Twisted Sister took the stage on Friday night (August 28) at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, marking their first live performance with former Skid Row frontman Sebastian Bach on lead vocals.
The concert was initially billed under Bent Brother, the longtime alter ego name the band historically used for secret warm-up gigs, before promoters officially announced the show as the live premiere of Twisted Sister‘s revamped touring roster.
The evening’s performance featured classic material alongside select surprise additions. In addition to delivering signature anthems like “I Wanna Rock“, “We’re Not Gonna Take It“, and “Under The Blade“, the group incorporated classic Skid Row tracks “I Remember You” and “Youth Gone Wild” into the set.
Twisted Sister Setlist — August 28, 2026 at Starland Ballroom:
- “What You Don’t Know (Sure Can Hurt You)“
- “You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll“
- “We’re Gonna Make It“
- “Shoot ‘Em Down“
- “Tear It Loose“
- “Destroyer“
- “The Kids Are Back“
- “Like A Knife In The Back“
- “Ride To Live, Live To Ride“
- “Under The Blade“
- “The Beast“
- “Burn In Hell“
- “The Price“
- “I Remember You” (Skid Row cover)
- “I Wanna Rock“
- “Youth Gone Wild” (Skid Row cover)
- “We’re Not Gonna Take It“
Following the successful New Jersey debut, Twisted Sister is scheduled to play an additional 11 concerts with this touring lineup throughout the autumn.
In a previous interview with “Meltdown” on Detroit’s WRIF radio station, Sebastian expressed his immense excitement about the opportunity to front the band, emphasizing his lifelong dedication as their fan.
He said at the time: “I am a fan of Twisted Sister. And I’ll tell you right now, I’m probably a bigger fan of Twisted Sister than anybody watching this. I love that band. I used to go see them whenever I could. And I really love the album ‘You Can’t Stop Rock ‘N’ Roll‘ with songs like ‘The Kids Are Back‘, ‘Ride To Live, Live To Ride‘. I love the Under The Blade album. I love ‘Shoot ‘Em Down‘, ‘Destroyer‘, ‘Tear It Loose‘. I mean, I love ‘I Wanna Rock‘, I love ‘We’re Not Gonna Take It‘, but there’s an earlier period of that band where they were one of the most ferocious rock bands that you will ever see. And if you saw them back then, you know what I’m talking about.”
Reflecting on the raw intensity of the band’s early club days, he promised to bring that same level of aggression and passion to the upcoming performances.
“When they were a club band, they would come out there like a punk rock band or a total thrash metal band. I mean, if you listen to their version of ‘It’s Only Rock ‘N’ Roll (But I Like It)‘ by The Rolling Stones, it’s like a speed metal tempo… Well, that’s the kind of energy that I’m gonna bring. I mean, I’m not no spring chicken, but I still have a lot of energy when I get on the stage. And I’m going to give you guys fun and energy in Twisted Sister.”
While he is thrilled to take on the massive new role, the vocalist clarified that he has no intentions of abandoning his own solo career or the classic hits that made him famous.
“I’m the lead singer of Twisted Sister,” he added. “How much fun is that to say? I love saying that, so I’m really looking forward to it. I will also say that I’ll never stop singing the [classic Skid Row] songs ‘18 And Life‘, ‘I Remember You‘, ‘Youth Gone Wild‘, ‘Monkey Business‘, ‘Slave To The Grind‘ — I’ll never stop doing that. So I’m not stopping my solo band. I’m continuing my solo band, but I’m doing shows with Twisted Sister that are bigger than my solo band. So it’s a step up for me. I’ll have a nicer dressing room and stuff.”
Summarizing his motivation for joining the tour, he noted:
“So … I’m looking forward to rocking out with Twisted Sister, because I love the music. And you cannot even challenge me on do I love the [music]. I really do love the music. So you can’t fake love — and I love Twisted Sister.”
The finalized 2026 touring lineup for Twisted Sister is Sebastian Bach performing alongside classic guitarists Jay Jay French and Eddie Ojeda. Taking over bass duties for Mark “The Animal” Mendoza will be Russell Pzütto, who previously toured as part of Dee Snider‘s solo band.
The drum kit is handled by Joey Cassata, known for his work on Ace Frehley‘s solo album, 10,000 Volts. He steps in as a replacement for Joe Franco, who was initially scheduled to perform in place of the late A.J. Pero (who passed away in 2015 at age 55) but ultimately became unavailable for the fall run.
