Sonoma County thrash metal act Skitzo is celebrating 45 years together with a reunion concert at Petaluma's Phoenix Theater, bringing back former bandmates, towering stage sets and the band's notorious green-slime stunt. Frontman Lance Ozanix, who turned 60 this year, has led the group since its founding in 1981, and he's promising the kind of spectacle that once got the band booked on national television.
According to The Press Democrat, the anniversary concert takes place Nov. 14, 2026 at the Phoenix Theater, 201 Washington St. in Petaluma, with doors set for 6:30 p.m. Admission costs $15 in advance or $20 at the door, and the lineup will include current and former members of Skitzo sharing the stage together. A Bohemian profile of the band, meanwhile, lists the show as occurring Sunday, Nov. 15, 2026, at the venue it calls Petaluma's Phoenix Theatre — a discrepancy between the two accounts that hasn't been independently resolved.
Ozanix began his career with Skitzo as a bassist before switching to guitar, and he's spent the decades since fronting a band that has shared stages with W.A.S.P., the Misfits, Venom and Tool. The Press Democrat reports the band still tours the West Coast and played the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles alongside Kings of Thrash, a group that includes former members of Megadeth, last year. Skitzo has released 21 full-length albums over its run, according to both The Press Democrat and a recent Bohemian feature, which calls that output over 45 years no small feat.
Old Faces Returning for the Reunion
The Press Democrat reports that former members Jason Sullivan, Ron Klinger, Kelly Gillis and John Crowhurst are expected at the show, all of whom played in Skitzo's 1980s lineups — Sullivan on drums, and Klinger, Gillis and Crowhurst on guitar. The band's roster of alumni also includes drummers Noah Smith and “Drumin” Dave and guitarist Jason Spray, per the same outlet. Skitzo's current lineup is listed as drummer Liz Say, guitarist Jason Wright, and bassists Sherri Stewart and Nate Clark, though Bohemian's own recent account describes the current lineup somewhat differently, naming just Ozanix, Say and Clark.
Ozanix has been revisiting older Skitzo material to get ready for the show, and rehearsals have sometimes started as early as 9 a.m., The Press Democrat reports. He's also been building towering stage sets himself. “We would play high schools and puke their school team colors,” Ozanix told Bohemian, recalling the band's wilder theatrical routines from its early years. He also described the band's 1988 U.S. tour to the outlet as an eye-opener.
Bringing Back the Green Slime
Ozanix has promised an elaborate production for the anniversary show, with multiple drum kits, towering sets and the return of the band's signature green-slime effect, The Press Democrat reports. The stunt has history: Skitzo performed the green-slime bit on two episodes of The Jerry Springer Show in the 1990s, and Ozanix also appeared on The Howard Stern Show and was featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not, according to Bohemian. Ozanix told the outlet that the band's 40th anniversary show happened during COVID and instead used a puking robot that blasted green confetti.
The slime stunt has also landed Skitzo in stranger territory. Per The Press Democrat, a concertgoer once sued Ozanix on Judge Judy, claiming his onstage antics ruined her dress. Bohemian's earlier profile of the band similarly reported that Ozanix was sued after a concert for ruining a young woman's dress, and that vomiting neon-green foam and slime became a staple of Skitzo's live set over the years.
A Heavy Metal Party With Support From Three Bands
Ozanix called the anniversary concert a big production with two drum sets onstage and, elsewhere, simply a heavy metal party, according to The Press Democrat. The bill includes performances by Ancestors Wrath, from the Bay Area; Weapons, from Sonoma County; and Unprovoked, from Sacramento. Looking ahead, the band plans to release a 22nd studio album in 2027, per the same report.
Skitzo's history with the Phoenix Theater runs deep. The band marked its 35th anniversary with a show at the venue, described at the time as celebrating 35 years of thrashing with many special guests. The theater itself, according to DoTheBay, opened in 1905 as the Hill Opera House before becoming the Petaluma venue known today for all-ages punk and metal shows.
