#366 Down Helmet STRAP IT DOWN TOUR Concert Review

“On a scale of 1 to 5 Honks, how many Honks would you give it…for their performance at the show?”   The STRAP IT DOWN TOUR (featuring Spirit In The Room, Helmet, and Down) kicked off in relentlessly heavy fashion on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at The Eastern in Atlanta, Georgia, and we made our way down into the heart of the city to experience opening night firsthand, in the flesh.   “I don’t wanna say anything off-putting…”   The turnout was incredible, the venue was awesome, and the whole vibe of the entire evening was perfectly dialed in, with merch lines resembling what one might see at an amusement park and well-rehearsed, tight performances from each of the bands that were delivered loud and crystal clear (yet “not necessacelery” so loud that we were all “screaming at each other and not listening”), with the final crescendo of the evening being a massive jam that can only be described as “controlled chaos” as EVERYONE in the first two bands took the stage and proceeded to jam with Down on the outro to “Bury Me In Smoke” until the riffs and the grooves left everyone with a contact high.   “Man, I hate those things!”   Get ready for a taste of the brand-new DOWN tune, Blood Oath, remember why you should NEVER put your concert shirts in the dryer after you wash them, discover why being ultra “relaxed” is the only way to EVER travel in a Waymo, and get ready for some BONUS concert reflections worth its weight in Honks when you JOIN US as we share our post-game wrap-up of the first night of the STRAP IT DOWN TOUR!   Visit www.metalnerdery.com/podcast for more on this episode Help Support Metal Nerdery https://www.patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast Leave us a Voicemail to be played on a future episode: 980-666-8182 Metal Nerdery Tees and Hoodies – metalnerdery.com/merch and kindly leave us a review and/or rating on your favorite Podcast app Follow us on the Socials: Facebook - Instagram - TikTok Email: metalnerdery@gmail.com Can’t be LOUD Enough Playlist on Spotify Metal Nerdery Munchies on YouTube @metalnerderypodcast (00:01): “Getting more exercise in one night than I’ve had in 5 years…”/ #TheEastern /  “Dude, I was really, really concerned…bro turned so red…” / #HailTheLeaf /  “The cop and the Waymo thing was probably my favorite part of the night…” /  ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised *** / “That is dericious…” /  “We are 6 days after…almost a week to the day…” / “Hey…note where the letters start and stop…these are my nips…perfectly engineered shirt…that’s what we’re talking about today…” ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST IN THE BUNKERPOON CENTER FOR METAL EXCELLENCE!!!*** “Someone saw this shirt and thought it said ‘Doom’…and I’m like ‘Well you’re not wrong…’…” / “I think I have too many hats…but hats are a good thing to have…”/ #snapback / “I asked for both of them in 2XL…” / #dontdryconcertshirts / “It’s not the washing, it’s the drying…” / “That (Down) long sleeve…that thing’s roomy…”/ “We don’t do the beer of the episode much anymore...but this is the Allagash Haunted House Hoppy Dark Ale, 6.6%ABV and there’s a 6-pack of cans in there… #666   (06:43): ***PATREON US AT patreon.com/metalnerderypodcast *** / “Or they get sick of you talking about June…”/ “I’d like to stuff June Cleaver’s beaver…”/ “Bring the hair back…we miss it.” / #TheScience /  ***SOCIAL MEDIA US at #metalnerderypodcast on #Facebook #TikTok #Instagram & #YouTube / EMAIL US at metalnerdery@gmail.com and VOICEMAIL US at 980-666-8182!!!***   (12:00): “In the spirit of this show, this particular episode…” / “It’s tuned down to C standard…” / #Down #VolumeV #DownV BLOOD OATH (Volume V – 2026) /  “You know that rehearsal space is LOUD!”/ “There’s one part there, right before the chorus…it reminded me of ‘The Small Hours’…” (from Garage Days Re-Revisited)    (18:51): #Th