Show in Review: Wrestle to the Metal
It’s safe to cross my first event with Annie off the check list. Annie and I have only had a few experiences hanging out together pre “Into The Pit”. Most of those consisted of after work drinks at the bar, a stones throw away form our employer at the time. Those were good memories together, but this collaboration was on official “Into The Pit” business.
In our prior meeting discussing the future of the site, Annie mentioned a few bands in the scene she knew personally. Shortly after, she insisted that I meet a few of them with her. This would be a good start as far as throwing me, “Into the Pit”. Annie also mentioned that there was a Rust Rebellion show coming up the following Friday. They would be opening up for a wrestling event. At that point, that was all I needed to hear. I was already on board.
To provide some context.. I would’ve gone JUST to see the wrestling event. As a kid, I was a die hard, WWE, and more specifically, an Undertaker fan. To be completely honest, I still watch matches of the WWE phenom here and there. The fact that we were also covering a metal band that Annie knew made it even more legit.
The day of the assignment arrives and soon we find ourselves at the wrestling event. Upon arriving we immediately see pieces of the drummer’s kit being hauled in. Seeing that sent a burst of serious energy through me. We were about to do this!
After parking about a block and a half away, we were ready for the action. Walking that quarter of a mile easily felt triple the length. This was mainly because the Las Vegas sun was being a brat that day. 111 degrees is unfair to anybody. Passing through security and the wooden ticket table guarding the entrance, we made it into the venue.
The wrestling ring was placed dead center in an uncovered opening of the venue. It was surrounded by rows of seats for spectators and boasted a VIP section off to the side. On the other side of the ring, 4 tables were lined up in a row showcasing merchandise, the sound system, and the announcers table! For context, the announcers table is one of the key elements in the entertainment factor of wrestling events. It’s even more-so the case for those who were streaming the event from home.
While casing the venue, we noticed the looming presence of the Stratosphere overlooking us and the rest of Vegas from the north end of the strip. The tallest structure in the desert city had perfect placement for the event and inevitably for my coverage of the experience.
Beyond the ring, the members of Rust Rebellion were steadily building the stage for their much anticipated set. Annie took notice and made her way over. Being so into the moment, I explored the merchandise and announcers setup while I let Annie make her grand entrance. After snapping a few pics for the “gram”, introducing myself to the band was the next goal.
To sum up meeting Rust Rebellion in a nutshell, I’d describe it as a legit and memorable experience all the way around. They were a group of guys with a common goal of making kick-ass music. Their attire definitely enhanced being in their presence on and off stage that day. I left that event wanting to Google metal shoulder pads for myself. This was wholeheartedly influenced by the outfits of the lead singer, Zach Tramba, and lead growler/guitarist, Seth Wolther. The “HeadBanging” award of the night goes to the bassist, Wayne King, rocking what I could only describe as a “tormented skull-cap”. It was such an epic piece of head-ware.
The drummer for the group, Devin Carroll, could probably attest to the heat that day more than anyone. He was mostly running back in forth setting up or tearing down his drum kit. Carroll still remained smooth and humble for each of our encounters despite the weather conditions.
When the band’s set started, the heavy guitars and driving drums caught Annie and I immediately. Song after song, they lit the atmosphere appropriately for the wrestling matches to follow. A couple gear and microphone issues weren’t enough to take away from the great performance. Annie’s scream of approval definitely sealed the show for the group. Rust Rebellion closed out the show with an epic metal cover of the Trey Songz and Nicki Minaj’s, “Bottom’s Up,”. Despite any equipment hiccups, the young group of musicians definitely had a few people, #JoinTheRebellion that afternoon.
Kicking off the start of the matches, the band’s performance came to a close. Before you knew it, the referee was announcing the first competitors. Annie and I stuck around for a few matches but our goal there was completed. We witnessed a killer show by Rust Rebellion and a few men in tights body slam each other.
We later found out that the sports network, SportsCenter reposted the most spectacular move of the night. The sports syndicated reposted a video by “Future Stars of Wrestling” which ended up trending on my Facebook feed. The video was of a wrestler dressed up as the King of Pop, Michael Jackson holding another wrestler in a headlock. The pop dancing wrestler then proceeded to moonwalk backwards gripping his opponent. The moonwalk was followed by a drop to the mat, performing what the video titled as, “The MoonWalk DDT.” It turns out the move was performed on a fake “Drake”, which makes it that much more awesome.
With the first event in the books, I’m excited for the many more to come!
While they “wrestled to the metal”, I was thrown #IntoThePitWithAnnie.
– Emeri Devante
Follow Rust Rebellion on Facebook: Rust Rebellion’s Facebook Page
Link to the Moonwalk DDT viral video: Watch the Moonwalk DDT!
