What is metal? Is it wearing all black? Is it heavy electric guitars and drums? What if it’s all of this while barely scratching the surface?
POORSTACY showed more than anything at DC9 that metal is about being yourself and having a fun time without caring what anyone thinks of you. It’s the genre for everyone. The crowd knew it as well as he did. Within minutes of GVLLOW, the opening act, finishing his set, fans were chanting “STACY” until he came on stage. Everyone who was there was hype from the moment they stepped in the venue, and POORSTACY fed off this energy, channeling an incredible performance.
He in no way shied away from interacting with his fans; STACY gripped their heads during songs, danced with them, sprayed them with water as they sprayed back, and even took to crowd surfing on more than one occasion. He was feeding off the crowd, and they were feeding off him for a gritty, unhinged, purely metal vibe. At one point during his performance, he asked everyone to scream “Fuck MGK” which could be heard throughout the club periodically in solidarity with the performer.
STACY knew exactly how to keep a warm crowd warm, starting with creating a mosh pit during the second song of the night which never ended. The loud percussion of the performance paired with his dynamic vocals created a resonant body of pure metal. The only exception was when STACY stripped back the guitar and drums in commemoration of his late close friend to whom he had dedicated a song. He followed this song with hits such as “Choose Life” off of his debut album, The Breakfast Club (2020), and he even covered a Slipknot song in honor of the creators of the genre, who, according to STACY, deserve some praise from MGK instead of twitter hate.
STACY’s vulnerable, raw range only served to exemplify that metal is whatever you make of it. It’s being okay if you’re an outcast. It’s being in a community of people that have your back no matter what. More than anything, it’s not giving a fuck.
Listen to POORSTACY on Spotify here.
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