Reviewed by Eric
It's not every day when a multi-platinum band makes a triumphant return to their hometown, but when it happens it's an incredible experience. In this case, it was the rock band Staind coming home to Springfield, MA to play two nights in a row at the Hippodrome. I attended the first of two shows and what a show it was!
The show kicked off at 7:30 with newly signed Island Records artist Loser. The band features the guitar work of John 5 of Marilyn Manson/Rob Zombie fame and it's very different from what we know of him. The band had a powerful, catchy and very hooky sound that is certainly radio-friendly. Their forty minute set went over really well with the crowd and all members of the band had a lot of energy. The highlight of the set was their closing track "Disposable Sunshine" which is sure to be a hit with radio, TV, and most of all the fans. I'd be interested to check out more from these guys. Keep an eye on Loser because they have that sound that is going to blow up big time. Loser's full setlist was as follows:
Next up on the bill was band that has gotten a descent amount of attention over the past few years, Theory of a Deadman. I had seen these guys before so I was pretty stoked to check them out with their newer material. The band came out to tons of screaming fans eager to rock out. Theory did more than that. The one thing I love about these guys is their power to make an audience move and get going. Their sound is along the lines of Nickelback, but with more of an edge and it's more focused. The band flew through a slew of tunes including hits like "Better Off," "Nothing Could Come Between Us," and "Make Up Your Mind." In addition to straight up rock, Theory brought it down a notch at times with tracks like "Santa Monica," that are more towards the acoustic and mellow side of the spectrum. They have a high energy show and I recommend it to anyone looking for a good rock concert to check out. Theory of a Deadman's set included (I don't remember the full setlist) the following tracks:
Finally around 9:30pm the lights went down for the final time of the evening and the near-capacity crowd went insane. Staind filed out onto the stage and immediately dove into their current chart topper "Falling." The band was on point and didn't miss a beat for the entire set. During every song the crowd sang along and even frontman Aaron Lewis couldn't help but smile at the warm welcome home. Mike Mushok flailed around as he blasted through his aggressive guitar riffs, while bassist Johnny April moved slowly as he struck his signature crunching and low bass lines. And of course what would a Staind show be without John Wysocki pounding his drums with full focused force. For most of the show Lewis had a guitar strapped on but he did take it off for a few tracks, such as Spleen, where he came out on the edge of the stage to get in touch with the fans.
Staind tore through song after song, making every one sound even better than they do on the albums. Staind's set was full of everything a fan could have wanted to hear. They gave the crowd a taste of every one of their albums. Yes, that's right, EVERY ONE! That even means Tormented. They performed "Break" and it was absolutely amazing. They went through all of their hits including "Crawl," "So Far Away," "Fade," "For You," "Outside," "Right Here," and "It's Been a While." Lewis even told the crowd a little story before IBAW. "I remember playing this song years ago across the bridge at a coffee shop acoustic. When I would play it was when people would leave or start having a conversation. It's kind of funny how life works." Staind performed a good amount of tracks from their latest release, Chapter V, and all went over without a flaw, especially "Everything Changes." The band ended their set with the fan favorite "Mudshovel." The hour and twenty minute set flew by like it was two seconds. It was an amazing set and I'm already looking forward to the next time Staind comes around. Staind's full setlist was as follows:
Overall it was a great night in Springfield, MA. All three bands rocked the house and the fans were superb. I'd recommend checking out any of the bands live, but with Staind being number one. There's just something about their live show that takes you over and puts you in a place where all that matters that moment.
For more information on Staind check out www.staind.com and www.atlanticrecords.com. For more information on Theory of a Deadman check out www.theoryofadeadman.com and www.roadrunnerrecords.com. For more information on Loser check out www.losernation.com and www.islandrecords.com.
Be sure to head on over to our Galleries section for images of all three band's performances that night!