There's No Such Thing As Monsters... OR IS THERE? Wednesday 13 Play Lee's Palace on Their 2025 Tour.

By: Jay Broderick

Toronto, Canada - Spring time in Canada. It's unpredictable at the best of times, but 2025 has been downright freezing cold. As I stood outside Lee's Palace for the Wednesday 13 show at the Bloor Street concert venue, snow flurries are actually falling. What in the sweet name??? It's the middle of April for crying out loud!! I remember snow once or twice at Easter when I was a kid, but this isn't a one-off freak event. It's been dastardly cold thus far this spring, after a brutal winter with tons of snow. I hate it! Can you tell?? Come on There's No Such Thing As Monsters Tour, MAKE ME HAPPY!!!!

During my displeasure in the cold temperatures, I strike up a conversation with a young photographer. She's excited to be here, and loves this form of photography. She tells me that she was invited by one of the bands to cover the show. Very cool! But sadly, as the Lee's Palace doors open for the Inertia Entertainment promoted event, she is denied entry. She doesn't meet the age requirement (19) to get into the venue. Man, that really sucks. I'm not sure how I feel about that, but young photographers take heed...

On the bill tonight with Wednesday 13 you ask? We've got another 4 band concert, with Stitched Up Heart, Dead Rabbits, and I Ya Toyah. These are 4 distinctly different bands, making up a somewhat unusual mix of music.

I Ya Toyah

Kicking off the show is Poland born, but now calling Chicago home, Ania Tarnowska, better known as I Ya Toyah. Ahead of the start, Drew (another fellow photog) shares that only a couple hundred tickets were sold for this event. By the time tonight's opening act hits the stage (seemingly 15 minutes late), there is only a smattering of fans strewn about. When I Ya Toyah appears on stage in her leather and fishnet stocking outfit, a sexy whistle from one of the patrons is heard distinctly. And it's just her. A one-woman show, with guitar and keyboard, and accompanied by backing tracks. Not an easy job! A video screen flashes behind her, and as she starts into her opening track "I am the Fire", my eyes, and ears open wide. Her voice is absolutely amazing.

I Ya Toyah is extremely animated during her whole 30 minute set. Her musical style is more electronic/techno/pop, but she's got some great, deep screams during her song "Denial". She does a wonderful job engaging with the crowd, sharing that it's her first time ever in Canada. The fans give her some very well deserved love, and despite tonight's headliner being a metal band, I Ya Toyah captured the crowd. What's more, she is also the founder of Femme Fatale Records. Methinks you'll hear more from this artist. If you are one of those people that doesn't like to go to see opening bands, this is what you miss out on.

Dead Rabbits

Up next, and in massive contrast to tonight's opener was Dead Rabbits. This metalcore band is from Phoenix, Arizona (which is also in huge contrast to the freezing cold north), and have been around since 2012. They're are actually a side project for Escape the Fate singer Craig Mabbitt, with Erik Jensen, Blake Bailey, and Colton Westerman. As the 4 head out onto the stage, their iconic dead rabbit masks are firmly in place. Things are about to get amped up, as they tear into their opening song "Raisehell.exe"!

This blistering quartet, with melodic vocals along with the genre's typical shrieking wails pound out one song after another. The masked drummer twirls drumsticks, the bassist frequently hops up onto the risen platform at the front of the stage along with the band's frontman, and the guitarist stands stage left, riffing like a madman. And to add to the show, Stitched Up Heart vocalist Alecia "Mixi" Demner comes out to join Dead Rabbits in a special guest appearance. With the crowd banging along in unison, there's not much more to ask.

Stitched Up Heart

Hangonaminnit! As Stitched Up Heart arrives on stage at 8:30, the band members are those that just performed as Dead Rabbits. The difference? They are no longer wearing masks. It's not the aforementioned band members either. In fact, the players for Dead Rabbits were none other than Randy Mathias on bass, Merritt Goodwin on guitar and new drummer Delaney Jaster, simply filling in for the former act. I can honestly say that I have never seen this. What's more, as Stitched Up Heart starts into their opening track "To The Wolves", Dead Rabbits singer Craig Mabbitt comes out and joins Demner. A pure show of 2 bands supporting each other.

These guys are a hard, heavy rock band, and Demner tells the crowd that they're here to have a great time after the opening song. She asks if anybody likes to mosh, and then asks to see it. Thus far, there has not been any movement on the floor, although the crowd has been engaged since I Ya Toyah, with cheers and chants and nodding heads. With the challenge posed by "Mixi", a small pit opens up but doesn't last but a minute. The band's frontwoman then shows us that she's not just a vocalist with an amazing voice, but she's also a guitarist as she pulls out an electric 6-string for their 3rd song "My Demon".

There's a ton of fun happening on stage, and some great interaction with the fans. Demner shares that the band has been to Toronto a few times, including a tour with Godsmack, and after they play "Lost" (which featured Sully Erna on the recording), drummer Delaney Jaster bursts into a drum solo. "Holy shit!" Demner yells. "Delaney Jaster!! This is her first tour ever! Let's keep this party going!" and they did... There's a clear reason why these guys are 3rd on the bill, and are definitely capable of headlining any show. A really great performance.

Wednesday 13

Joseph Michael Poole was born in North Carolina. He started his music career in 1992, and has played in bands like Psycho Opera, and Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13, but would be known to many as the vocalist for the horror punk band Murderdolls. In 2004, Poole ventured out into a solo gig, where he eventually became known as Wednesday 13. In 2005, Wednesday 13 released their debut record Transylvania 90210, and here we are 20 years later, celebrating the milestone on their 2025 There's No Such Things As Monsters Tour.

It's not a packed house, but Lee's Palace has filled in very nicely since tonight's first act. When the band hits the stage, they power through their first 3 tracks, including Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover "197666". The crowd is psyched up big time for tonight's headliners, as horns are raised high, heads are banging and voices are singing. With direction from the band's namesake, lead singer Wednesday 13, the crowd sings the chorus to their latest single "When the Devil Commands" during the band's 4th song of the night. Electric fans on the stage blow the hair of the band members in true heavy metal fashion.

There is a ton of power emanating from the stage, as these US metallers continue to bulldoze through each track. With exception of the odd song introduction, using metaphors based on each song title, there is not a ton of interaction with the crowd. 13 doesn't ignore the fans by any stretch of the imagination. The band also doesn't waste a lot of energy running around the stage. The main focus of the night is clearly on the music, and the fans are completely happy with that set up. I mean, it is a rock concert after all, not a spoken word in a sit down theatre.

While the band is celebrating 20 years of their debut album, they perform a fantastic array of songs old and new, and a number of tracks from 13's previous bands, including encores from Murderdolls. By the end of the night, the fans had had an amazing time, thanks to the 4 bands on the bill on this frigid cold spring night in Toronto.

Set List

Look What the Bats Dragged In

197666 (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover)

I Want You... Dead

When the Devil Commands

God Is a Lie

From Here to the Hearse

The Ghost of Vincent Price

No Apologies

Rambo (Frankenstein Drag Queens From Planet 13 cover)

House by the Cemetery

I Walked With a Zombie