as people waited in anticipation for the Pop Evil/ Three Days Grace Alt Metal show at the NorVa. Upon entering the venue, we realized this show must have sold out, or come close to it, as even from the back of the theater, the floor was packed, body to body, with barely any room to walk from one side to the other.

At 8:00, Pop Evil walked out on to the stage to the theme song of the Disney movie The Lion King and got the show started. Formed in Grand Rapids, Michigan in 2001, Pop Evil recently released their latest album Up on August 21st. They are a creative, productive band, on the move with a sound that contains hints of Alice in Chains and Rob Zombie influences. Currently, their newest effort is the video for “Footsteps” from the latest album.

When vocalist Leigh Kataty launched into “Torn to Pieces”, it was obvious the song was a crowd favorite, with fans audibly singing along to the lyrics. Immediately following, the band broke into the thunderous beat of “Footsteps”, and clearly the crowd was fully engaged with the song ending in a back and forth call out between audience and Kataty of “go higher, higher!” and Kataty yelled into the mic, “You kick ass!”. Next up was “Deal with the Devil,” and by this time, drummer Joshua Marunde (AKA Chachi Riot) was covered in sweat, with Kataty launching off a riser onstage in a huge split jump.

Kataty dedicated the last song of the band’s set to “The men and women that serve this country”, a special shout-out to the huge military population we have here in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The song was “Out of the Trenches,” and by this time even the balcony above was vibrating from the roar of the crowd.

The show ended with Pop Evil turning around onstage and taking a selfie with the NorVa audience cheering in the background, and they triumphantly walked off stage to the theme music of Jurassic Park, slowly fading in the speakers.

Set List:
Last Man Standing
Goodbye My Friend
Ways to Get High
Take it All
Ghost of Muskegon
100 in a 55
Dead in the Water
Torn to Pieces
Footsteps
Deal with the Devil
In Disarray
Trenches