There wasn’t a light on in the park. There wasn’t a light on onstage. It was pitch black aside from a soft glow of glow in the dark paint so that Dan, Mike, and John could see to get onstage. They made their way onto the stage and the lights became dim as a hush fell over the entire crowd. It was the moment the they’d all been waiting for. It was the band they’d all been waiting for. It was time to say their final good- bye to the men of Disturbed.
The music came up and the staggered LCD set up started playing a familiar video played for the crowd. When the music got heavier, lasers came up one wither side of the stage in a typical fan formation.
The music became heavy as the bald man with two piercings under his lip was loaded into the back of an ambulance and the paramedic in the back with him spoke. A needle was jammed into his chest and he came to life. He man handled the paramedic to get out of the back of the ambulance as a maniacal laugh sounded over the speakers. He escapes from the back right on cue. “Release me!” As he burst through the stage door, the crowd heard, “RRAW!”
David ran onto the stage with is mic in hand and started singing as he reached the mic stand. “No remnants were ever found of it, feeling the hot bile with every fake smile, though no evidence was ever found it never went away completely. I try to hide from the unholy sound of it, another day gone, another night’s dawn, dark forces pull me underground that never went away completely!
“How can I feel this empty? I will not recover this time, This loneliness is KILLING ME! AHH!”
All of David’s children that didn’t have children under the age of two were out in the backstage area jammin’ to their father onstage. “Will I never know peace of mind again? I don’t believe it, I can’t achieve it. I think you know it’s just another sign that never went away completely!
“Terror is coursing in me, dreading the final moment when I have to dream, and FEEL YOU DIE!
“In Asylum, (I live a lie), Don’t you know I’m in love with you and I wasn’t READY for Asylum (forget the lie), To let go now it’s dragging me INTO YOUR GRAVE! Your Asylum (forget the lie), Overcome in the feeling that I won’t get to join you in time, and the loneliness is killing me!”
David was doing what he was born to do. We moved around on the stage and got the entire crowd involved. He was a pro after all. He chanced a glance into the wings and saw eight of his ten children and three of the eleven grandchildren jamming with the music they grew up with. He smiled to himself as he performed the song. “In the end there will be no suffering (more suffering), in the end you will find out everything (not everything), in the end you may QUESTION YOUR BELIEF (what belief?) In the end you will REALIZE FINALLY HOW YOU WERE SAVED!
“This has gone on too long (too long!) No more demonic dreams, destroyer come to light, because the memory is KILLING ME!
“In Asylum (I live a lie), I let go now it’s dragging me INTO YOUR GRAVE! For Asylum (we live a lie), Overcome in the feeling that I won’t get to join you in time, this world is not FULFILLING ME!!
“Don’t wanna live in Asylum, I live a lie, don’t wanna live in Asylum, I live a lie. Don’t make me live in Asylum, I live a LIE!”
David looked down at the crowd with an intense look on his face. “Well done, Chicago”, he said as a smile spread slowly across his lips. “It’s good to be home.” The crowd roared with more intensity than they had all day. “As you all know, we are Disturbed and that was ‘Asylum’. Now let’s keep this going with a new song from the new album. Can you help me out with that, Dan?” Dan started playing as David got the crowd going. Not but a couple of bars into Mike and John joined Dan. David spoke over the music. “Let me see those Devil horns in the sky!” When he came in with the lyrics he gazed out over the crowd in satisfaction. He was in his element and the crowd was giving him everything they had. This was going to be the show he would remember for the rest of his life. He was going to make sure that this was one of those events that every person watching would remember for the rest of theirs as well. Do you remember where you were when the towers fell? Do you remember where you were when the Utopians fell? Do you remember where you were when they announced that they’d killed Bin Laden? Do you remember where you were the night that Disturbed retired?- the iconic questions of his children and grandchildren’s lifetimes.
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Thirty minutes had passed and Disturbed was on a roll. They owned the stage and the crowd. They had paused several times so that David could address the crowd and have the camera crew look out over them so that the people around the world could see the mayhem in Chicago that night.
Jordan was in one of the dressing areas changing her clothes so that she could go out onstage and get wet with her father. She was stoked. It was the first and last time she would get to be onstage with the man that taught her everything she knew. She checked her makeup, fixed her hair again, and said a silent prayer. Dear God, if it is your will, please let this short period of time on that stage move the people in the crowd and watching around the globe feel the power of these songs we’re about to perform. Let us show them that whether or not Disturbed is performing, the message is still the same and the power is still in the music.
She stood and made sure that she was wearing her sound pack so that she and that her IEM’s were hanging over her shoulders. With a satisfied smile, she strutted out of the dressing area and grabbed a mic from the charger. She paused to give her mother a hug. “It’s time to go sneak up on Dad”, she said.
“So it seems”, her mother said. “Jordan, I know your father and I don’t say it a lot, but we’re very proud of everything you and your brother have accomplished in your career. And that goes for all of you kids. We’re proud of all of you. Now, go break a leg.”
Jordan smiled at her mother. “Thanks Mom. I’ll be back in a little bit." She strutted out onto the stage and intentionally stood behind her father as he spoke.
The crowd responded. David noticed the change. “Is there something going on that I need to know about?” he asked the people as he turned to look behind him. “Is there someone out here that doesn’t need to be or something?”
Every time he turned around, she stepped in the opposite direction. It was fun to play cat and mouse with her father. She was enjoying the game entirely too much. Finally, she spoke. “BOO!” she said.
David jumped slightly. “For the love of God, Jordan, are you trying to give me a heart attack?” He didn’t say it into the mic. It was only for her to hear.
She laughed. Her response was for his ears only as well. “Maybe?” Thunder clapped in the distance. Good thing it was a rain or shine event. If it rained, the show would continue. The weird science fiction noises that preceded the intro to ‘The Animal’ followed. A few things then happened simultaneously: thunder sounded again, the music came up, it started raining on stage, the vocal effects started, and the crowd realized what was going on and became nearly rabid. “NA-AH-NAH! NOW!!!”
David and Jordan did their thing as Dan, Mike, and John got wet and played. Jordan started to sing. “I can feel the animal inside, my resolve is weakening, pounding at the doors of my mind, it’s nearly OVERPOWERING! I cannot begin to describe the hunger that I feel again. Run if you intend to survive, for the BEAST is coming to life!
“Taking form in the glimmer of this tainted moon light, death approaches ON THIS NIGHT!”
David joined her. “For the Animal’s soul is MINE! We will be completed right BEFORE YOUR EYES! I have no control this time, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT!!”
Jordan dropped out and let her father take the next verse as she worked the crowd and the stage. “I can hear it calling again, the primal need is filling me, changes are about to begin, and now my BLOOD IS BOILING, I can see the fear in your eyes, but can’t bring yourself to scream, time to shed the mortal disguise, for the BEAST is coming to life!
“Taking form in the glimmer of this tainted moonlight, death approaches on this night!”
And Jordan joined in again. “For the animal’s soul is MINE! We will be completed right BEFORE YOUR EYES! I have no control this time, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT!”
Dan rocked the solo like he had for years as Jordan and David fed on the crowd’s wild energy and threw it back at them. “LET’S SEE THOSE FISTS IN THE AIR!!” Jordan shrieked then started singing. “We begin the hunt tonight, feel the power course as the creatures take flight, for the kill is close and I will be SATISFIED!” Then David came in as Jordan dropped out. “For the smell of fear tonight, wakes an ancient lust that will not be denied!” And Jordan shrieked again. “YOU’RE MINE!!
And they sang the chorus together again. “For the animal’s soul is MINE! We will be completed right BEFORE YOUR EYES! I have no control this time, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT
“For the animal’s soul is MINE! And the world around will never HEAR YOUR CRIES! An unholy crime, and now we both shall dine IN HELL TONIGHT!!! NA-AH-NAH!” There was no need to speak in between songs. The music for ‘Divide’ came up and they continued to kick the crowd’s ass.
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It was the last song of the set. The one song that they’d had to perform at every show they’d ever done. The three hours they had been onstage had been intense. The crowd had been the best they’d ever encountered. David took a drink of water and looked out at the crowd. “Chicago, Illinois, for the billions watching at home around the world, are you ready to get down with the sickness ONE MORE TIME?” The crowd got louder than they had been all night. Mike started beating out the primal rhythm for the song they were going to play. David growled into the mic, “Can you feel that?” as John joined in. “Ah, shit”, and Dan joined in. When the music peeked, on David’s cue to come on he faked the audience out. They made the monkey noise for him and he chuckled. He brought the mic up one more time with a deep breath. “OO-WAH-AH-AH-AH! OO-WAH-AH-AH-AH!
“Drowning deep in my sea of loathing broken your servant I kneel (Will you give into me?), It seems what’s left of my human side is slowly changing in me (Will you give into me?)
“Looking at my own reflection when suddenly it changes, violently it changes, OH NO, there is no turning back now, you’ve woken up the demon in me!
“Get up come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up come on get down with the sickness, Open up your hate and let it flow into me, Get up, come on get down with the sickness, you mother get up, come on get down with the sickness, you fucker get up come on get down with the sickness, madness is that gift that has been given to me!
“I can see inside you the sickness is rising, don’t try to deny what you feel (Will you give in to me?), It seems that all that was good has died and is decaying in me (Will you give into me?)
“It seems your having some trouble in dealing with these changes, living with these changes, OH NO, the world is a scary place now that you’ve woken up the demon IN ME!
“Get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with the sickness, Open up your hate and let it flow into me, Get up, come on get down with the sickness, you mother get up, come on get down with the sickness, you fucker get up come one get down with the sickness, madness is the gift that has been given to me!”
The crowd was screaming the lyrics back at him. There were several mosh pits going on within his line of sight. He was going to miss seeing this sight. The crowd was electric and he knew what he had to do after the show was over.
“AND WHEN I DREAM! No mommy, don’t do it again! Don’t do it again! I’ll be a good boy! I’ll be a good boy, I promise. No mommy, don’t hit me! OW! Why do you have to hit me like that, Mommy? Don’t do it, you’re hurting me! YOW-OW! Why do have to be such a bitch? Why don’t you hurry the fuck up and DIE?! Why can’t you just fuck off and DIE?! Why can’t you just leave here and DIE?! Never stick your hand in my face again, bitch. FUCK YOU!!! I don’t need this shit, you stupid, sadistic, abusive fucking whore! How would you like to see how it feels, mommy? HERE IT COMES, GET READY TO DIE!!!!
“Get up, come on get down with the sickness, get up, come on, get down with the sickness, get up, come on get down with get down with the sickness, open up your hate and let it flow into me! Get up, come on get down with the sickness, you mother get up, come on get down with the sickness, you fucker get up, come on get down with the sickness, MADNESS HAS NOW COME OVER ME!”
David looked out over the audience when the song ended. He was having mixed emotions about ending the show. He could have stayed out there all night and entertained the men and woman in that audience. But, it was time for it to end. He knew it was time to go to his wife’s arms and come down off of the high he was on. “Thank you, Chicago, for all of the love you’ve given us over the last 41 years. We want to thank our fans around the world as well. The last four decades have been a hell of a ride. So, one last time, scream the name with me! WE ARE…”
“DISTURBED!” the crowd roared back.
“WE ARE…”
“DISTURBED!”
“WE ARE…”
“WE ALL ARE…”
“DISTURBED!!!!”
The band made their way up to the front of the stage and they took a bow. As they made their way off of the stage, the crowd started chanting. “THANK YOU… DISTURBED! THANK YOU… DISTURBED! THANK YOU… DISTURBED!” Over and over again, they chanted and clapped. The bands in the back all crowded the stage and joined the chant. Their families joined them onstage. The wives went to their husbands as they looked over the crowd with pride. They couldn’t have been more proud.
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It was a hell of an after party. There was booze. There was bud. There was food. And all of the young children were in bed. David had cut back a great deal on how much he drank over the years to the point where he’d all but quit drinking all together. He drink on special occasions and that was it. He’d cut back on how much he smoked over the years too, but that night he got higher than a kite. He sat on the couch backstage and passed a joint back and forth with the guy and a few of his kids. “Wow, Dad”, Jake laughed. “I’ve never seen you so relaxed.”
David smiled as he got more comfortable on the couch with his wife. “Trust me, Jake, it’s the weed.” He looked at Mike. “This shit is potent. Where did you get it?”
“Would you believe that it’s medical grade?” Mike asked.
“Really?”
“Yep. I have a prescription because of chronic shoulder problems. I actually have to have a rotator cuff repair here soon.”
Brie spoke up. Her voice was soft and mellow. “Mikey, if you had kept coming to see me I could have helped prevent that and you know it.”
“Yeah, I know. I honestly think you helped stave it off, though. I haven’t always been kind to my shoulders. Ask your man.”
“No need. I remember some of the foolish stunts you pulled during the rally tour. I also recall Morbus dumping you out of my massage chair.”
“Yeah, I remember. Good times.” He sighed. “David. It’s over brother.”
“After forty years, it’s done. We are retired”, David responded.
“What are your plans now? I mean, I know you and Brie are moving to Israel, but what about the house?”
“We’re selling it to Jake. After that, we’re heading out to Israel for good. We’ll come back for the holidays, but that’s it.”
“You’re not going to just sit at home all the time though are you?”
“Hell no. We’re going to go to travel. I’m going to take this beautiful woman that’s asleep against my side to all of the different places she missed out on.”
“Be sure to take her to Morocco. I think she’d love it there.”
“That was the plan, but first we’re going to Australia and we’re going to dive the Great Barrier Reef.” He yawned. “Well folks, as much as I hate to put an end to the party, I have to. It’s not much of a party with my wife passed out. I think I’m going to take her back to the hotel. I’m exhausted anyway.”
“I’ll catch you later brother. Behave.”
“Yeah right.” David shook his wife gently. “Come on, baby. We’re going back to the hotel to get some sleep.”
She stirred and sat up. “No, baby. I don’t want to ruin the after party for you. We can stay.”
“I want to go back to the hotel and get some sleep. Come on, gorgeous. Let’s go.”
They made their way out to catch their limo back to go back to their hotel. As they rode back, Brie looked up at David. “So, how does to feel to be retired?”
“I’m not sure yet. Ask me again in the morning once it’s sank in. Right now, I’m still too high to care.”
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