(Venue: The Rickshaw Theatre, Vancouver – September 10, 2025)
DESCARTES A KANT – Avant-Garde Chaos with Theatrical Bite
The night opened with Descartes a Kant, a four-piece from Guadalajara, Mexico, who immediately shattered the boundaries of what an “opener” is supposed to be. Their set was a whirlwind of cabaret theatrics, performance art, and experimental rock, blending punk, metal, jazz, and operatic vocals in a way that felt part Tim Burton, part Broadway, and part riot. Costumed, choreographed, and unrelentingly intense, they delivered a set that was as much art installation as it was music. The Rickshaw crowd—who came in expecting a tongue-in-cheek parody night—looked both stunned and captivated, quickly won over by the group’s sheer originality. By the time they wrapped, the audience knew they had witnessed something rare: a band that turns chaos into high art.
THE SCHIZOPHONICS – Garage Rock on Fire
Next up, The Schizophonics from San Diego brought an explosive dose of garage rock and soul, and it’s no exaggeration to say their frontman Pat Beers has more energy than a power station. With guitar in hand, he spent more time in mid-air than on the ground, channeling James Brown footwork, Iggy Pop rawness, and MC5’s grit all at once. From jumping high kicks to drop splits that would tear your pants, he was a blur—darting from one side of the stage to the other. Meanwhile, their drummer Lety Beers hammered out relentless grooves that kept the fire burning. Songs blurred together in the best way possible: fast, sweaty, and untamed, as if the band was feeding directly off the audience’s adrenaline. If Descartes a Kant pulled the crowd into surreal theater, The Schizophonics jolted them back into a gritty, rock ‘n’ roll dance party.
MAC SABBATH – Drive-Thru Metal Supersized
By the time Mac Sabbath stormed the stage, anticipation had peaked. The parody metal troupe—dressed as fast-food-gone-wrong versions of Sabbath icons—served up their signature “drive-thru metal” with both precision and absurdity. Ronald Osbourne commanded the mic with a mix of Ozzy-esque vocal lines and bizarre banter about processed food, while the band (Grimalice on bass, Slayer MacCheeze on guitar, and the Catburglar on drums) kept the Sabbath riffs heavy, greasy, and tight.
Songs like “Frying Pan” and “Pair-A-Buns” had the crowd howling with laughter while banging their heads, a rare balance only Mac Sabbath can pull off. The stage was littered with oversized spatulas, burger props, and fast-food horror visuals projected behind the band, making the performance as much a comedy show as a heavy set. Despite the parody, the musicianship was no joke: Slayer MacCheeze’s riffs tore through the room with genuine Sabbath thunder.
The Rickshaw’s walls shook as the band closed the night, leaving fans chanting for another round of absurdity. What could have been dismissed as a gimmick proved itself yet again to be a highly skilled, hilariously entertaining spectacle—one that unites metalheads and casual fans alike in greasy harmony.
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Final Thoughts
Together, Descartes a Kant, The Schizophonics, and Mac Sabbath delivered one of the most eclectic triple-bills Vancouver has seen in a long time. From avant-garde theater to high-octane garage rock to parody metal mastery, the show reminded everyone that live music can be strange, unpredictable, and absolutely unforgettable.
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