Highly Suspect Revisits ‘Mister Asylum’ 10 Year at Fillmore Detroit
Highly Suspect celebrated their 10-year-old album ‘Mister Asylum’ at the Fillmore Detroit on December 12. Something about the cold street gave way to painting out the mood for us, as we entered the doors.
Nashville-based band Flight Attendants opened the show, comprised of Karalyne Winegarner (Lead Vocals, Keys); Vinny Maniscalco (Vocals, Guitar); Nikki Christie (Vocals, Viola); and Derek Sprague (Drums). Karalyne exclaimed that this was one of the bigger rooms they’ve played, and seemed to be in awe of the audience, who filled out both the floor and balconies. The chemistry between the members is a well-oiled machine, while simultaneously being fun to watch. Nikki and Karalyne kept meeting center stage in passing during songs, rocking out with one another in joy that can’t be manufactured. Although we’re not familiar with their music, they blend in very well with the audience’s vibe, and it’s worth a listen on streaming services, for both attendees and those who didn’t make it.
Within all the years that I’ve been attending, photographing, and chronicling concerts, I have always believed that a fan can become the most potent fan by experiencing a song live before the studio recording. There have been countless bands that have had this effect on me over the years, simply by being an opening act, direct support, or even being the headliner, while I’d attended as a fan of the undercard.
Highly Suspect has a history within my memories. Back in my days of radio (I wasn’t a DJ, I was a writer for 60 stations across the U.S.), Highly Suspect became a pretty big deal in the Detroit market. The ascent of their album ‘The Boy Who Died Wolf’ in 2016-2017 brought new audiences to the band with “My Name Is Human,” which had a ton of spins on 101 WRIF around the same time you’d hear songs like “Animal” from Badflower. It wasn’t until Mo Pop Festival at West Riverfront Park however, that I became truly engrossed in the back discography.
Dust from the grounds flew up in the air as people thrashed and moshed in a circle pit to Highly Suspect. The 2018 lineup showed the band billed higher than Billie Eilish (wild). And it was there I first heard the song “Lydia.” Frontman Johnny Stevens paused the song to get everyone warmed up for the next part, getting the audience to chant “F*CK.” Once the song was resumed, the lyrics “What’s worse is all the coke, the ice, it numbs my throat if only for the night. My muscles will contract, your bones will crack, It’s just a fact ’cause I am here to win this fight,” began building up before the force of the next lines, sang with chaos and ferocity: “I can’t fucking breathe, much less believe the truth, I pick up a gun, aim for the sun, and shoot. Better days, so unafraid in my youth, I can’t breathe or believe the truth.”
Something about that song rewired my brain, and it became one of my favorite songs. When I sing it now, whether in the car, playing Rock Band (with fan-created files off of RhythmVerse), those lines hold a ten-ton brick of weight in my chest, and getting them out lifts that weight out of me. Sometimes your favorite songs can save you (see ‘Stranger Things’ for more details). But I think it’s important to say all of this because when we’re in rooms like the Fillmore, which hold such potent performances and lingering memories like friendly ghosts, there’s an echo left behind of this artistry.
I walked out of the photo pit and experienced that same song, “Lydia,” in the audience, 10 years after it was created. The weight is still heavy, always begging for that release. The crowd felt like it was combustible, and as the lyrics bounced through the room, it felt like a chapter of heart and pain, yet years removed from that version of who we were back then, both artist and listener.
Act 1 featured the 10-track ‘Mister Asylum,’ followed by Act 2, containing other songs in their catalog like “Little One” and “My Name is Human.” Closing out the night with “Wolf” and “Run For Your Death (More Pills), the MCID crowd ends another night as one entity.
Some people believe that anniversary tours are a money-grab, while others love to revisit bodies of work as a whole instead of just “the hits” of that record. But from what I can tell you firsthand, and what I pretty much already have: it just takes one song heard live to create a forever fan, and that’s a very special thing to revisit every now and again.