11/30/2003 - Cleveland Convocation Center
Took my son to see this concert. Thought I might be able to enjoy some of it (he has really been wanting to see Korn for years, and tickets were cheep) We had ok seats. Venue was a little echo-ee though.
I was bored most of the night.
Story of the Year wasn't too bad for a really new group (they only did like 4 or 5 songs, none of which I had heard before). They were pretty tight for a new band. Sound wasn't too bad, I could actually understand at least half the vocals. They also sounded like they were a hungry up-and-comer.
Adema I have heard on the radio and kind of liked. In concert though, they did not impress at all. Every song sounded just like the rest, except the 2 that I had heard on the radio.
Ill Nino I had never heard, or heard of before. Wish I hadn't. Don't know if it was a bad mix or what, but the vocal midrange were completely missing. All I could here were the screams and the grunts.
Offspring were pretty enjoyable. I had forgotten that they did half the songs that they performed. So, I knew most of their set already. Had a good mix and did pretty good.
Korn was a big question mark. I have heard a lot of their stuff from my son listening to it. It all falls in 2 catagories for me. Thought it was ok, but I would never buy it, or just plain hated it. Their live performance did nothing to sway my opinion. Hated half of it, and thought the other half was ok. At least they projected most of the key words and phrases on the backdrop behind them, so I could join the crowd on occasion. Only high point was when they did Metallica ONE.
What really got me though, was the complete lack of a stage show from anyone. There was really no reason to keep an eye on the stage. With so many bands, I realize that no one was going to get anything fancy. But there was no crowd interaction other than an occasional "lets hear it Cleveland".
There was no interaction on stage between any of the band members (except Offspring who had on guy running around causing trouble with the crowd and the band itself). I spent more time watching the crowd surfers and moshers (general admision on the floor) and some of the local scenery that was sitting nearby.
I really found no reason
to see any of these groups live.
I've seen bar cover bands that were more interesting to watch.
Hell, it was the first concert that a sat through most of (all
except parts of Korn).
Maybe I am just spoiled. When I was a teenager, I was seeing Iron
Maiden, Alice Cooper, Motley Crue, Triumph etc. Even when they
didn't have a big stage/light show, they at least worked the
crowd, played off each other, and actually put on a performance.
A concert was actually an event. Not just the band standing up on
stage playing the music and jumping up and down occasionally.
Sorry to go on such a long winded rant, but I just had to get it
off my chest. It is the first time that I could find some
redeming quality to seeing a live performance. Worst thing is, I
will probably have more fun in June when I take my wife to see
Alabama (a band I pretty much find totally annoying), at least
they know how to put on a performance.
Setlists
Korn
Offspring
The Kids Aren't All
Right
All I Want
Come Out and Play
(Can't Get My)Head Around You
Gone Away
Want You Bad
Bad Habit
Gotta Get Away
Why Don't You Get A Job
Staring at the Sun
Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)
Self Esteem
Ill
Nino
Adema
Story
of the Year
And The Hero Will Drown
Dive Right In / Divide and Conquer
Until the Day I Die
In the Shadows