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Danzig at The Pinnacle: You Had to Be There

by Melissa O'Rourke and Mick Lite
written by Melissa O'Rourke and Mick Lite 0 comments Buy Author Cup Of Coffee

You know a tour carries some serious weight when you get to the barricade in Nashville and realize hardly anyone around you is actually from Nashville. Six of us had made the trip from St. Louis, while conversations up and down the rail revealed fans from surrounding states who had done the same. Danzig was the name pulling everyone toward The Pinnacle, but the night offered far more than nostalgia. With ANA making their U.S. debut, Burning Witches bringing classic heavy-metal fire, and Twin Temple conducting their unmistakable satanic doo-wop ritual, this was one of those beautifully strange bills where every band brought an entirely different reason to pay attention.

First up was ANA, and this was their first time performing in the United States.

Were they nervous? Absolutely. But honestly, wouldn’t you be?

They also got hit with technical difficulties almost immediately when the guitarist cut out, which is probably one of the last things you want to happen when you’re already stepping onto an American stage for the first time. The issue was resolved within about a song, they pushed through it, and once they settled in, you could start to see what this band is trying to become.

ANA seems to know exactly what they want to be as a band. Now they’re just finding their way there.

There’s something fun about catching a band at this stage because you can see the pieces coming together in real time. The identity is there. The talent is there. The confidence and comfort onstage will come with experience, and I’d genuinely like to see them again after they get some U.S. shows under their belt.

Burning Witches were next, and HOLY HELL did the energy change.

This powerhouse of female metal walked out like they owned the damn stage.

Confident, heavy and completely comfortable in what they were doing, there was no warming up or trying to win the room over. They just went for it. My immediate thought was that they reminded me of a female Iron Maiden—not because they sounded like they were trying to be Iron Maiden, but because they carried that same kind of classic heavy-metal energy. Big guitars, big presence, musicianship and a performance that felt like METAL in all caps.

This was also where I started noticing one of my biggest critiques of The Pinnacle: the lighting was INTENSE.

There were moments when the performers’ faces were completely washed out by it. As for the sound, I’m going to give the venue some grace because I was standing directly on the barricade, which is never the place to fairly judge how an entire room sounds. I’m certain it sounded completely different farther back in what appeared to be a very full venue.

From where we were standing, though, we could sometimes hear the artists physically singing from the stage over what was actually mic’d through the system.

And then came the reason I made the trip to Nashville.

Twin Temple.

If you somehow don’t know that name yet, you may have recently heard it because of the Charlie Crockett controversy.

Either way, I have a feeling you WILL know it soon enough.

Twin Temple is one of those bands that is difficult to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced them live. Yes, it’s satanic doo-wop. Yes, there’s a ritual. Yes, the imagery is provocative.

But underneath all of that is an incredibly talented band and a husband-and-wife duo who know EXACTLY what they’re doing.

This is a no-notes kind of show for me.

They are polished without feeling manufactured. The musicians behind them are phenomenal, the aesthetic is completely committed, and once that ritual begins, they command the room.

Watching an entire venue become captivated by satanic doo-wop in 2026 is something I didn’t know I needed in my life, but here we are.

Their new album DOOMED LOVERS is coming soon, and between the attention they’ve been getting and what they’re delivering live, Twin Temple feels like a band standing right on the edge of becoming much bigger.

And seriously—

WE NEED TO BRING BACK DOO-WOP.

Then there was Glenn Danzig.

DANZIG.

Music royalty.

And his rules stood STRONG—especially at the barricade.

NO PHONES.

Not “don’t record entire songs.”

Not “limit your videos.”

NO. PHONES.

Security was eagle-eyeing everyone along that rail, and we were warned that the tour was serious enough about the rule that you could be removed from the venue for ignoring it.

So I have no pictures of Danzig.

None.

And you know what?

I fucking loved it.

Everyone at that barricade watched the show with their own eyes. Nobody was holding a phone over my head. Nobody was watching the performance through a screen while the actual Glenn Danzig was standing directly in front of them.

For that portion of the night, we basically time-traveled back to a pre-cell-phone concert.

And it was glorious.

Another thing I really appreciated was the setlist. Danzig has a master list sitting onstage, and while there are obviously essentials you’re going to hear, what happens between those songs can change from city to city. Some of it is whatever he feels like playing that night. Some of it comes from what the crowd starts chanting for.

That makes the show feel alive.

And I don’t think I’ve ever been in a pit with that level of crowd participation.

EVERYONE knew EVERY word.

Not just the people at barricade. Not just the diehards screaming for the deep cuts. The room was singing back at him, and when you have that many people who have traveled from multiple states to be there, you realize very quickly that you’re standing among people who didn’t casually decide to catch a concert that night.

They came specifically for Danzig.

There is something incredibly visceral about hearing an entire crowd sing music back to someone whose career has stretched across generations. You’re not standing there wondering if everyone knows the next song.

They know.

And they’re already screaming it before it starts.

That level of participation made the entire set feel like something we were part of instead of something we were simply watching.

It was a privilege to be on that barricade.

I still have no idea how many Nashville locals were actually in attendance. Our little section of barricade alone had six people from St. Louis, and nearly everyone we talked to around us seemed to be from another city or another state.

People traveled for this one.

And after watching the night unfold, I understand why.

ANA showed us a band at the very beginning of finding its footing in the U.S. Burning Witches walked out with the confidence of a band that already knows exactly who they are. Twin Temple somehow turned The Pinnacle into a satanic doo-wop ritual and left me wanting MORE.

Then Danzig walked out, took away the phones and reminded an entire room what it feels like to simply experience a fucking concert.

No screen.

No perfect video for later.

No worrying about whether you got the shot.

Just thousands of people screaming every word back at music royalty while six idiots from St. Louis stood on the barricade thinking, Yep. This was absolutely worth the drive.

I don’t have a single picture of Danzig to prove I was there.

For once, I don’t need one.

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Melissa O’Rourke aka WickedWitchofSTL is a jack of all trades. By day she’s an established tattooist and piercer, by night a mother to her amazing son (who is a hell of a guitarist). Melissa has a musical background and can often be found at a local karaoke joint, or a concert when she’s not driving across the country for an adventure. This social butterfly always welcomes conversation so come say hi! See y’all at the next gig!

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Mick Lite is a versatile entrepreneur, photographer, and blogger with a huge passion for Music, Sports, Movies, Food, and Gaming. He has worked as an official scorer, social media manager, and photographer for various college, semi pro, and pro sports teams, including the River City Rascals, St. Louis Attack, Missouri Monsters, St. Charles Chill, SLU Billikens, Gateway Steam, St. Louis Riversharks, and Gateway Grizzlies. Served 12 years in the USN/USAF/USN.

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