Zombies, Birthdays & Glitter...Lord of the Lost Takes Over TLA Philly

On January 20, The Dark Winter Tour engulfed an already freezing Philadelphia night at the Theater of Living Arts. Fans braved the 18-degree temperatures, lining South Street and anxiously waiting to escape the cold and get inside.

Tonight’s lineup featured Wednesday 13 and The Birthday Massacre in support of German dark rock band Lord of the Lost. Known to fans of their Eurovision fame for representing Germany in 2023. The nearly 800-capacity historic venue served as the perfect backdrop for The Dark Winter Tour, so let’s get down to business.

Wednesday 13:

The Duke of Spook himself, Wednesday 13, opened the night as the crowd continued to fill in. The stage was drenched in red waves of light as drummer Mike Dupke hit the stage first, followed by guitar wizard Ashes. Bassist Troy Doebbler and guitarist Jack Tankersley soon followed. The opening riff of “When the Devil Commands” ripped through the room, stealing the air from the crowd in anticipation. Moments later, the crown prince of creep,Wednesday 13 stormed the stage, ready to take control.

Wednesday 13’s set delivered a solid mix of tracks from his latest album Mid Death Crisis, released in 2025 via Napalm Records, along with classic favorites from Murderdolls. The band’s energy was relentless, and Wednesday’s gritty, B-movie-horror crooning echoed throughout TLA. Whether wielding his trademark “fuck” umbrella (available for purchase, by the way) or shining the spotlight on his bandmates, the performance had all the tricks and treats fans have come to expect. (See full setlist below.)

WEDNESDAY 13 Setlist

When the Devil Command

Rotting Away

197666

Summertime Suicide

Haunt Me

I Walked With A Zombie

Bad Things

I Love To Say Fuck

The Birthday Massacre:

Up next was Canadian pop/rock/synth outfit The Birthday Massacre, a beloved and well-established presence in both the goth Philadelphia scenes. Fans sporting bunny ears packed in tighter as the anticipation grew.

The stage setup was noticeably stripped down from the previous act, creating a more open, almost desolate atmosphere. Purple and blue lighting washed over the stage as fog crept in. A swelling synth soundscape filled the room, slowly building tension. “Night Shift” , their signature intro, began as members of TBM entered the stage one by one, layering the sound. Once the buildup peaked, vocalist Sara “Chibi” Taylor emerged to launch into “Counterpane.”

The nearly 40-minute set journeyed through The Birthday Massacre’s expansive discography, featuring fan favorites from Violet, Diamonds, and Under Your Spell. The band also debuted “Dead” live for the first time this tour ,a track that originated as a demo under their original name, Imagica, before being officially released on their 2016 demo compilation album Imagica (recordings from 1998–2001).

The energy during their set was electric, particularly from the band themselves. Chibi’s ability to connect with the crowd proved unmatched, whether through her onstage banter or locking eyes with fans and engaging them directly during songs. It was one of the night’s standout performances.

The Birthday Massacre is comprised of:

Vocalist: Sara “Chibi” Taylor

Rhythm Guitar: Michael Rainbow

Lead Guitar: Michael Falcore

Keyboards: Owen Mackinder

Drums: Philip Elliott

Bass: Brett Carruthers

The Birth Day Massacre Setlist

Counterpane

Blue

Stars and Satellites

Superstition

The Vanishing Game

One

Sleep Tonight

All of Nothing

Dead

Crush

Destroyer

Video Kid

Happy Birthday

In the Dark

Pins and Needles

Red Stars

Lord of The Lost:

Finally, it was time for German dark rock powerhouse Lord of the Lost. The lights dimmed as fog filled the room, pierced by deep purple beams that heightened the anticipation. The band took the stage alongside vocalist Chris Harms, clad in a long black trench coat, kicking off their thirteen-song set with “Bizarre Bizarre.”

Noticeably absent was bassist Klass Grenayde, currently on hiatus from touring for mental health reasons. Harms addressed this later in the set, briefly speaking about the importance of mental health and wishing him well. He then joked about how much he hates people..except Wednesday 13, before welcoming him onstage for “I Hate People,” the band’s latest single via Napalm Records.

Now fully warmed up, Harms shed the trench coat as Lord of the Lost shifted into full dark rock dance mode. The crowd moved in unison during “Blood for Blood,” an electro-industrial anthem that turned the venue into a pulsing mass of energy.

As the night came to a close, Lord of the Lost wrapped up their set with “Blood & Glitter,” their most recognizable track for casual concertgoers after representing Germany at Eurovision 2023. The band finished strong with covers of Roxette’s “The Look” and original “The Things We Do for Love,” sending the crowd home on a high note