Night of the Living Dreads – Rob Zombie & KoЯn.
It was November 17, 2013 in Corpus Christi, Texas… Scar the Martyr, had just exited the stage. Not one fan left their place, in fear they would not get their spot back before Rob Zombie’s road crew could finish their job setting up the backdrops, elevated platforms & mic-stands. Mass amounts of fog began to envelope the entire stage and the crowd began chanting “Rob Zombie! Rob Zombie! Rob Zombie!”
The strobes began flashing like lightning in a thunderhead on a stormy evening. The bass drum started kicking in loud and clear in rhythmic beat sending heads bobbing in a heavy metal induced trance. Over the stacks came a sound-bite: “Radio has changed our lives and practically saved our lives, Radio has changed our lives and practically saved our lives, Radio has changed our lives and practically saved our lives”. Rob Zombie emerged from the fog and lights, clutching his demon mic stand, and screamed “Oh Yeah!” beginning his syndicated radio hit, Dead City Radio and the New Gods of Supertown.
The fans were jumping to the beat simultaneously, creating a wave of people moving in unison with the ocean just feet away at the Concrete Street Amphitheater. Fans from every decade were there, both old school & new school. From the 80’s 90’s 2000’s & 2010’s all there to represent their love for Americas favorite Hell Billy, Rob Zombie.
Rob Zombie, continued wowing the crowd with such hits as Superbeast, Scum of the Earth & Living Dead Girl. Zombie, then took off to the back of the stage leaving his guitarist John Lowery, aka, John 5 (former guitarist for Marilyn Manson & David Lee Roth) to delight the fans with his cover of John Stafford Smith’s Star-Spangled Banner, WITH HIS TEETH, sending the crowd into a patriotic roar! Rob Zombie continued his patriotism by covering Grand Funk Railroad’s 1973 golden hit, We’re An American Band. Following that was an amazing drum solo by Rob Zombies phenomenal drummer, Ginger Fish, (formally the drummer for Marilyn Manson) which led seamlessly into the White Zombie classic More Human than Human.
After rocking the crowd with even more ear bleeding hits like Sick-Bubblegum, House of a 1000 Corpses, Never Gonna Stop & Thunder Kiss ’65, another White Zombie classic. Rob Zombie stopped the show to speak what was on a lot of our people’s minds & confronted a big fellow in the crowd recording the show with his Hello Kitty iPhone. Zombie told him along with everyone else that had their phones out to put them away & rock like it’s meant to be, like it was pre camera-phone era.
“I’ve been doing this live shit for over 25 years now, and as time goes by… The softer you all get” said Zombie, directing the statement towards everyone holding up their cell phones. “Turn the house lights on Tony, let’s do this like we use to” The house lights came on over the fans in the amphitheater, the roar of the crowd began to get louder, like a large Jumbo Jet about to take off on a busy runway. 10-15 women throughout the mosh-pit crowd were sitting on their significant others shoulders to get a better view. Rob Zombie continued engaging the fans in conversation about the night before when they played in Wichita Falls, Texas. “Last night in Wichita Falls, over 80 bras were tossed on stage” said Zombie, while Piggy D & John 5 slowly brought out the bras each one chained to the next. Before the blink of an eye, more bras began being tossed on stage by the very women who were rested upon their lovers shoulders.
John 5, after the bras made it on stage and the chain of bras exited the stage, played the fans a face melting guitar solo that had enough power to bring the dead to life. Ending the show, Rob Zombie rocked the fans with a Diamond Head cover Am I Evil? He left the crowd with Dragula, as an encore that sure to keep the fans pumped for the Co-Headlining act, KoЯn.
Rob Zombie exited the stage via the photographer’s pit, & approached one of the Photographer’s daughter. The little girl (about 5 years old) had been perched on her Father’s shoulders for the majority of the set, screaming & throwing up the symbol for heavy metal, head banging & singing every song verbatim after her father photographed the band… Rob Zombie squatted eye level with the little girl who then became star-struck, Zombie grabbed her by hand & shook it gently as if she was a delicate flower & proceeded to poke her tiny belly. His true spirit showed through then & after walking into the disabled section & began talking to the wonder individuals confined to wheelchairs, showing them that they are as important to him as the other fan too.
The crowd was restless after Rob Zombie left the stage. It seemed like a decade had passed waiting for KoЯn’s road crew to finish up. It wasn’t long before one of the live stage production engineers, brought out Johnathon Davis’s signature H.R. Giger mic stand, wrapped in a black trash bag to keep it safe from dust & any possible bumps or scrapes.
The lights dimmed & the fog began rolling out from under the drums hugging the stage floor like a dark, mysterious entity all of its own. The unmistakable sound of the bell cymbal began playing “ding ding ding ding” then Fieldy’s bass “Boom BOOM Boom boooooom Boom”, then the unforgiving crunch of Head & Munky’s guitars as Johnathan Davis’s pain filled voice comes rolling over the stacks screaming “ARE YOU READY!!!?” as he began singing their classic hit Blind, from their 1994 debut self-titled album. The crowd went absolutely crazy, as KoЯn blew everybody’s mind, individually dropping their fans jaws with their phenomenally tight, in-time, studio-like performance.
KoЯn kept the crowd evermore captivated with a live performance of their shortest track recorded, Twist. Scatting the full 49 seconds, Johnathon Davis paced the stage with his eyes closed & hand stemming in the air as if he was being led across the stage by an unknown force guiding him.
The hits kept coming one right after another, kicking people in the face with Falling Away from Me, off their multi-platinum album, Issues. And Love & Meth from off their brand new highly anticipated album The Paradigm Shift and slaughtering ear-holes with Narcissistic Cannibal from their tenth studio album The Path of Totality.
KoЯn kept killing it, playing a hit off every one of their studio albums. Hit’s like Dead Bodies Every Where, Coming Undone, Shoots & Ladders / Somebody Someone & with some audience participation to sing along with their hit Here To Stay, along with their first single Never Never off their newest album The Paradigm Shift.
Johnathon Davis, asked for more audience participation having the crowd hold their middle fingers in the air for their song Y’All Want a Single & to sing along to the chorus. The same little girl that Zombie approached was still sitting on her father’s shoulders, rocking out 100% harder than any of the other fans with her middle finger flying, singing the chorus word for word.
KoЯn ended the night with three amazing encores that included Get Up!, Got the Life & Freak on a Leash… It is this writers humble opinion, that Night Of The Living Dreads was one of the best shows put on to date. Better than all Family Values tour combined.
Review by: Jared Wingate
Korn
Rob Zombie
Scar the Martyr
