GWAR Bring 40th Anniversary Tour to The Caverns with Eyehategod, Æther Realm, & Tracheotomy Tonight, June 21

Infamous for their violent, grotesque, shocking, and deeply funny live shows, where they don costumes and perform in character as an ancient, alien band of hedonistic intergalactic warriors, battling and dismembering a mix of monsters and political and pop culture figures, and dousing the crowd in all manor of simulated fluids, Richmond, Virginia by way of outer space heavy metal and hardcore outfit GWAR formed more than four decades ago, in 1984. Initially the fusion of preexisting punk band and an art collective who were working on an alien film with mythos that the band would co-opt, they started as something of a novelty as Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh, but eventually became so popular locally that they shorted the name and became the founding members’ full-time focus. Oscillating between hardcore punk and thrash metal (and later branching out to experiment with a myriad of of genres), and penning satirical songs about deliberately brutal, extreme, and controversial subjects, the band were met with mainstream attention by 1990 sophomore LP Scumdogs of the Universe, and throughout the ’90s, they became surprisingly famous, appearing in films, scripted TV and talk shows, as talking heads in docu-series, in commercials and video games, and of course as a popular live fixture on major tours and fests, renowned for their wild, theatrical, one-of-a-kind live show. Throughout their 15 album and 41 year existence, GWAR have seen a number of members come and go, both in the group and behind the scenes (they operate an artistic and musical collective called Slave Pit Inc., which also features collaborators in art, film, and costuming), but co-founder and frontman Dave Brockie, a.k.a. Oderus Urungus, remained their most visible and important until his death a decade ago, in 2014 (with former bassist Michael Bishop returning to lead the band in the years since), leaving several longtime members, but no founders left in the lineup. Though not as mainstream as in their heyday, GWAR have retained a loyal, cult following, and in more recent years have branched out to curating their own local fest (GWAR-B-Q) and a buzzy Richmond bar and restaurant called GWARbar, among other ventures like books, comics, board games, alcohol, toys, and even barbecue sauce. They haven’t been as active in the studio, releasing only two albums in the last decade (most recently 2022’s The New Dark Ages), but they did just drop a new single, “Lot Lizard,” however, with the announcement of a new EP, The Return of Gor Gor, due out in July.

Squarely legends in their space, GWAR are one of metal and punk’s most original and enduring bands, and their live show is one you absolutely have to experience at least once in your life. We can’t think of a more unique place to do so than The Caverns in nearby Pelham, where GWAR will bring their 40th anniversary tour on tonight, June 21 with New Orleans sludge metal outfit Eyehategod, North Carolina folk and melodic death metal group Æther Realm, Florida deathcore band Tracheotomy. As we feel inclined to mention any time we tell you about a show at The Caverns, this venue is one of the most unparalleled concert experiences you can have anywhere, hosting performances underground in a literal cave, and we think it’s always worth the trek from Nashville anytime an artist we love is on the calendar. GWAR tickets are still available right here while they last, as are camping passes if you want to spend the night on the grounds. Preview the lineup below!

GWAR, Eyehategod, Æther Realm, and Tracheotomy will perform Saturday, June 21 at The Caverns in Pelham, TN. The show is all ages, begins at 7 p.m. (doors at 6 p.m.), and tickets are available to purchase from $78.05.