Killswitch Engage performed without their longtime bassist Mike D’Antonio last Saturday, September 10, at the Inkcarceration festival in Mansfield, OH. It has since come out that D’Antonio tested positive for Covid-19 the day before, but he is said to be in good health. It isn’t known publicly whether he was vaccinated or not.
The band’s production manager, Josh Mihlek, who also plays with frontman Jesse Leach in his punk band, The Weapon, filled in for an adjusted setlist that included some of the band’s “easier” songs, but the reason for D’Antonio’s absence hadn’t been publicly revealed until today.
Speaking to the festival’s promoter, Danny Wimmer Presents, in a video filmed shortly before the performance, Leach explained:
“What’s unique now about this set is we found out yesterday before loading on the bus that our bass player got the ‘VID. So we’re down one guy. He’s okay; he’s just got the sniffles. Just ’cause we’re being super precautious with this whole thing. So we have our production manager and our stage manager, who is also a dear friend of mine and a bass player of my punk band The Weapon, Josh, filling in on bass today. We’re pulling out some of the easier [songs] from our past, just to help Josh play the set. So it is definitely gonna be a ‘greatest-hits’ [set]. We’re pulling out a couple of the old ones too.”
Killswitch Engage will be on the road with Slipknot, Fever 333 and Code Orange starting in late September. Dates:
Sep. 25 – Des Moines, IA – National Balloon Classic Field (Knotfest Iowa) [tickets]
Sep. 28 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre [tickets]
Sep. 29 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater [tickets]
Oct. 01 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center [tickets]
Oct. 02 – Clarkston, MI – DTE Energy Music Theatre [tickets]
Oct. 03 – Darien Center, NY – Darien Lake Amphitheater [tickets]
Oct. 05 – Syracuse, NY – Lakeview Amphitheater – Syracuse [tickets]
Oct. 08 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center [tickets]
Oct. 09 – Hartford, CT – XFINITY Theatre [tickets]
Oct. 10 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center [tickets]
Oct. 12 – Camden, NJ – BB&T Pavilion [tickets]
Oct. 13 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live [tickets]
Oct. 15 – Burgettstown, PA – S&T Bank Music Park [tickets]
Oct. 17 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion [tickets]
Oct. 19 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre [tickets]
Oct. 20 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre [tickets]
Oct. 22 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek [tickets]
Oct. 23 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre [tickets]
Oct. 24 – Pelham, AL – Oak Mountain Amphitheatre [tickets]
Oct. 26 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP [tickets]
Oct. 28 – Del Valle, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater [tickets]
Oct. 29 – The Woodlands, TX – Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (no Code Orange) [tickets]
Oct. 30 – Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion [tickets]
Nov. 01 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater [tickets]
Nov. 02 – Phoenix, AZ – Ak-Chin Pavilion [tickets]
Nov. 05 – Los Angeles, CA — Banc of California Stadium (Knotfest Los Angeles)