By “Tampa” Earl Burton
Live Review: The Lords of Acid with Princess Superstar and Dead on Sunday – The Orpheum, Tampa – May 17, 2026
People are, in general, fairly reserved in their activities. They get up, go to work or school, and have a rather humdrum life. But occasionally, that staid, stoic life must be upended, which was the purpose of the Sunday arrival of Carla Harvey and Lords of Acid’s Cheeky Freaky Tour at the Orpheum in North Tampa. Along with some excellent opening acts, Harvey and the band delivered a hot, sweaty night of EDM-infused rock music for a packed house of fellow freaks!
A Long, Strange Trip It’s Been…
To say that the last couple of years for Harvey have been… entertaining… would be an extreme understatement. Once a part of the powerhouse duo (along with Heidi Shepherd), Butcher Babies, Harvey left the group in 2024 after missing the band’s European tour due to retinal detachment surgery. Leaving the band would, however, open new doors for Harvey.
Along with earning her degree in Mortuary Sciences, Harvey also began dabbling in her own musical activities. She would create the all-female band The Violent Hour after officially leaving Butcher Babies in 2024, and 2025 would mark monumental changes for the raven-haired vocalist. After dating for a decade, Anthrax drummer Charlie Benante made an honest woman of Harvey by marrying her (in a ceremony officiated by KISS bassist Gene Simmons), and Lords of Acid came calling to name her the “Acid Queen” and the newest frontwoman for the band, alongside her duties leading The Violent Hour.
As you would expect after a couple of years in the wilderness, Harvey and Lords of Acid were ready to seize the stage at the Orpheum, and they came out with straight fire. Going back to their 2001 album Farstucker, Harvey and the Lords rocked into “Scrood Bi U,” and they would keep the energy going throughout their fifteen-track set. Harvey took immense joy in embracing the Lords of Acid’s suggestive lyrical stylings and highly intense musical efforts, whipping her ample ebony mane in glee as the band jammed around her.
Harvey and Lords of Acid are not living off the past success of the band, either. “We’ve got a new tune for you, only released it a few days ago,” Harvey announced from the stage gleefully as they slammed into “Dream Boy.” It was a bit of a departure from Lords of Acid’s normal sound, a reggae-tinged tune that the band adapted to their style of synthesizer-infused rock. It was a track that suggested there is a great deal left in the band’s musical tank to explore, especially with Harvey as the frontwoman.
The audience, a mix of young and old (Lords of Acid dates to 1988) and “straight” to “freaky,” was enthralled by the band’s performance. Pressed closely to the stage, there was a communal embrace between the audience and Harvey, in particular, and the Lords in general. By the time they reached their encore of another chestnut from their catalog, “I Sit on Acid,” everyone was soaked in sweat, making the walk through a gentle evening rain after the show quite pleasant, and thoroughly enjoying the experience.
Outstanding Openers Amp the Energy
This was my first visit to The Orpheum, which used to be in Ybor City before either deciding to or being forced to move to their North Tampa location. As such, I was unaware of the limited parking at the location, which forced me to park a distance from The Orpheum and miss the opening set from Mz Neon. I would have loved to have gotten a listen to the L.A. singer/rapper, as she had some excellent credentials as an opener for the rock vocalist Poppy in the past. Next time, Mz Neon!
I was able to catch the rest of the opening lineup, and they firmly established the mood that would permeate the evening. Queens, NY’s Tony and the KiKi played a (sadly) short set, but the band’s energy and attitude were highly entertaining, with a mix of glam rock stylings and synthesizer efforts. Tony and the KiKi were certainly a spirited sound for the evening’s festivities.
Up next was Princess Superstar, who brought a Lady Gaga-esque show for those in attendance (maybe Gaga got her influence from the Princess?). Known for her 2002 UK hit “Bad Babysitter,” the Princess entertained the Orpheum crowd with a dizzying array of synthesizer-infused pop songs. During her performance of that memorable track, the Princess became a cheerleading babysitter, basically acting out the lyrics of the song as she performed, and she also spun out a new tune, “YUM-ME.” Although she now calls California home, The Princess originally came from NYC, and along with the sounds of Tony and the KiKi, demonstrated the diversity of music in one of the great cities of the world.
Arguably the most “rock” of the evening’s entertainers was the Denver band Dead On A Sunday. Led by Ross Ryan, the band attacked the Orpheum audience with a blistering set of synth-infused rock. Touring in support of their third album, In Memoriam, Ryan prowled the Orpheum stage like a captive lion, unleashing powerful torrents of rock tunes for those in attendance. This band deserves more listens, and hopefully, they are finding that audience through being in the opening lineup with all these talented performers.
Altogether, the packed house at the Orpheum on Sunday night got a wide variety of entertainment and musical stylings. Capped by Harvey and Lords of Acid, it was a powerful expression of artistic excellence and should continue to draw sizeable audiences wherever it goes. Beginning on May 21, the carnival that is the Cheeky Freaky Tour will make its final swing through Texas, Arizona, Nevada, and California, wrapping up in San Jose, CA, on May 31. If you are in the mood for a scintillating and entertaining evening of entertainment from a diverse group of artists, then this could be the tour for you!
PHOTO GALLERY
