W.A.S.P. & KK’s Priest Bring Classic Metal Thunder to San Antonio

The Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, Texas — September 19, 2026

San Antonio got a double dose of classic heavy metal Saturday night as W.A.S.P. and KK’s Priest stormed the historic Aztec Theatre on the 1984 to Headless tour. With two bands carrying deep roots in metal’s golden era, the evening was less a nostalgia trip than a reminder of just how durable these songs remain.

KK’s Priest opened the night with former Judas Priest guitarist K.K. Downing and vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens leading a lineup completed by guitarist A.J. Mills, bassist Tony Newton and drummer Sean Elg.

The band wasted little time going straight for the jugular. Their set kicked off with “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’,” “Living After Midnight,” and "Breaking the

aw" to kick things off. The band was tight and powerful.

Ripper Owens remains an imposing vocalist, attacking the Priest classics with the kind of power that makes songs such as “Victim of Changes” and “Beyond the Realms of Death” feel every bit as formidable decades after their original release. Downing and Mills, provided the unmistakable six-string foundation. “The Sentinel,” “Heading Out to the Highway,” “Hellfire Thunderbolt,” “Raise Your Fists” and “Turbo Lover” were also in the offering.

KK'S Priest

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Follow KK'S Priest

W.A.S.P., with Blackie Lawless vocals and guitar, Doug Blair on lead guitar, Mike Duda on bass and Aquiles Priester on drums.were up and the nearly sold-out Aztec Theater was ready for them.

The 1984 to Headless concept concentrates heavily on the band’s first four albums, and San Antonio received a particularly potent selection. Blackie Lawless and crew opened with “Easy Livin’,” followed by “Fistful of Diamonds,” “The Flame,” “Mr. Cool,” and “B.A.D.” The inclusion of “Mr. Cool,” a song Lawless originally performed with his pre-W.A.S.P. group Sister.

Lawless remained the unmistakable focal point, delivering the songs with the theatrical attitude that has long defined W.A.S.P.’s live identity. Rather than simply presenting a greatest-hits package, the 1984 to Headless show was designed as a trip through the band's formative era, with rarely performed material giving longtime fans something beyond the expected staples.

The final stretch of the performance was pure W.A.S.P.: “I Wanna Be Somebody,” “L.O.V.E. Machine,” “The Big Welcome,” “Inside the Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor,” “Golgotha / Wild Child,” and fan favorite “Blind in Texas.”

What made the San Antonio performance especially satisfying was the balance between familiar anthems and less obvious selections. “Mr. Cool,” in particular, gave longtime fans something beyond the standard greatest-hits routine, while “I Wanna Be Somebody” and “Blind in Texas” supplied the expected thunder.

At the Aztec, both bands demonstrated why classic metal continues to resonate: enormous riffs, larger-than-life vocals and songs built to be shouted back from a packed room. KK’s Priest celebrated the Judas Priest legacy; W.A.S.P. dug deep into its own history.

For metal fans in San Antonio, it was a night where the past didn't feel distant—it was standing onstage, turned up loud and still ready to shake the walls.

WASP

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Follow WASP