Finland’s beloved goth rock band The 69 Eyes have rounded out their U.S. tour, with the second to last show at Gramercy Theatre in New York City. Mid-afternoon, a line was already forming outside the entrance to the Manhattan venue with fans dressed in head-to-toe black clothing, big winged eyeliner, fishnet stockings and leather jackets.
The 69 Eyes – The Bites – Budderside
The Gramercy Theatre, New York – 12 April 2024
Words And Photography: Shannon Wilk
This tour is in support of The 69 Eyes’ Death Of Darkness album, unleashed to the world nearly a year ago. Joining The 69 Eyes as support for this run are two incredible L.A.-based rock bands, Budderside and The Bites.
The 69 Eyes
Just after the clock struck 9, pm it was time for the Helsinki vampires to hit the stage. As The 69 Eyes begin the set with the title track from their 2004 album, Devils, frontman Jyrki 69 throws up the classic rock ‘n’ roll devil horns, and the crowd follows suit.
The house was packed by this point, fans pressed up against the barricade singing along. Drummer Jussi 69 stands up between songs, hyping up the audience. As he plays, he swings his arms around his head, banging on the kit with purpose.
For a couple of songs, The 69 Eyes perform recent material from their Death Of Darkness album.
Jyrki’s signature voice rumbles low through the venue overtop synth and rock ‘n’ roll music of course. With lyrical themes pulled from old-school horror and Western movies, the group sonically is reminiscent of Type O Negative.
The 69 Eyes have maintained a consistent lineup for over 30 years, with four members being original and drummer Jussi joining in ’92.
For their entire 75-minute set, The 69 Eyes stays in the latter end of their discography, not performing any songs from before 1999. It is understandable since that is when they first began really gaining traction and having their songs actually chart.
Jyrki kneels at the front of the stage, singing to the fans in the front row – many of whom waited over five hours in line to get their spot. Guitarist Timo Timo moves around, spinning in circles and stomping his foot.
Bassist Archzie and guitarist Bazie stand their ground, holding down backing vocal duties.
The Death Of Darkness tour, featuring The 69 Eyes and support acts Budderside and The Bites, has come to a close. With three distinct bands performing in one night, it was an experience to witness each group give their all on a big stage in the Big Apple.
The Bites
Second on the roster for the night were another L.A. band, The Bites. The group’s frontman, Jordan Tyler, has a personality comparable to many old-school ’70s glam rock frontmen.
He trots around the stage in black skin-tight spandex leggings, a muscle shirt and a bomber jacket with the band logo on it. Back in 2023, the group released their debut album Squeeze, pulling from ’70s and ’80s hard rock sounds and attitude.
The Bites have lyrics dripping with innuendo laid on top of crunchy guitars, all packing a punch.
In their live show, The Bites clearly have chemistry with each other, which is heightened by the cheering, smiling audience. Each member has their own unique performance style and place in the band, making for an interesting watch.
Frontman Tyler takes command over the crowd, connecting through his between-song banter. The Bites performed a good chunk of their album within their 45-minute slot, as well as a Black Sabbath cover.
Budderside
The doors open at 6:30 PM, and fans fill into the venue, snagging the close-up spots for the night. It was 7:30 PM when the room went dark, and it was go time for Budderside.
The Goosebumps theme song began to play, which transitioned into the SpongeBob SquarePants intro, which then said, “I can’t fuckin’ hear you!” Frontman Patrick Stone held the mic out into the crowd, prompting cheers.
The group released an amazing EP, Good For Nothing, back in January of this year. For their 30-minute opening set this run, Budderside performed the seven-song extended play in its entirety.
The band has a killer guitar duo, Sam Bam Koltun and Logan Nikolic. The rhythm section features two hired guns for this tour: Butcher Babies bassist Ricky Bonazza and Bumblefoot’s drummer Kyle Hughes.
Singer Patrick Stone, the band’s founder, is one of the most talented frontmen of his generation. Stone just exudes rock ‘n’ roll energy, jumping around the stage without missing a note or losing his breath.
As I was singing the words to the song they were playing, Joker, Stone ventured out onto the barricade, grabbing my hand and singing to me, with his forehead against mine, making for a special moment that will stick with me.
All I could say is I wish Budderside had more than 30 minutes on that stage.
