As alluded to in my previous article, last week was a whirlwind filled with shows and live music, all taking place in Daytona Beach. It all started with the combo concert/fight that was Blood 4 Blood, featuring the likes of Black Label Society and Crowbar on Wednesday, 5/6, one of Rewind It Magazine‘s “official” covered shows of the year.
Then beginning the very next day it was the massive annual outdoor festival Welcome to Rockville, which the family and I have been attending nearly every year since 2021, though this year I only made it out to the first two days. (Though my son did stick with it for all four.) In that time span I was able to finally catch the likes of several extreme/death metal acts – many of which that had long since eluded me – in the form of Carcass, Cradle of Filth, Death Angel, Kreator, and Deicide, as well as several more contemporary bands such as Ice Nine Kills, Dethklok, and Atreyu. (Guns N’ Roses were also the headliners that first night, and their quality has long since gone downhill since the last time I caught them back in 2006, even with the current “reunion” of the band intact.)
But between the large crowds, excessive heat and all-around terrible weather (we actually left early on the second night due to the show being postponed by a thunderstorm), and overall lack of interest in the bands scheduled on the last two nights, there was very little reason to get me to go back and endure two more full days of it.
Yet this all turned out to be a blessing in disguise that would free us up to once again to catch up with former Misfits frontman Michale Graves at Bam Bam’s in Daytona, another show confirmed for Rewind It just days prior, and our second time covering him live and acoustic since 2021.
I’ve seen Graves onstage many times over the years going as far back as 1999 – both as a member of the Misfits, and as a solo artist – and he never disappoints. These days, his shows are the only place to go for those wanting to still hear ’90s-era Misfits live (And if you were a card-carrying member of the Fiend Club back in the day such as myself, its certainly worth it.)
The atmosphere was completely palpable by the time Graves took the stage, and he no doubt had the crowd in the palm of his hands as he launched into “The Best of Me, quickly followed by “Wanderer,” and “I Believe.” A couple of Misfits cuts in the form of “Descending Angel” and “Shining” had the crowd singing along, before Graves unleashed the fan-requested Web of Dharma track, “Ophelia.” (A personal favorite of mine as well – nice touch!)
Michale Graves performing at Bam Bam’s in Daytona Beach, FL on Sunday, 5/10/26. (Photo by Brooke Striewski.)
“Nobody Thinks About Me” and “Almost Home” followed before launching into the track that more or less put him on the map, “Dig Up Her Bones.” “All the Troubles” lead to another Misfits classic in the form of “Saturday Night,” while part of Nirvana’s “Come As You Are” would segway into “Fiend Club.” Emotions ran high for “American Prayer,” “Boxcar Headed East,” and even “Dawn of the Dead,” which all lead up to closer “New Song.”
It’s a shame so many contemporaries out there refuse to even give Graves the time of day, simply because he hasn’t fallen in line with the status quo the way they have. (How very “punk rock” of them.) Graves is a sincere, humble musician AND human being that I have no doubt more would be able to see if they’d only open their minds up a bit more. In fact, I felt so inspired after his set this time, I even had him sign my right arm for a potential future tattoo. (Which still remains to be seen if I do indeed make permanent).
And what did Graves do? He not only graciously signed it, but also showed signs of legit concern for me actually going through the procedure of getting another tattoo, knowing at this point that I was only about half a year removed/in remission from a nasty bone disease after our brief conversation beforehand. I have no doubt this is the exact same type of humility Graves displays for fans across the board, and is indeed the type of person I think of whenever I think of Michale Graves.
