Three Heavy Hitters From The Ninety’s

Stone Temple Pilots, +LIVE-, Soul Asylum “The Jubilee Tour”

Written by Christie Bilbo

Dos Equis Pavilion brought out three heavy hitters from the 90s. I want to refer to the night of alternative rock. Some would call it grunge. No matter what these bands that rocked Dallas on August 23, it was just a good night of rock n’ roll.

The evening was cool compared to what we had been experiencing thus far. The temperature was a balmy 102 degrees, but when the sun went down, it was a cool 83 degrees. This was relatively comfortable compared to what I had sat through all summer for concerts.

The venue was slow to fill at first. Soul Asylum played a short set. With four songs to their set, it was over before it began. Their set included “Somebody to Shove,” “Misery,” “Runaway Train,” and “Black Gold.” What surprised me was they didn’t even say goodbye to the crowd. They finished their set, and then POOF, they sat their instruments down and walked away.

Live played immediately following the mass exodus of Soul Asylum. They opened with “Top.” The crowd was building by the time Live had taken the stage. Not many people were still there, but they were slowly trickling in. With hits like “Shit Towne,” “Lady Bhang,” and “Turn My Head,” the hardcore Live fans were enthusiastic. You can tell those who were there to see this band and loved the music. They were on their feet through their set and celebrating to hear their favorite songs. The band finished with an encore of “I Alone” and “Lighting Crashes.”

The headliner was what everyone was there to see: Stone Temple Pilots. I have to say, this was hard to watch for me. I loved Scott Weiland, and it broke my heart when I heard that he passed away from a drug overdose. It was also hard because another great musician, Chester Bennington, passed away. So, when STP decided to put Jeff Gutt as the lead singer, I had mixed feelings about the music. Jeff will always be compared to Scott and Chester. He has big shoes to fill. Jeff is a great frontman; he will never be the same.

Stone Temple Pilots did not disappoint with their music, though. They kicked the evening off with “Meatplow” and a crowd favorite, “Vasoline.” The crowd was hanging onto every note and loving the music. Everyone near me was on their feet during the entire set, singing along to great tunes like “Plush,” “Unglued,” and “Dead & Bloated.”

One thing that I did notice that was a bother was the sound. It was so loud that you couldn’t understand Jeff’s words to the crowd. I’m not a sound expert, but when the artist is talking, and it’s so loud that you don’t understand what is being said, it isn’t very pleasant. Granted, you could understand the lyrics to the songs.

The night was a great night despite the sound. It was an evening of some great songs. But what I love the most about attending a concert is the vibe of being around like-minded people. We are there to escape the everyday hustle and bustle. We are there for the camaraderie and to forget the crap that is going on in our lives for a few hours.

I hope that everyone is out looking for their next concert. The summer is winding down, and fall promises some great shows.

I hope to see y’all out there at a show.

+LIVE- 

Stone Temple Pilots