Q-C fans get first glance at new Nickelback tour
By Laura Anderson Shaw, landerson@qconline.com|
Photo: John Greenwood
Nickelback lead vocalist Chad Kroeger rips through some older material Tuesday night as the band kicked off their set to a near capacity crowd at the iwireless Center . The hard-rock Canadian band leans heavily on grunge/alternative stylings. |
The first stop on their "Here and Now" tour, the evening was a mixture of rock, laser lights, special effects and pyrotechnics.
The Toronto-based band My Darkest Days opened the night in front of a glowing screen. Lead singer Matt Walst went from band member to band member, giving each a drink from a red plastic cup, during an early tune. Impressively, not one missed a note.
Their 20-minute set included a handful of songs -- "Sick and Twisted Affair," "Move Your Body," "Casual Sex" and "Porn Star Dancing" -- to drum up as much feedback as possible from the crowd still entering the center.
By the time Seether took the stage, the crowd had multiplied many times over. At the back of the stage, the screen lit up with the cover of the band's latest album, "Holding Onto Strings Better Left To Fray." From mic stands adorned with red lights, the boys shredded through older tunes such as Gasoline," "Fine Again," "Fake It" and "Rise Above This."
They also played licks off their latest album, including "Tonight" and "Country Song" where bassist Dale Stewart cleverly alternated between his bass and a guitar on a stand.
When they slowed it down with "Broken," the crowd on the floor lifted lighters and sang along.
Seether, however, kept the energy high throughout their 40-minute set -- jumping, head-banging and thanking the crowd who roared back and pumped fists in reply.
They closed with an in-your-face "Remedy," with guitarist/lead singer Shaun Morgan putting the exclamation point on the performance by spinning his guitar around his head, crashing it into his mic stand and throwing it on the floor.
It was pretty awesome -- but you'd expect nothing less from Seether.
With the crowd now alive, the grungey-rock boys of Bush took the stage lit by a simple backdrop bearing their name. They opened with "Machine Head" before playing through old hits such as "Everything Zen," "Little Things," "Comedown" and, of course, "Glycerine," which sent goose bumps throughout the arena.
They also played a wonderful cover of The Beatles' "Come Together," with guitarist/lead singer Gavin Rossdale walking through the crowd on the floor, into the lower bowl and then back through the crowd to the stage.
Despite their years-long hiatus, the Bush boys were perfectly in sync Tuesday night. You'd never know they took a break.
As he noted halfway through the set, the band had "so many songs and so little time." Because Moline was the tour's first stop, he added he had "low expectations" for Tuesday night's turnout. But he told the crowd he was quite happy to see the i wi was filled to the brim.
After a 45-minute set, Bush thanked the crowd and made way for a half-hour stage deconstruction and transformation. The floor was peeled away to reveal intricate images of clock parts, and the large screen at the rear of the stage split into several -- and would continue to divide throughout the night.
More than 10,000 people cheered at about 9 p.m. as the lights went down and guitar riffs filled the center. Soon, a huge "BOOM" shook the room as a black cloth covering the center stage fell.
Nickelback emerged, playing an electrifying "This Means War." Fireballs burst from the back of the stage, as light configurations akin to spaceships hung from the ceiling to spin in all directions.
It was definitely a sight.
The boys moved around the stage, with the audience soon learning the walkways into the crowd on the floor weren't just walkways. They were moving sidewalks, hearkening to Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" music video.
But Nickelback's special effects Tuesday night weren't confined to moving floors and a few fireballs. Oh, no.
A few songs in, a circular contraption lowered from the ceiling to land on the stage. It was then the crowd caught a glimpse of mic stands and a drum kit.
It was another freaking stage.
The boys climbed on and off they went -- hovering above the crowd on the floor -- with the stage rotating as it floated to the back of the room.
"We just thought we'd (deleted) fly for you," said guitarist/lead singer Chad Kroeger with a laugh.
The crowd sang along in what Mr. Kroeger called "standard Nickelback fashion" as the band performed "Something In Your Mouth," "Never Again," "Photograph," "Rockstar," "Bottoms Up," "How You Remind Me" and more.
"You get to see this (deleted) before anybody else in the world," Mr. Kroeger reminded the crowd, which responded with a roar.
Despite the i wi's enormous size, Nickelback gave their show a feel like all 10,000 of us were just in a garage -- albeit a very technically-advanced garage -- with a closeness between the band and its fans that doesn't always happen at shows.
As "When We Stand Together" closed, drummer Daniel Adair showcased his talent with a killer solo that you could feel in your chest. Crisscrossing his arms and flipping the sticks this way and that, he paused a couple of times for a breath, and some cheers, before beating at the drums again before ending with a firework "boom."
And the lights went down.
After more pyrotechnics, some T-shirt cannons and a "beer toss" of plastic cups into the crowd, Mr. Kroeger promised the band will continue coming back to Moline if the crowd continues to come see them play.
Then Nickelback said "goodnight" the only way they know how – with more riffs and a grand finale of fireworks.
Right back at 'cha, Nickelback. Right back at 'cha.
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