John Bush Heats Up New York City While “Celebrating the Songs of Anthrax 1993–2003”

Photos By: Kim Mickel

Article By: Sean Mickel

On Saturday night, December 20th, current Armored Saint and former Anthrax vocalist John Bush capped off his highly anticipated three-date tour with the final stop at Racket NYC in Manhattan.

For decades, fans have wanted to hear some of their favorite John Bush–era Anthrax songs performed live. After years of speculation, Bush finally answered the call by announcing a short run dubbed “Celebrating the Years of Anthrax 1993–2003.” The tour featured just three exclusive dates—Los Angeles, Chicago, and a triumphant finale in New York City.

For this tour, Bush’s backing band consisted of his bandmates from his side project Category 7, who also served as the opening act. This made the night especially unique, as all of the musicians pulled double duty—an uncommon and exciting experience for fans in attendance.

Temperatures dipped below freezing as the line stretched to the end of the block and beyond, but the cold wasn’t about to deter anyone from attending this monumental event. Once the doors opened, the 650-capacity venue filled quickly, and you could feel the electricity of anticipation hanging in the air. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one who had been chomping at the bit to finally hear these songs performed live for the first time in over 20 years.

As the lights went down, Category 7 took the stage—an extremely hard-hitting metal band featuring not only John Bush, but an all-star lineup including former Machine Head guitarist Phil Demmel, guitarist Mike Orlando of Adrenaline Mob, and Jason Bittner of Shadows Fall on drums. Filling in for Exodus bassist Jack Gibson, who was unable to make the tour, was Armored Saint’s own multifaceted Joey Vera, holding down the low end for the night.

Before the first note even hits, the excitement is written all over John’s face—smiling ear to ear in anticipation of what’s sure to be a memorable evening. Category 7 delivers a hard-hitting, solid six-song set, tearing through Land I Used to Love, Exhausted, and Apple of Discord, along with In Stitches and Mousetrap, before wrapping things up with the aggressive, shredding instrumental Etter Stormen. The extended jam gives John a few extra minutes to prepare for his second gig of the night.

After a brief break, the lights dim once again and the familiar hiss of white noise slowly fills the room, building steadily and mirroring the anticipation of a crowd that has waited more than two decades to finally hear these songs performed live. The band retakes the stage, John now sporting a New York Knicks jersey for his Anthrax set, and the journey through sound is about to begin.

The white noise gives way to a scream, launching into the drum-heavy intro of Potter’s Field—an ironic opener, as these were the first notes fans heard from John in Anthrax on 1993’s Sound of White Noise, an album heavily represented throughout the night. As he delivers the opening line, the crowd erupts, with heads banging, fists pumping, and everyone singing along.

The set moves seamlessly into Random Acts of Senseless Violence, the opening track from 1995’s Stomp 442. The intensity never lets up as the band follows with Refuse to Be Denied, drawing continued crowd participation. John then takes a moment to acknowledge the late Dimebag Darrell and his contributions to Anthrax, leading into two songs featuring his lead work: Inside Out from 1998’s Volume 8: The Threat Is Real and Cadillac Rock Box from 2003’s We’ve Come for You All.

Five songs in, the band is firing on all cylinders, feeding off the crowd’s energy as they tear through Hy Pro Glo, 1000 Points of Hate, and Crush.

Strap It On follows, a song never previously performed live by Anthrax and one of the most requested tracks of the tour. Built on a crushing, old-school riff and chorus, it sends the crowd into a frenzy as fans finally hear a song long thought unlikely to ever surface in a live setting.

The tempo eases slightly for the Twin Peaks-inspired Black Lodge, with eerie keyboard work handled effectively by Joe Angeline, who also performs in Overkill bassist D.D. Verni’s solo band. Entering the back half of the set, the crowd remains energized and engaged as the band launches into King Size, its momentum carrying from the stage straight into the audience, like a Monster crossing the Hudson River!!

While the night is centered on John, the rest of the band delivers a commanding performance, hitting every note with precision. The material is demanding, but Phil and Mike remain locked in throughout, complementing the rhythm section of Joey and Jason with seamless chemistry. The band sounds tight and focused, performing with the confidence of a well-oiled machine.

As the set nears its conclusion, the inspirational Safe Home sets the stage for a high-energy finish. Room for One More, and Fueled close out the main set, with the latter’s powerful outro providing a fitting and emphatic ending. “It’s just the nature of the way things work!!”

After a stacked setlist blending John Bush-era staples with deep cuts, the crowd calls for more. The band returns for a three-song encore, opening with the fast-paced, drum-driven What Doesn’t Die, followed by Catharsis, and closing with Only. Widely regarded as the defining song of the Bush era—and once described by Metallica’s James Hetfield as a “perfect” metal song—it proves a fitting conclusion to the night.

The band remains onstage afterward, acknowledging fans who braved the cold and sang along throughout the set. More than a standard performance, the show carried a strong sense of shared experience, leaving the audience visibly satisfied. It was an ideal conclusion to an Anthrax-focused weekend for us, following a day spent filming as extras for an upcoming Anthrax music video. But that’s another story altogether.