YUNGBLUD
9/9/25 – The Rave – Milwaukee, WI
© Janelle Rominski
Timing is everything, and sometimes the universe lines things up like a perfect power chord. This past week, a string of events led me straight to Milwaukee to photograph United Kingdom-based badass Yungblud’s epic, sold-out performance at The Rave in the Eagles Ballroom just two days after his appearance on television at the Video Music Awards in a tribute to the late Ozzy Osbourne.
I’ve been one of The Rave’s house photographers for a decade. We rotate shows, so luck of the draw decides who shoots which gig. I wasn’t scheduled to capture Yungblud. You win some, you lose some. Still, it stung knowing I wanted to feast my eyes on him and hear his tunes, but couldn’t.
I’ve been a fan of Yungblud for years and had never seen him live. Last Sunday night, I cozied up on my couch to watch him on the VMAs, performing a tribute to the late, great Ozzy Osbourne. He was phenomenal in the performance, standing alongside Steven Tyler and Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Nuno Bettencourt and Kevin Figueiredo (Extreme), Adam Wakeman (Ozzy’s longtime keyboardist), backup vocalists Gabriela Rae and Kayla Reeves (Trans-Siberian Orchestra), Suzie McNeil, and more.
It was bittersweet watching the Ozzy tribute, knowing that less than 48 hours later, Yungblud would be taking the stage at The Rave for his sold-out show that I so badly wanted to attend.
Fast forward to show day. Out of nowhere, a miracle landed in my lap: the chance to capture his concert for Music Fiends. As a music fiend myself, it was fate. At 3 pm, with doors opening at 6 pm, I got the call. I combobulated myself, grabbed my cameras, fueled up, and drove an hour to Milwaukee, buzzing with anticipation for a night I never thought would happen.
I’m in the “Yungblud Army” group on Facebook, so I’d been reading fans’ posts before the show. I’ve been to sold-out gigs at The Rave, but holy ****, the fans came out in droves. The line wrapped around the block, easily over half a mile long.
Opener Sawyer Hill from Arkansas came out smiling; one of the happiest guys I’ve seen on stage in ages. His grin lit up the room, his music was magnificent, and he primed the crowd perfectly for Yungblud.
The energy in the audience was electric. Handmade signs waved with words like “Thank you for traveling over 4,000 miles to share your gift with us,” “74 days sober, but still addicted to you,” “Loving you since The Lodge 2016” (a TV show Yungblud was on going by his birth name, Dominic Harrison)… and simple “Thank You” notes to requests of “Please Play Fleabag,” and more.
Standing in the photo pit, I chatted with the fans in the front row and found that they had converged on Milwaukee from across the Midwest. Some came from Chicago by train or car and were planning to see Yungblud twice that week, while others traveled from Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana, turning The Rave into a regional destination for Yungblud’s following.
Then the house music cut, the lights dimmed, the crowd roared, and Yungblud ejected himself from backstage so fast it felt like he’d been launched from a cannon. Boom: showtime.
He hit the stage with ferocious energy, jumping up and down like the floor was a trampoline, opening with “Hello Heaven, Hello,” a 9-minute musical masterpiece. Midway through, he ripped off his shirt, doused himself with water, and sprinted from stage left to right with pure delight. In 25 years of concert photography, I’ve never been so perfectly placed to catch a jump shot.
This man is magnificent. He poured heart and soul into his performance while the fans poured their energy back into him. He led us through his catalog – guitar in hand for several songs – and the crowd sang, cried, and hung on every word, from “The Funeral” to “Fleabag” to “The Greatest Parade.”
“Dom” even stood on top of the crowd, fans clutching his feet and ankles with sheer joy and pride.
He closed on a spooky note with “Ghosts” and “Zombie,” but the night wasn’t over yet. About an hour after the show ended, masses gathered in The Rave Plaza outside where he came out to greet them and sign merch. Controlled chaos. The venue had never seen that many people in the Plaza at once.
Thanks to timing and a little cosmic intervention, this Yungblud fan finally feels complete after Milwaukee. Big thanks to Justin Nuoffer, Music Fiends, and the concert gods for looking out for me this week.
Check out the Yungblud concert photo gallery below:
What fans are saying about the show:
JoJo Marie: “With traffic. Almost 2 hours! But the road trip with my daughter was worth every minute of it! We’re up by the Dells area. Never plan on missing shows!”
Kirsten Parsons: “I really don’t have a favorite part because I loved the whole night. I flew to England twice to go to Bludfest both years. Seeing him in a smaller venue was awesome!”
Valerie Ann: “I drove from the Chicago suburbs with my eleven-year-old daughter – it was her first concert! Most of the fans were super kind and helpful. The show was electric!”
Yungblud’s stop at The Rave demonstrated the artist’s ability to transform a concert into an experience, blending raw energy with a strong fan connection and reaffirming his reputation as one of rock’s most unpredictable live performers.
