{"id":63445,"date":"2025-10-20T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=63445"},"modified":"2025-10-19T21:02:05","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T02:02:05","slug":"itlm-otrs-presents-the-cult-and-death-cult-and-their-paradise-now-tour-at-warner-theatre-in-dc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/?p=63445","title":{"rendered":"ITLM OTRS Presents: The Cult And Death Cult And Their Paradise Now Tour At Warner Theatre In DC"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Raymond Burton Estes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: Fleurette Estes<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Wednesday, 15 October 2025, hard rock legends the Cult \/ Death Cult brought their Paradise Now<\/em> tour to the historic Warner Theatre in downtown Washington, DC, with electro industrial band Patriarchy<\/em> as support. Ian Astbury (vocals) and Billy Duffy (guitar) continued their celebration of their musical<\/em> partnership of over 40 years with set of their early post-punk\/goth incarnation as Death Cult and a set of<\/em> hard rock staples from their time as the Cult with each show fashioned as \u201ca communal gathering of the<\/em> tribes\u201d guaranteed to satisfy all their fans. Patriarchy delivered a short but compelling set of their<\/em> electronic shock rock, exposing many in the audience to a new way to rock and maybe even roll.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This night was a treat. My wife, the amazing photographer Fleurette Estes, and I ran into some friends at<\/em> the show, including local industrial musician MindCage Rick (Miscellen, Ego Likeness, and Flesh Field),<\/em> so it was great to see others in our social circles sharing this experience. I became a fan of the Cult<\/em> sometime after Electric and before Sonic Temple, and I didn\u2019t discover their Death Cult material until the<\/em> early 1990s. Back then, my friends and I talked about how great it would be for the band to revisit these<\/em> songs, and while it took a few decades to get around to it, it was well worth the wait. Having seen the<\/em> Damned, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, the Mission, and Theatre of Hate over the years, it was important to<\/em> see Astbury and Duffy share their Death Cult material and prove that this music wasn\u2019t a blip or an<\/em> anomaly, but part of something bigger that remains vital today. Here\u2019s hoping they keep sharing Death<\/em> Cult until every fan has had their fill.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This was my second time to see Patriarchy, and I was excited to observe how they and their show have<\/em> evolved since Sanctum\u2019s Beyond The Veil New Year\u2019s Eve show at Epiphany Center for the Arts in<\/em> Chicago, Illinois on 31 December 2023. I remember their performance being especially wild and<\/em> intriguing enough to keep them on my radar but was aware that inadequate lighting and a stage in a<\/em> former church contributed much to their provocative performance, so I wondered how it might translate<\/em> to the Warner Theatre where greats such as B.B. King, Johnny Cash, and Kraftwerk had performed and<\/em> audience members were largely relegated to assigned seats.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I was not disappointed as the two-piece electro industrial band comprised of vocalist\/guitarist Actually<\/em> Huizenga and drummer\/percussionist Andrew Means hit the stage in support of their new album, Manual<\/em> For Dying. Situated rather far from one another on Warner Theatre\u2019s large stage, Huizenga and Means<\/em> managed to maintain their chemistry and put on a compelling show. They started off their set with<\/em> Huizenga on guitar and Means pounding away on the drums with their song, \u201cNew Way,\u201d promising to<\/em> teach the audience a new way to\u2026err…um…well, do the nasty.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Patriarchy continued their performance with Huizenga eventually putting down her guitar and leaning<\/em> into her vocals as Means continued to keep the beat. They ended with their single, \u201cBoy On A Leash,\u201d<\/em> with Huizenga wrapping her microphone cable around Means\u2019 neck to demonstrate for the audience just<\/em> who is in control of this band. And, if this theatrical gesture did not tie it all together for the audience,<\/em> they weren\u2019t paying attention and missed an opportunity to see a band that\u2019s gaining traction and clearly<\/em> bound for bigger things. Be sure to check them out. But maybe consult with your doctor before trying any<\/em> of their suggestions out at home.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Patriarchy\u2019s setlist follows:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Way<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coming Up<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suffer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Servile<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

No Touch Torture<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boy On A Leash<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cult began celebrating their Death Cult era back in 2023 and I\u2019ve been anxiously waiting to<\/em> experience them put on this live performance since then. Having seen the Cult a couple times before,<\/em> this was my first since touring guitarist Mike Dimkich left to join Bad Religion and bassist Charlie Jone<\/em> joined the band. The four piece team of Astbury, Duffy, John Tempesta (drums), and Jones (bass) put on<\/em> an incredible two sets of rock that showcased the band\u2019s sonic evolution from underground post-punk<\/em> leaders to world famous hard rock legends.<\/em> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Death Cult hit the stage and began their set with \u201cGhost Dance,\u201d setting the mood for their performance.<\/em> The crowd ate it up, too, singing and swaying to the trance inducing tribal rhythm and atmospheric guitar<\/em> of songs from their Death Cult era as well as songs from the Cult\u2019s early single, \u201cResurrection Joe,\u201d and<\/em> their debut album, Dreamtime, comprised of several Death Cult tracks and clearly and evolution of that<\/em> sound. It was great to see the band\u2019s post-punk and goth fans get a taste of this long overdue treat.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Death Cult\u2019s setlist follows:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ghost Dance<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Resurrection Joe (The Cult cover)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gods Zoo<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

83rd Dream (The Cult cover)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Butterflies<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christians<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Horse Nation<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spirit Walker (The Cult cover)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

After an interlude, the Cult hit the stage with \u201cWild Flower\u201d and got the audience moving. Song after<\/em> song, the boys belted out hard rock bangers that would be at home alongside Steppenwolf, Aerosmith,<\/em> AC\/DC, Hanoi Rocks, and Guns N\u2019 Roses. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And, while a good number of fans of the band\u2019s earlier material<\/em> showed up, the majority were there to hear songs from their more commercially successful albums \u2013<\/em> Love, Electric, and Sonic Temple – and their exuberance far outmatched the more reserved behavior of<\/em> the post-punk\/goth tribal members. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shouting, fist pumping, and dancing, these rock n\u2019 roll revelers<\/em> demonstrated the band\u2019s staying power. And I must confess that I, too, couldn\u2019t resist the rock. The band<\/em> ended their set with \u201cShe Sells Sanctuary,\u201d which bridged the gap between between Death Cult and Cult<\/em> and made for a perfecting ending to a killer show.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Cult\u2019s setlist follows:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wild Flower<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Witch<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

war (the process)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rain<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Edie (Ciao Baby)<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hollow Man<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rise<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucifer<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fire Woman<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Love Removal Machine<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encore:<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

She Sells Sanctuary<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patriarchy released their latest album, Manual For Dying, on 19 September 2025 via Notes From the<\/em> Underground.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Death Cult will release a 16-track live album, Paradise Live, on 16 January 2026, recorded at the iconic<\/em> Albert Hall in Duffy’s hometown of Manchester on November 18, 2023 via Beggars Banquet.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cult re-released vinyl versions of two of its more recent albums \u2013 Choice Of Weapon and Hidden City<\/em> \u2013 on 17 October 2025 via Cooking Vinyl.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on The Cult \/ Death Cult, click here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For more on Patriarchy<\/em>, click here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By: Raymond Burton Estes Photography: Fleurette Estes On Wednesday, 15 October 2025, hard rock legends the Cult \/ Death Cult brought their Paradise Now tour to the historic Warner Theatre […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":63457,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[41,39,20],"tags":[1818,285,1816,1817,1819,298,1815,919,669],"class_list":["post-63445","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-music-news","category-reviews","tag-billy-duffy","tag-concert-review","tag-death-cult","tag-ian-astbury","tag-john-tempesta","tag-live","tag-the-cult","tag-tour-2025","tag-us-tour"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63445","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=63445"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63445\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63459,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63445\/revisions\/63459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/63457"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=63445"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=63445"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/beintheloopchicago.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=63445"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}