Reviews
 What Happened?
The Lone Sharks
Nine Lives
Steve Winwood
Moneyland
Various Artists
I'm Not There (Original Soundtrack)
Various Artists
Home Before Dark
Neil Diamond
Toby Keith's 35 BIGGEST Hits
Toby Keith
It's A Shame About Ray (Collector's Edition)
The Lemonheads
About a Son
Otis Blue (Collector's Edition)
Otis Redding
Loaded
Wood Brothers
|
Stone Temple Pilots
Let me start off this review by saying that Stone Temple Pilots are one of my favorite bands. Actually, they’re in my "Top 5". On this night, I drove 4 hours (2 each way) to see these guys perform. And boy, let me tell you, it sure was worth it.
I’m confident enough to say that STP is the best live band going today. You’ve got the perfect combination: an energetic singer and a tight kick-butt band. Scott Weiland is such a charismatic personality that he really knows how to capture an audience. You put that together with the musicianship of the DeLeo Brothers and Eric Kretz and you’ve got the makings of a great rock show.
On this night, STP hit the stage around 8:40PM. At first, I wasn’t sure just who I was seeing. Was It Pink Floyd or Weiland and company?
The guys started off with a stellar version of the Floyd classic "Shine On You Crazy Diamond". It was near perfect! Robert Deleo handled the ax like David Gilmour. If you’ve had the chance of seeing Floyd then you know that they perform with like 10 people on stage. Well, these 4 guys brought that same type of intensity to the song. What an opening!
In the 2 full hours that STP performed, they covered a vast majority of their catalogue. Songs like "Crackerman" and "Plush", off their first disc "Core", sounded just like they recorded them. While the acoustic numbers "Creep" and "Sour Girl" showed the band’s dynamic range. What really surprised me about STP’s set was the fact that it focused heavily on their second disc, "Purple". Sure the disc did bring them huge popularity, but at a cost. By now, Weiland’s drug problems are highly documented. Well, most of these problems came after recording "Purple". I know for a time the band even tried to distance themselves from the disc. So, it was nice to see them finally embrace their most popular and my favorite STP disc. Songs like "Interstate Love Song" and "Kitchenware & Candybars" sounded great. The numbers "Vasoline" and "Loungefly" rang out with such power that you could just feel the band’s energy. Hey guys; keep playing this material your fans love it!
I’d like to end this review by saying a thing or two about the late Layne Staley. News reports leaked on Saturday, saying the former
Alice In Chains frontman died of an apparent drug overdose. Staley was a powerful force in the grunge movement, similar to Weiland. On this night, STP dedicated the song "Big Empty" to the late singer. It was haunting. Staley’s story is all too familiar in rock ‘n’ roll and it could have been Weiland’s. STP is such a powerful force on the music scene that I hope Weiland keeps his life in order. They’re the only "Grunge" band out there that still knows how to rock!
-- Bret J. Callahan
Well, I was there, too – sitting right next to Bret during that four-hour drive, nursing a two-day bender and wondering how on earth I would survive another evening of rock and roll with my head in such miserable condition. The opening act did nothing to allay my fears, so I figured that my hangover would take precedence, and I’d end up snoring through STP’s set. Not a chance. Bret’s take on "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" is spot on, and it made me smile, thinking that it might have been done as a subtle salute to Layne Staley’s passing. As the show gained momentum, I began to recognize that despite my temporary handicap, I was completely engrossed and rocking along.
-- Tom Ryan
 
|
More Music Reviews
More Movie Reviews
More Book Reviews
More Concert Reviews
Powered by Millennium Communications Inc.