Rob Zombie & Marilyn Manson / Freaks on Parade Tour / The Pavilion at Star Lake / Burgettstown / 8.29.2026
The Twins of Evil have returned for a third run of this tour, but this is the first one in several years. I’ve been to plenty of the variations of these co-headlining tours with Rob Zombie — several with Manson, several with Alice Cooper — and while the concept has always made perfect sense (put the monster guys on one stage and let the tickets sell themselves), this time feels different. Here’s my “monster” 5.
Manson = More Tickets Sold
I’ve seen a bunch of these co-headlining tours over the years, with Manson and Alice Cooper swapping in and out alongside Rob Zombie. They’ve always done well enough, but this time the sales are way up. There’s one very obvious reason: Marilyn Manson. Since Manson got clean and started turning his act around, the demand for him has gone way up. A packed house of 22,000 at Star Lake last night was pretty damn obvious proof. That’s not to say Rob Zombie doesn’t contribute, he absolutely does. But Rob has been the consistent piece of these co-headlining tours, while the other half has changed. I’ve never seen one of these tours sell like this.
The Antichrist Superstar is super again.
There was a time when I’d see Manson at this exact same venue and leave shaking my head. As much as I love the guy, even I knew when he was awful. He’s been back and sober for a few years now, but seeing Manson go out and command a sold-out pavilion show again is a very welcome sight. The visuals, the energy, the performance — it feels like we’re back in the late ’90s.
It’s not OK to be in the back… unless it's Rob Zombie.
If you follow me and what I do, you know that pretty much anything besides the barrier is unacceptable. There are very few exceptions, and Rob Zombie is absolutely one of them. There is SO much happening during this show that it’s honestly hard to see everything. Video visuals, monsters, the band, a whole lot of fire, more colored fire, and Sherri Moon Zombie showing up at some point. It’s a lot, man.
Can Rob Zombie get any more monsters on the stage?
I know I’ve mentioned seeing Rob a lot, and I’ll be honest: parts of the show are starting to get a little stale. I think it could use an update. There is some effort to do that, though, because I noticed a few new, large-scale stilt monsters this time around. There were moments when I literally lost the guys in the band behind all the monsters. And honestly? These have always been some of my favorite parts of the show. I think I counted five. To me, those monsters are a defining part of a live Zombie show.
Young Fans = New Energy
This goes back to my first point a little, but I have to say I saw more young fans at this show than I have at any previous Twins of Evil, Manson, or Zombie show in recent memory. I talked to several people throughout the night who said it was their first time seeing whichever band they were there for. These guys have been doing this for more than 30 years, so hearing that isn’t something I come across a whole lot anymore. But there’s definitely something happening with a younger generation discovering these rock legends, and it absolutely adds a different kind of energy to the room. Even when the room is a very, very large outdoor one.
Full galleries, images and videos from both bands can be found on Instagram: @superfuzz.frontrow
