Monsters Ball Tour: Final Night
Monsters Ball Tour: Final Night
A kid-friendly Halloween costume party with wrestling, music, and a touch of paint
It felt amazing to get out of the house for a little while. I was stepping in for my good friend RaveTopia, as he was at home tending to his sick children. The Final Night of the Monsters Ball Tour was a fun, family-friendly live music and wrestling event.
As I walked through the entrance of The District, a local Sioux Falls venue located south of the Empire Mall, I saw the wrestling ring in the center of the room — I knew this was the right place.
I’m not used to going to The District. I typically attend shows in town that feature local artists. I’ve been told by some sources that they make it exceedingly difficult for anyone not on the national radar to put on shows there, which is unfortunate, but not unusual in the industry.
I got myself situated at the RaveTopia stand alongside Ravetopia’s wife and our friend Blue who was helping out, and grabbed myself a drink to warm up before the event started.
The first act of the evening was the wrestling put on by Flagship Pro Wrestling. I must say, while I’m not traditionally a fan of WWE style wrestling, it induced a slight adrenaline rush that heightens your senses just in time for the transition to music.
At one point, they brought all of the wrestlers in the ring at the same time in some sort of free-for-all round which got pretty wild. I have to commend the wrestlers for their dedication to their craft, and the physical strength required to do what they do.
Watching the wrestlers hurl each other around with ease is actually more entertaining than I anticipated. Be it the epic introductions to each wrestler as they tout their physical prowess walking up to the ring, or the tittie-twisters no one asked to be witness to, it was actually a fun experience.
Once the wrestling ended, my excitement really started building as I knew one of my favorite acts was coming up next.
However, I was dismayed when the wrestling group decided it was appropriate to tear down their ring and open the exterior doors, exposing everyone to the elements (it’s cold and windy as hell in South Dakota, if you didn’t know) so they could load all their gear into their trucks as people were trying to enjoy the beginning of the first musical artist. It seemed a little discourteous to do so.
Nonetheless, PLUR GRR’s dedicated audience maintained focus on his set considering they came from out of town to immerse themselves in it. If you’re interested in seeing some of the unique things this community does, you can check out our Shorefest article for some insights.
Dressed in his police officer costume, he played an EDM set that was perfect for doing some minor head banging which usually helps me scratch that itch to dance. He even played a couple Insane Clown Posse remixes that he made exclusively for this event. My favorite part of his set was his signature arm-twirl where he puts his forearm at a vertical 90 degree angle, and spins his arm around in sync with his beats. It makes me smile every time.
Next up was Seagull Hazard. I happened to be next to one of the band members in the crowd while watching PLUR GRR, and a quick conversation sparked between us. These guys are from Watertown, South Dakota, and have been around for 11 years. They just dropped a brand new album at Four Winds music festival.
They had a cohesive and well rounded sound. I was pleased by how enjoyable each song was. They brought a decent variety in tempos, keeping me interested in what they would play next, and the musicianship was there as well. I would recommended checking out their music, but more importantly, I would suggest trying to catch one of their live performances if you have the opportunity.
After this act, I made sure to check back in with Moma Sam to see how her painting was coming, as I ran into her earlier when she first started setting up. She really brings such a unique flare to these local events here in Sioux Falls. A live painting is a special treat, one that you quickly learn to appreciate.
I keep seeing her pop up at all the events I go to. I attended roughly 4-5 shows this year, and I swear I saw her at everyone. Moma Sam actually does this in a lot of places, not just Sioux Falls. She paints all around the Midwest, trying to build up a catalog of pieces that she can bring with her to the festivals she attends. She attends Harmony Park, and creates a special piece in the Bowl each year at Shangri-la.
The next act was Shock Value. I missed a small portion of their set talking to Mama Sam, followed by a trip outside for some chit-chat with our friends from out of town. But when I made my back inside and up to the stage, I was pleasantly surprised by who I saw playing. Zach Dresch was on the drums for this group, and I have always meant to see him play. He’s a local Midwest comedian — a funny one at that. As a fellow drummer, nothing draws me in more than someone who has that rhythm flowing through them.
The music itself was great. The singer, Nick, had a solid voice. The songs were upbeat and melodic, and I found my body moving despite usually reserving most of my energy for EDM music. One of the band members was wearing a pineapple on his head. That made me giggle.
(If you’re into rave culture at all, you’d know why this is funny.)
After they wrapped up, it was the Enlightened Ones turn to take the stage. They’re a rap group local to the Sioux Falls/Luverne area that we’ve covered in the past, and I have to say… I am impressed by their stage presence. They really nailed it. They keep the audience engaged. I can understand what they’re saying. They even brought out bubble guns which was something both I and the kids in attendance enjoyed.
They had their merch stand set up at the front door and they try to hype up audience members as they walk by. Donny put on his mask (remember everyone’s in costumes) and busted out moves to generate some laughter.
To close out the fun filled, Midwestern Halloween themed tour was the duo, Louie Fontana and Gorilla Pimp, who locals knew from their previous group Rogues Gallery. They never disappoint.
Tonight was a special night, and Gorilla Pimp brought his daughter on stage to celebrate the final night of the tour. This really warmed my heart. Despite not being able to bring my daughter with, it really was wonderful to see that effort was put into ensuring a family friendly vibe.
You could tell their lyrical skill was developed over years of practice and dedication. Their sound is crisp. They pull you in with their high energy. They even leave you a little sweaty by the end of their show, as you can’t help but adhere to the exhilarating rhymes and rhythms.
It was the perfect way to bring closure to an already unique and exciting evening.
Hopefully, they bring the tour back around next year. The family friendly aspect sold me on it. I would argue it’s a great option for families in the area looking for something to do with their kids around halloween — especially families who have kids that may be around that age where they’re too old for trick-or-treating, but not old enough to go off to Halloween parties without some supervision.
Special Thanks for Tour Support to:
Nice Enough Ent.
Westside Glass - Tour Sponsor
Louie Fontana - Tour DJ/Headliner
Gorilla Pimp - Tour Manager/Headliner
Ravetopia - Merch Design & Production Manager/Tour Travel Manager/Tour Sponsor
Enlightened Ones - Full Tour Support
Worldwide Chaos - Tour Support
The Cloud - Merch Sponsor
War Eagle Wears - Merch Production
Obscure Diamond - Promotional Tour Art
Venues - The District, Loony Bin, The Marquee, Maloneys, 1867, & Lefty’s
Openers - Millie Lane, Salvador Kubrick, EnemyX, Q Street, The Outlawz, Supa Chronic, Ataraxis, King Serp, Ukalady, Faith Niebaum, 7$quad, Fetty Fred, TipZ, Mereness, Open Minded ft Professor Fresh, Shock Value, PLUR GRR, & Seagull Hazard