Review: Staind et al.

Above: The video to "Price to Play," Staind's opening number Tuesday night.

Tuesday's show at Sandstone was a four-band modern-rock extravaganza that wasn't so extravagant. The headliner was Staind, a band whose story goes way back to the days of the Family Values Tour, Limp Bizkit and Fred Durst, who signed them to his Flip Records label about 10 years ago.

Staind has sold about 12 million albums in the U.S.; most of those were the "Break the Cycle" album, which went platinum eight times. Staind has another album coming out in August. I'm guessing it won't go platinum, but that prediction is based strictly on the attendance at Tuesday's show: It was probably around 3,400 in a place that can hold 20k. They could have fit this crowd inside Memorial Hall.

The ticket price wasn't egregious: $38 for a general-admission seat, which was reasonable for a four-band bill. The other bands: Jet Black Stare, a new Canadian band; Alter Bridge, featuring three former members of Creed; and Hinder, an Oklahoma City band that deluged the radio airwaves in 2006 with the single "Lips of an Angel."

The weather might have affected attendance: It rained a lot everywhere before the show. But things cleared up by 7 p.m. And except when it spit and piddled during Hinder's set, the weather was fine all night. I suppose $4-a-gallon gas is keeping people home, too.

The Rock (98.9) hung some banners around the place, but either it's losing its touch or it didn't put all its might behind this show. Whatever. The show went on, even without a soul on the lawn and nearly no one in the upper level seats.

Alter Bridge is Creed without Scott Stapp, which is like the Yankees without Steinbrenner: better for everyone. The Bridge stirs up a lot of thunder, especially from guitarist Mark Tremonti, and in general sound only vaguely like Creed. The best part of its set: lead singer Myles Kennedy's electric-blues cover of Robert Johnson's "The Lemon Song." The crowd, though, also responded to its final song, "Rise Today," which was about as Creed as they got.

Hinder was next. They're from OKC but act like they're from LA and the strip, circa Motley Crue's early days. At least lead singer Austin Winkler does. He's a screamer, whether he's singing or talking to the crowd but especially when he's swearing at someone up front who has offended him. (He called some woman a p**** and a b**** and led the crowd in yelling "f*** you!" at her -- because she wanted to throw a drumstick at him, he said. Nice.)

They played their new single, "Use Me," which is on a new album, "Take It To the Limit," that won't be out until November. They played two other new ones, too: "Heaven Sent You" and "Lost in the Sun." Everything else was off "Extreme Behavior," including "Homecoming Queen," "Better Than Me," "Get Stoned" and their blockbuster single, "Lips of an Angel."

Staind would play for nearly 90 minutes and they were a nice change from Hinder's beefcake pop metal and Winkler's cock-of-the-block poses. Aaron Lewis is about as opposite Winkler as you can get: a man of few words and even less motion. His band still sounds immersed in the early stages of post-grunge; and there are still remnants of Pearl Jam and Nirvana in its sounds, even the new song. But it's a compromised version of that -- more straightforward, more melodic, not so many dynamic swings.

They'd perform 17 songs, including the new one, "Believe," and hits and favorites like "Falling," "Outside" and "It's Been Awhile." Lewis' gruff but agile voice is his greatest virtue. One of the better moments of Staind's set was his solo/acoustic cover of Bob Seger's "Turn the Page." He sang a few bars a cappella, and the crowd fell nearly silent while he did -- although that was no major feat on a night when the place was 85 percent empty.

Staind setlist: Price to Play, Just Go, Right Here, Schizophrenic Conversation, Fade, Fallling, Outside, Falling Down, Turn the Page, Intro, For You, Tolerate, Empty, It's Been Awhile, Believe, So Far Away, Mudshovel.

|Timothy Finn, The Star

   

Comments

[bob]

Good to hear these manufactured faux-grunge/metal/pop bands aren't drawing anymore. Perhaps people are tired of this junk. This is a good sign that we are coming upon a new day in rock music. Unfortunately, Nickleback still walks the Earth.

[Ray]

Tim,

I had admire you for your civil tone in your review of this show. If it were me, I'm not sure I could exhibit such restraint.

[Tim Finn]

We don't go to shows to trash the bands. The performances? Sure, if they're bad, but not the band. Most people don't go to concerts like they go to movies or restaurants: on speculation. They go because they already like/love the band going in and they expect to be entertained. There's no point going if you know you can't stand the band or their kind of music. The crowd had a good time last night. (I once sat through Josh Groban; I can tolerate Staind.)

[Casey]

"The Rock (98.9) hung some banners around the place, but either it's losing its touch or it didn't put all its might behind this show."

I'd have to say the latter... for it was only one month ago they sold out 50,000 strong at liberty memorial for Rockfest '08.

[Tim Finn]

True, but Rockfest is a lock for 40K, and getting STP sure helped. These Tuesday night shows with lesser bands are harder to push.

[Dalene]

I thought the show was pretty good. I was in front of the pit center stang and had a blast. The bands sounded a little rusty, maybe the rain had something to do with it. On a side note.. The girl deserved the "f*** You" she was being a little crazy.

[Jeff]

I would like nothing more than for the whole post-grunge, mid-tempo, angst-ridden, corporate, Nu Metal that has dominated the airwaves mainstream rock would just go away.

But, as mentioned in the previous posts, the last Rockfest did sell 40K+. (however, to fair, that lineup was a cut-above). So I guess it's not going anywhere, however that type of mainstream, arena rock that is played on 98.9 does seem to be declining in popularity.

That's just my opinion, though.

[Tim Finn]

The Rock should play the Architects. I enthusiastically endorse that.

[Charley.]

The Rock should play The Architects, The Leo Project and continue playing Red Line Chemistry. Maybe some Dora Dank too.

[Tim Finn]

I've heard the new Leo Project record. Good stuff.

[Gary Dean Ash]

Staind played to a sold out Rockfest a few years ago...REMEMBER ?

but it started raining when Staind came onstage

STAIND ROCKS

[Jay Hova]

"but it started raining when Staind came onstage

That's because God hates Staind.

[Jeffrey]

There are two things I'd like to note about last night:

1. The rain. Even I had reservations about going to the show. When I left for the concert, I couldn't even see through the windshield. It was pouring down. It stayed at an unbearable amount of rain up until about 40 minutes before the concert. Half the people I know that were going didn't go and the excuse was the rain.

2. The Rock. Is it so hard to ask them to sponsor a concert to their fullest where someone involved in the show doesn't have a financial interest in it? Before Rockfest, you can't go one day for up to a month out without hearing an interview from a member of any of the bands playing Rockfest. What did 98.9 do to promote this concert? They played a pre-recorded advertisement for it, had Alter Bridge on the show an hour and a half before the show went on, and Johnny Dare and his crew went on vacation to go to Rocklahoma. 98.9 shouldn't have even bothered sponsoring this one, because they did dick to help it. Could have fallen to any Top 40 station that may have appreciated it. Hell, they probably play Hinder, Staind, and Alter Bridge more than the Rock does anyways (even if it is their mainstream music they play.)

Aside from arguing why the show didn't sell more, I'll say that the fans that did show up, had a blast. All four bands did an amazing job (even Hinder who surprised me with the fan interaction.) Aaron Lewis rocked the program.

Anyone else see the crackhead get beat up by her fat friend?

[Gary Dean Ash]

Just listened to my Bootleg
"Empty" was not played

Tim Fin where did you get your info ?

[Tim Finn]

I get my info strictly from the notes I take. (Never trust a setlist at the sound board.) But you're right. That was the song from the first album that he said they rarely played. I jotted down some lyrics, then asked someone singing along what the song was. He said "Empty." So I wrote that down. When I got home I Googled the lyrics and put "Tolerate" in the set list, then "Empty," which was still in my notes. So in addition to setlists, another rule: Never trust someone who has inhaled three of those drinks in huge hour-shaped glasses. Thanks for the correx.

[Holly]

The Leo Project Rocks

[Mar]

Come out & support The Leo Project at Knuckleheads to win Club Wars....Tuesday July 15th

[Casey]

I agree with charley, "The Rock should play The Architects, The Leo Project and continue playing Red Line Chemistry. Maybe some Dora Dank too." Maybe you should apply for bob's job?

[Randall]

My wife and I were first in line to get in and ran up to the right side of the stage were we would see Mark Tremonti perform. We thought the show was good. This is our third time seeing Alter Bridge and they still rock. Staind was awesome and hinder was good also. The people were all cool and we enjoyed!!!!!!!!

[spenser cambron]

ok so this is for the writer of this. It wasn't a women at all it was a dude, and that dude was me. Spenser (little Dan Jacobs) Cambron. i flipped him off and acted like i was going to throw my drum stick that i got from jet black stare. I didn't go to see hinder i went to see alter bridge and staind. I wanted u to know that it was me, a man, and not some woman. if u don't believe me then send me an e-mail.

[Jeffrey]

No, he's right. It wasn't a female that was threatening to throw a drumstick. It was a guy.

[Tim Finn]

OK. I believe you ... so why didn't you throw it?

[Spenser Cambron]

I didn't want to waste a drumstick on a gay guy.

[Tim Finn]

... but he called you a bitch.

[Spenser Cambron]

Yeah, but he's a faggot so i don't care. Did you see the way he was dancing around onstage. It was pretty obvious he loves the penis.