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Who: Creed
/ Staind / Like A Storm
When: October
2, 2009
Where: Salt Lake City, UT
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Living near Tallahassee, Florida in the mid to late nineties I was
a witness to the rise of a small local band called Creed. Of course as you may know Creed didn’t stay a small local
band for long, before we knew it they were headlining in their highly successful tours for many years of their career. Unfortunately
in 2004 we saw the fall of Creed; many people thought it was a good thing to see this successful band breakup and part ways.
Even most fans would agree that something had to be done to put them back on the right path. And although a breakup is not
what most fans wanted, it was inevitable. Years have gone by since then – allowing the scars that were left behind from
the nasty departure to heal – which brings us to Creed’s 2009 reunion tour.
Creed’s reunion show that took place on October 2, 2009 in Salt Lake City was spectacular. First to hit the stage was
Like A Storm a relatively unknown band (for me at least) from New Zealand. When I first heard about the reunion tour I was
hoping for bands with a little more experience behind them – or at least a band that I knew. Seconds after seeing and
hearing them on stage my doubts faded away – their songs and their on-stage presence was that of a veteran rock ‘n
roll band.
A nice addition that should have been promoted more was the appearance by
Staind. While waiting in line I heard many people say that they didn’t know that Staind was opening for Creed, so I’m
surprised that it wasn’t promoted like it should have been. Staind hit the stage with force and the crowd absorbed each
moment like it was their last. Staind’s hit singles kept coming one after another; it was a shame that their set-list
couldn’t be any longer. I was disappointed to see a lack of energy on stage between and during songs.
I’ve seen Creed many times before; whether it was as a small band playing for a hundred people at a local venue in Florida…
or for a packed arena… and I’ve never been let down. Creed will always try to give one-hundred percent regardless
of the circumstances (well, maybe except for the last few shows in 2002), and that was no different here in Salt Lake City.
It was abundantly clear that Scott Stapp’s voice was bothering him throughout the entire show, but he never let that
stop him – the raspy sounding Scott looked happy to be on stage again, it reminded me of when I saw them years ago…
before the weight of the world was dropped in their laps. The new start for the band seemed to put a smile on their faces
while playing one hit after another. It was a perfect set-list that grabbed a handful of songs from their four albums; some
songs were tweaked to perfection, I especially loved the new rendition of ‘Faceless Man’. Scott’s
voice aside; Creed’s 2009 reunion tour was amazing – and hopefully we’ll see more shows in the near future.
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Who: Bryan Adams
When: September
28, 2009
Where: Missoula, MT
Rating: 4.3 out of 5
At first glance, you wouldn’t assume I’d be a Bryan Adams fan, and as embarrassing as it is to admit it - I am
a fan of his music, and have been since the early ninety’s. I consider him to be my guilty pleasure when it comes to
the music that I like – I like the man, but I would never openly admit that juicy information to just anyone. That being
said, the Bryan Adams show he put on in Missoula, Montana was magnificent. His CD quality voice filled the theater with ease
all while giving the nearly full house one hell of a show.
Bryan’s crowd interaction
was inspiring; I’ve been to many shows where there is no crowd interaction at all – and other shows where you
can tell the interaction was forced or practiced each and every night they play. Everything he said on stage he meant, making
us, the audience, feel unique and part of the show.
Every hit was played; and although
it was an acoustic set (vocals, guitar and piano only) – each and every song felt and sounded like the original, except
when he adlibbed during songs; such as filling in the vocals for Sting and Rod Stewart in “All for Love” and adding
a country twang during “Please Forgive Me”.
It was a highly entertaining
show that I will definitely see again if he ever comes back to Missoula.
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Who: Nickelback / Hoobastank
/ Chevelle / Hinder
When: September
6, 2006
Where: Birmingham, AL
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 Hinder, Chevelle, Hoobastank, and
Nickelback – a concert that shouldn’t be missed. Hinder hit the stage first, they surprisingly
had a very strong fan base here in Birmingham, Alabama for being a relatively new band. Fans were singing
along, raising hands, and doing whatever they could to show Hinder love. They put on a great show filled
with passion and great songs. Chevelle was next, I’ve never seen Chevelle and they were one of the
reasons that I wanted to attend this concert – and I was not let down. Hoobastank was the surprise
for the night, sure I like some of their songs, but they made a new fan that night. Doug Robb and the rest
of the guys knew how to control the stage and the audience – they left with the crowd (myself included) wanting more.
I actually got goose-bumps while they played “The Reason” – which was very unexpected.
Then Nickelback hit the stage with a giant uproar from the crowd. This was my fourth time seeing
them, and they were at their best. I’ve never seen them in an arena, they were always in clubs or
bars… so it was nice to see how much they’ve changed over the years. But seriously, if you don't
know any of these bands... you need to check them out.
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Who: Jack's Mannequin
When: August 4, 2006
Where:
Birmingham, AL
Rating: 3 out of 5
Let me start off by talking a little about the venue.
Sloss Fernaces is a national historic landmark in Birmingham, Alabama... built in 1881 and 1882. It's a terrific
location for a concert, a venue that gives you an eerie feeling just by looking at it. Ok, now let's talk about
the crowd that showed up for the Jack's Mannequin and O.A.R. concert. The audience was filled with girls, preps,
a few hippies, jocks, and more girls... should I say more? But I'm sure they felt right at home by the
warm reaction the crowd game them that night, they were singing along... cheering... clapping... screaming... every element
that creates a great crowd for any band. I love how they incorporated the piano into the modern day rock, that's
a raritiy in rock music today. Andrew McMahon, the lead singer, did a remarkable job on the piano and his vocals were
right on target the entire night. I'm sure they made a few new fans that night, I hope to see them in Birmingham
again soon.
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Who: Duncan Sheik / Griffin House / Jim Boggia
When: January 20, 2006
Where:
Birmingham, AL
Rating: 4.5 out of
5
Duncan Sheik first came out with his power hit "Barely Breathing" back in 1996 - and
he hasn't shown any sign of slowing down. Duncan's voice was perfect - his band played flawlessly. If
the crowd could have been more respectful it would have been a more enjoyable show. Ok, here's a note for all of
you so called Duncan Sheik fans... please don't disrespect Duncan by screaming out songs that were on his first CD.
He's had so many great CD's that have come out since then that surpass his original CD. Ok, enough of me venting
about the crowd. Nonetheless - the new songs worked great in the set. I hope Duncan and his band have a chance
to come back through here again soon.
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©2001 - 2012 Rock Bottom
 
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