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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Static-X brings 20th anniversary celebration of ‘Wisconsin Death Trip’ to Spokane

Static-X headlines Knitting Factory on Thursday. (Jeremy Saffer)
By Johnathan Curley The Spokesman-Review

Industrial metal standouts Static-X are bringing their pulsing catalog of techno-tinged aggression to the Knitting Factory on Thursday in the second leg of their world tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their platinum-selling 1999 debut album “Wisconsin Death Trip.”

The Static-X-Mas Tour 2019 stop, featuring original bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda, marks their first performance in Spokane since 2012 and the first here also without late frontman and band namesake Wayne Static, who died in 2014.

The Los Angeles-based outfit, formed in 1994, are playing “Wisconsin Death Trip” in its near-entirety while also promoting their upcoming album “Project Regeneration,” the group’s first since 2009 that is slated for a May release.

In place of Static, the band recruited masked frontman Xer0 (reportedly Dope singer/guitarist Edsel Dope, according to loudwire.com) to round out the four-piece and deliver justice to its material spanning two decades.

Speaking to Outburn magazine in June, Campos said that the band sought someone who could “do the performance in the spirit of what Wayne’s vibe and energy was.”

Since the tour’s beginning in June, Static-X have consistently churned out signature tracks like “I’m With Stupid” and “Push It” across 78 shows to audiences in 13 countries, according to setlist.fm. The 17-song setlist also features a number of selections from 2001’s “Machine.”

The band reunited with original “Wisconsin Death Trip” producer Ulrich Wild for “Project Regeneration,” the group’s seventh studio effort comprised of new songs written around unused vocal tracks from Static.

Static-X will be supported at Knitting Factory on Thursday by Wednesday 13, Davey Suicide and Society 1. Tickets for the all-ages show are $20.