Justin Nuoffer
CONCERT REVIEW + PHOTOS
HELMET
w/ War On Women + Slomosa
3/11/25 – Majestic Theater – Madison, WI
©Justin Nuoffer/NuofferMedia.com
A gorgeous near-spring day in the capital city of Madison, WI, had the streets full of people enjoying the above-freezing temperatures. However, on King Street, a small line started to form in front of the Majestic Theater. The classic vaudeville theater has a long history of various types of performances, but it was ready for a good old-fashioned rock show.
Entering the venue, you are immediately checked by security and allowed to go upstairs into the balcony seating or straight ahead into the main room. Entering the main room, the merchandise stand is immediately to the right, with a ramp on the right that leads down to the main floor. On the left is a bar that wraps around the left-hand side and leads to a set of stairs and onto the main floor. The middle of the room has three tiers of standing room spots above the main floor. The stage itself is a tiny space with well-worn hardwood. The scuffs and scrapes are perfect details of the history of the room.
As the room filled, War On Women, the Baltimore hard-core punk outfit, took the stage with fans cheering. The brash and in-your-face lyricism of front-person Shawna Potter punched you square in the mouth from the very first note, demanded your attention, and forced you to listen whether you had any care or not. She had something to say and was spitting it.
The political spirit and punk rock attitude were alive and well. On each side of the stage from one another, Brooks Harlan and Jennifer Vito ripped through riff after riff on guitar. The rhythm section consists of bassist Suzanne Werner and drummer Dave Cavalier. They kept the band paced and also added additional pop. Overall, as a unit, they were impressive. It was a return to a lost form of punk. Music that had substance and spoke about something. An art form long forgotten.
Check out our concert photos of War on Women below:
A band with a ton of buzz around them, Slomosa, took to the Majestic stage, and many people said they were the reason they wanted to come out. Whether those people meant it or not, the band had fans in a frenzy. The crowd was screaming out songs they wanted to hear for the entire set. The four-piece consisted of Benjamin Berdous on guitar and primary vocals, bassist Marie Moe, guitarist Tor Erik Bye, and drummer Jard Hole.
With their second US tour, the Norwegian band is out celebrating their sophomore release, Tundra Rock. Knowing this, they opened with three tracks out of the first four: “Cabin Fever”, “Rice”, and “Battling Guns”. They were impressive with grungy hooks and pure shredding. The prodding pace glorified their stoner rock glory.
However, one track separated itself from the rest, and it was the one most often screamed by the Slomosa supporters. “Kevin” elevated the energy. A small pit started to break open right in front of vocalist Berdous. Slomosa’s self-titled album was primarily featured on the back half, and it was incredible to watch. This band’s ability to nearly perfect the desert rock and doom style is wild. Slomosa is the next tier of artists that will be filling the rooms in Madison soon.
Check out our concert photos of Slomosa below:
With this being the Thirtieth-Anniversary Tour for Betty, Helmet wasted no time walking out onto the stage and launching themselves into the album play. From song one, “Wilma’s Rainbow,” to track fourteen, “Sam Hell,” Helmet played right through with no stopping. For forty-two minutes straight, the glory of the historic album was performed to its maximum potential. They were tight and cohesive. The notable single “Milquetoast” garnered a ton of crowd reaction.
Hair and hands flew across the Majestic floor. The instrumental “Beautiful Love” leading into “Speechless” was the calm before the storm. It was at this point that the fans warmed up and started to turn the show into a rock show. The small pit area opened up with steam and dust rising from it. Page looked on with a smirk on his face. The album was well received.
On the left of the stage, guitarist Dan Beeman toys with the fans standing at his feet and often shares playful words with them. It was all smiles. Next to hit was bassist Dave Case. His hat brim is frequently lowered, blocking his eyes as he stomps back and forth, delivering the low end. On top of the drum riser, the Wisconsin resident, Kyle Stevenson, smashes away on his Tama kit.
On the right of the stage, the legendary Page Hamilton tears through the material he wrote thirty-plus years ago. Often, he retunes or walks back to his guitar rig and checks on the sound. His focus and aim for accuracy make Helmet an upper-tier live act. Hamilton’s fidelity towards the sonic representation of the album proves to be worth it.
If we know anything about Helmet, they have plenty of highly requested material to choose from. Helmet tacked on an additional eleven songs, mostly featuring the hits from Meantime, the gut-punching landmark album from 1992. Mixed in were various other rippers such as “Sinatra”, “Harmless”, and “See You Dead”.
However, the Majestic Theater erupted and elevated the rowdiness for their encore. Kicking it off with their massive radio hit “Unsung,” the bodies began flying around the general admission floor. The song is a staple of every rock radio station. Page Hamilton’s voice was in peak condition, and his deep, gruff vocals for “Turned Out” only accentuated the grinding nature of the track.
Hamilton saved his best solo work for this moment. He unleashed a fury as his fingers smoothly moved up and down the fretboard. Moving along towards the end of the night, Helmet surprisingly added and tore through “Just Another Victim” and then punched out “In The Meantime” to roaring applause. The overhead lights slowly came on, and Helmet gave some hand waves and headed off into the darkness.
As the Majestic Theater crowd started to file out, the merchandise area was already extremely full with people waiting to snag various tour shirts and posters. The atmosphere was still buzzing with excitement. Anyone who took in this performance can confidently say that Helmet is one of the best-sounding bands live. Their precision is impeccable.
It isn’t hard to walk out of the doors of the one-hundred-and-nineteen-year-old historic building and not feel like this was one of the better billings and performances that have come around lately. The cool air of the night hits the skin, and yet the feeling of floating on cloud nine remains. What an amazing evening with such an iconic band.
Check out our concert photos of Helmet below:
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