Creed is currently in the midst of their 2 Nights Live tour. In select cities, the band performs My Own Prison the first night and Human Clay during the second (both albums played in their entirety), and also be plays select songs from the Weathered and Full Circle albums.

During their one-night stand at the Mohegan Sun Arena, the band brought forth the same kind of high energy performance we saw in 2009.  But hearing those Human Clay tracks played together again brought me back to an even earlier time; the excitement and the thrill of seeing Creed play live for the first time in 2002. You could tell by the looks on their faces that they were having a blast playing these tunes again.

Along with the high energy, Creed also brings great musicianship to the stage. Scott Stapp started the set with solid vocals but then kicked it into a higher gear after the first song. Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall provided a strong backbone while Mark Tremonti turned out the screaming guitar parts he’s known for (with the help of touring guitarist Eric Friedman).

It was great to see Creed tear it up on stage again, and judging by the roaring crowd, the fans agree.

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The band’s set was an awesome mix of songs from their extensive catalog, including “Wake Up Dead” from 1986′s Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?, “Hangar 18″ from 1990′s Rust in Peace, and “Symphony of Destruction” from 1992′s Countdown to Extinction.  They also played three songs (in a row) from the their latest release TH1RT3EN; “Public Enemy No. 1,” “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?),” and “Guns, Drugs & Money.”

Megadeth owns any venue they play.  Not only do they blow the roof off with their powerful sound, but they are a commanding presence on the stage… a photographer’s dream.  Nothing beats going out to see a great band, especially one that shows their appreciation to fans by putting on a tremendous performance.

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Setlist:

1. Trust
2. Wake Up Dead
3. Hangar 18
4. Sweating Bullets
5. Angry Again
6. Dawn Patrol
7. Poison Was the Cure
8. Public Enemy No. 1
9. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
10. Guns, Drugs & Money
11. A Tout Le Monde (with Cristina Scabbia)
12. Symphony of Destruction
13. Peace Sells
14. Holy Wars… The Punishment Due
15. Silent Scorn

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The crowd was already amped up when Motörhead took the stage, but when the band started playing their first few chords, the energy of the arena went through the roof.  The band played several of their classics including “Bomber,” “Ace of Spades,” and “Overkill” as well as newer songs like “I Know How to Die” from the 2010 release The Wörld Is Yours.

The performance lived up to, or exceeded everyone’s expectations, loud and raucous.  And from my perspective, there’s nothing cooler than being in the photo pit while Lemmy is belting out tunes and wailing away on his Rickenbacker bass. Motörhead killed it.

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Setlist:

1. Bomber
2. Damage Case
3. I Know How to Die
4. Metropolis
5. Over the Top
6. The Chase Is Better Than the Catch
7. The One to Sing the Blues
8. Going to Brazil
9. Killed by Death
10. Ace of Spades
11. Overkill

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As early as two hours prior to showtime, fans were lined up around the venue waiting to get inside. Halestorm played many fan favorites like “It’s Not You” and “I Get Off”, as well as three new songs, “Love Bites (So Do I),” “American Boys,” and “Freak Like Me,” which will be featured on their forthcoming album.

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“Chicken-Cow-Cow.”  Not exactly the intro music one might expect for a rock star with the body of work Corey Taylor has amassed over the past 12+ years, but then, nothing about this appearance was entirely expected.

Taylor began the performance by setting some ground rules then reading excerpts from his book, Seven Deadly Sins.  He prefaced the reading by saying “This is #50 on the Christian reading list … that means two fucking things by the way, one, they’re buying it in bulk to burn, or two, I am warping the shit out of the Christian youth of today.”

Taylor also took some time to tell stories and answer questions from the audience.  Many of the stories, such as getting electrocuted by Daniel Tosh and the origins of “Chicken-Cow-Cow” contained a lot of humorous elements.  Other stories offered insight into Taylor’s life as a musician, like the creepy doctor’s office in Indianapolis that provided the best remedy for sore vocal chords and his remarks about what life is like now that he’s been sober for a year and a half; “When I thought I was singing great wasted, turns out I was not.”

For the second half of the appearance Taylor whipped out his acoustic guitar and played songs to the delight of the crowd.  The set included the Stone Sour favorites “Zzyzx Rd.” and “Through the Glass,” as well as songs from the Slipknot catalog like “Spit It Out,” “Psychosocial,” and “Snuff.”

Taylor also played a good number of cover tunes, including Elvis’ “Burning Love,” Alice In Chains’ “Down in a Hole,” U2′s “With Or Without You,” and the Ramones’ “Outsider.”  Despite being a bit under the weather, Taylor sounded great.  It was impressive to hear how he made the songs his own by playing them his way and not trying to over-emulate the bands.

The set closed with a rowdy rendition of “X-M@$,” the anti-holiday track Taylor released last year.  It’s no wonder why he makes such a great front-man, because whether he’s singing, speaking,  and playing guitar (or even cheap Casio keyboards), Corey Taylor is lively, animated, and engaging.  He doesn’t have to work to connect to the crowd; he just does it instinctively.

Taylor’s closing remark from the Q&A session sums up this evening pretty well, “As long as your passionate about something, fucking do it.  You don’t have to define your life by it, but at least try for it.”

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The last time Puscifer rolled through Boston in March 2010, it was at a smaller venue than the Orpheum, so the opportunities for some additional stage theatrics this time around really piqued my interest.  Maynard James Keenan and crew would not disappoint.

Photo courtesy of Puscifer

As I entered the venue to take my seat, the first thing that struck me was that the stage was completely empty.  All that you could see was a massive reflective backdrop and a 15 foot screen hanging from the rigging.  That’s it.

On the screen, the audience was treated to a humorous mockumentary with the plot of the film centered around Maynard James Keenan’s country-music playing, 1st cousin screwing, cheap whiskey drinking character Billy D. and his misadventures with wife Hildy and the well-endowed thieving interloper Peter Merkin.

Once the film ended, the house lights dimmed, and the theatrics began.  Keenan appeared pulling an Airstrem Bambi trailer across the stage.  It seems to take forever for Keenan to position the trailer.  Once the trailer was in place, Keenan began his monologue ( in the vein of something Bill Hicks may have done during his more serious moments) while the stage setup slowly began to take shape as Keenan and Carina Round pulled stage props from the trailer including folding chairs, tables, and the ubiquitous bottle of wine.  The rest of the setup was rolled out from the wings, including the drum kit on a giant red wagon.  The result was akin to some bizarre camping trip in the desert, rather than the lounge feel of their previous tour.

With everything in place, the music began, and the crowd erupted.  The house was packed with real fans of Puscifer’s music, those who actually know the songs, know the words, and have a great time moving to the music.  The band played a strong set which included songs from their current release, Conditions of My Parole, like “Conditions of My Parole” and “Man Overboard,” as well as older works like “Vagina Mine.”

The group sounded great, and gave the fans both a tremendous visual and aural experience.  Keenan and Round especially sound terrific harmonizing together, while mostly silhouetted in darkness at the back of the stage.  I can’t help but wonder if Keenan is planning to pull a Tony Clifton at some point in his career, but he’d be hard pressed to find someone to mimic his distinctive vocals.

At the end of the set, Keenan introduced the group members, Jeff Friedl, Matt McJunkins, Mat Mitchell, Josh Eustis, and Carina Round, and then offered a profound “thank you” to the crowd for supporting their independent project.  The group then closed the show with “Tumbleweed.”  What impressed me most about this entire performance is that Puscifer keeps evolving.  The group has refined their performance to ensure the audience is riveted from start to end, and left wanting more.

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It’s been over two years seen I’ve seen Hurt perform live.  Too long.   By the time we arrived at T.T. the Bears in Cambridge a pretty good sized crowd was already assembled, a full hour-and-a-half before Hurt was due to begin their set.  Visiting with the band briefly before the show I immediately sensed something was a bit different now.  The guys seem more collected and relaxed than ever, but more importantly, very enthusiastic and optimistic about what the future holds for the band.

When we came out from backstage, the venue was packed and the crowd was giving opening act Prospect Hill a warm response.  When Hurt took the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers and applause. Everything I sensed while talking to the band before the show presented itself onstage.  Call it chemistry or simpatico, the guys played so well together, maybe better than ever.

The crowd was loud, but in a good way, singing along to every word of every song.  Every word.  What makes the crowd attendance and participation even more spectacular are the facts that before tonight Hurt hasn’t playing in the Boston area since 2008, and radio support has been sparse to non-existent.  And still they came, and showed Hurt their appreciation in the best way they could.

You could see the impact of the crowd response in faces of the band members.  You could hear the connection between the members in the music.  One of the most powerful events of the night came during the performance of “Aftermath,” when Hurt practically hypnotized the boisterous crowd into such a silence that you could almost hear a pin drop (or at least the techno music blasting downstairs). The crowd was completely engaged and mesmerized.

I’ve been to dozens of Hurt shows over the past several years, and this show in Boston may be the best one yet.  Before the show J. Loren said to me “If we play for two years together the way we’re playing, we’ll be sounding like a band that’s been playing together for thirty years, and of that I’m very proud.”  I can’t wait to see and hear how this new vitality presents itself on their upcoming album, The Crux.  I’m certain everyone at the show feels the same.

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The Pretty Reckless took the stage as the opening act for Evanescence tour. Their performance was phenomenal, and better than I expected.

The band, fronted by Taylor Momsen, proved to be a great opener that really got the energy of the crowd up. Momsen has great stage presence, and appeared very comfortable belting out the band’s tunes, as well as an ambitious cover of Audioslave’s “Like a Stone.”

I’m adding The Pretty Reckless as an artist to keep a close eye on, because they seem primed to do some really great things.

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I arrived at the venue to see a huge line out the door. Some of the fans had camped out since midnight in the cold New England air just for the opportunity to get up-front. The show was sold-out and everyone looked excited to be there.

Evanescence opened the set with their latest single “What You Want.” They sounded great. Amy Lee moves around so much on stage it almost seems she gets winded at times, but somehow she never misses her cue or sounds out-of-breath. Lee is always amazing to watch live.

The crowd was going nuts while packed into the venue like sardines.  A few people were overwhelmed by the heat or the crush and had to be carried out, but overall there was any extremely positive vibe in the venue.

It’s always a treat to attend an Evanescence show because the band (and the fans) never disappoint.

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Set List:

• What You Want
• Going Under
• The Other Side
• Weight of the World
• The Change
• Made of Stone
• Lost in Paradise
• My Heart Is Broken
• Lithium
• Sick
• Oceans
• Call Me When You’re Sober
• Imaginary
• Bring Me to Life

Encore:

• Never Go Back
• Your Star
• My Immortal

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I have been to Toad’s Place, the historic New Haven concert venue, plenty of times, but I haven’t seen it this packed in a long time.  The club was buzzing with former teeny-boppers that were now all grown up and well past the age to have a drink at the bar before the show.  Myself included.

When the guys entered the stage playing the song “Musical Ride,” the tune that was this tours namesake, the crowd erupted in cheers.  Hanson lets their fans vote on the set list every night of the tour.   Fans have the choice of their favorite album and whichever album wins, the guys integrate it into the set let.  Their first album, Middle of Nowhere, won tonight.  We were treated to a trip down memory lane as songs like “Wheres the Love,” “Lucy,” “Weird,” and of course “MMMbop” filled the air.  I was brought back to earlier days of summer with swimming pools, trampolines, and swooning over three blond haired boys from Oklahoma.

The crowd’s energy didn’t slow down one bit as the guys played a few songs acoustically.  “Kiss Me When You Come Home,” my personal favorite from the their latest album Shout It Out, shined during this part of the show.  “Give a Little,” the latest single from Shout It Out got the audience on their feet and dancing.  So much fun.  They closed the main set with “Man from Milwaukee,” the quirky song about space aliens.  During the encore Hanson performed “With You In Your Dream,” a song they wrote for their late grandmother.  It was a somber way to end the electric evening.

We truly set out on a musical ride that night.  And what a ride it was.  Thanks Hanson.

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