GWAR to Play Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on Election Day

The heavy metal band GWAR will perform at the Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville on Sunday, Nov. 8. The show is part of the group's ongoing Gor Gor Must Die Tour. Lead vocalist Blothar the Berserker spoke with reporters by phone before the concert to discuss the production and the band's approach to performance art.

The tour centers on the band's pet dinosaur, Gor Gor. Blothar described the creature as having behavioral issues and noted that it has appeared in the band's first official photograph. The dinosaur serves as both a friend and a nemesis in the show's narrative. The performance includes satire and political commentary, consistent with the group's style since its formation in Richmond, Va., in 1984.

Blothar described the Brooklyn Bowl venue as a weird semi-hipster bowling alley. He expressed a preference for lukewarm beer but acknowledged the location is nice. He mentioned difficulty finding bowling shoes that fit his costume hooves. The band will be ready for the show in as much time as it takes to smoke eight balls of cocaine, according to Blothar.

The show features a Trump effigy that is killed every night but returns to demand the removal of democratic processes. The character argues that absolute power is more convenient and requires less brain work. Blothar added that the show reveals the situation is actually controlled by lizard overlords living in the center of the earth. The band also addresses the recent news cycle surrounding effigies of Elon Musk and Charlie Kirk. Blothar stated the band would not bring in a figure like Kirk or mimic his death, noting that the initial online outrage stemmed from a bot account.

GWAR builds its own props, distinguishing itself from other rock acts. Blothar compared the group to a DIY Broadway show. He cited the creation of a butt cannon that shoots edible oatmeal and chocolate syrup into the audience as an example of the band's collaborative process. The band uses papier-mâché for older pieces because it lasts longer than carved foam and latex. Blothar noted that the band plays with aspects of gender and sexuality, similar to drag culture.

The group aims to hold up a funhouse mirror to humanity. Blothar said the band wants audiences to look at their ridiculous selves and laugh. He compared the experience to Iggy Pop walking on his hands with a jar of peanut butter at a Cincinnati festival in the early 1970s. That moment broke the wall between the performer and the audience. GWAR seeks to transform people by changing how they look when they leave the venue.

Blothar stated that GWAR valorizes the low and moral anathema. The band trivializes violence to make it comedic and take the power of oppression away. He believes people experience the show as liberating. The performance is designed to be experiential and unique, with a narrative that the band argues over and hammers out before each tour.