Review of KoRn Concert 8/11/00
Papa Roach, PowerMan5000 and KoRn

We arrived just in time, we found our seats, (snuck one guy into the pits) and the music dimmed for Papa Roach. The crowd went wild (minus the three lamers in front of us) and Papa started with Dead Cell. The majority of the crowd knew the lyrics and soon everyone was singing. Papa Roach interacted with the crowd very well, as they encouraged more of an interaction from the people in the seats. Now, let me start off saying this, I felt ashamed for sitting up in the seats, most of seat sitters were apathetic and comatose during Papa Roach and some of Powerman 5000 (and omg, some even during KoRn!), but that’s their loss. Now back to the concert, Papa was nonetheless dynamic and out there and ended on a high note playing Last Resort and getting (at my guess) almost 90% of the stadium singing along with them. So far, one awesome opening act, and things only got better. My friends and I waited for about fifteen minutes and then we heard the opening “speech” of Powerman’s newest CD. The crowd went insane! PM5K was so exhilarating and their music was hard and intense enough to get the crowd jumping, screaming, and generally just going totally nuts. Powerman’s stage set was one of the best stage sets I have ever seen; the tripped out lights, and the effects were enough to electrocute my mind. The lead singer stopped for a second to warm up to the crowd, and basically just dogged MTV and their “followers”. This definitely got a warm response from the “Anti-MTV-Non-Poser” crowd, and got a half hearted response to the people that actually mumbled: “Hey, I watch TRL…” Powerman played the rest of their popular songs of the new CD and played a few songs from their older CD’s, all were generally accepted with a “bouncy” crowd. After PM5K thanked everyone for being “so *censored* cool” the auditorium went insane with the thought of KoRn being next. A guy came up next, basically plugging the sponsors of the concert, and told us that KoRn was coming next and to keep an eye out for a video. Well, the mere mention of KoRn’s name turned the place into a screaming orgy, and psyched energy flowed freely (a miniature premonition of things to come). Two of my friends went to go get drinks and merchandise (wow, wished I would have gone then, I’m without a concert shirt now) while my other friend and I stayed to watch the video. The video was basically something to keep us KoRn freaks seated while KoRn set up their massive stage. The video started with an old hick blowing up teletubbies (slightly amusing), and basically the only highlights after that was an old man skit, a horny dog cartoon and the stickman cartoon. The one that sticks out of my mind the best was the stickman cartoon which was true to its meaning and enough to keep me laughing hours later. Much to my pleasure, the videos were finally over (I think some one higher up answered the prayers of audience to stop the insanity.). After all that mess came the camera man just getting “paparazzi shots” of the entire pit, and we watched the pit make fools of themselves, and watched all the hot ladies (see: Amazon goddess) tease the men. Finally the lights dimmed, and it was time, KoRn was finally playing. It was worth all the trouble I went through to go to this concert. KoRn is the “Garth Brooks” of rock concerts, they controlled the crowd, they ran the crowd, they gave birth to the crowd. My friends and I were more than pleased to find out that KoRn was staying true to the roots, playing such old school classics as, Ball Tongue, Shoots and Ladders, Clown, Faggot, and finally, Blind. They also mixed in their new hits with the old classics. Got the Life, Freak on a Leash, Twist, Mr. Rogers, A.D.I.D.A.S, Somebody Someone, and, Falling Away From Me were some of the ones I found myself screaming at the top of my lungs too. Personally, I loved A.D.I.D.A.S and Faggot, yet through a destroyed throat, I sang when he said sing, and when Davis raised his hands, I raised my voice. Every song was infinitely good, and it’s a tragedy against the other songs played to pick a favorite. No song in my eyes was better than the other, which made KoRn’s performance a blessing to musical appreciators. After Davis played Kill You (a surprise for my ears to hear) they closed the curtains. The crowd got rowdy and chanted “KoRn, and We Want More” over and over. It got to be such a long wait that people actually began leaving. Yet, the lights never came on, so the majority sat tight. Good thing we did. The curtain was drawn up and we saw a large “Issues Doll” covering the back part of the stage. Davis did the tiny song “For You” and then kicked it into Blind. Aww yea, Blind was the best song for KoRn (and the concert) to end on. I found my charred throat ready and willing to scream every word of Blind, and I was not left alone. The whole crowd knew this was the last song, and with a monsoon of heavy metal energy the whole floor was thriving and jumping as one collective harmonic mass. KoRn and the audience joined together to make sure San Antonio would know that KoRn, and their fans are a melodic force to reckon with. All three bands acted as musical gods, playing for their fans on a rectangular throne, with the fans returning everything they gave tenfold, their appreciation and enthusiasm being their offerings. The lightening that struck that night sparked long-term electricity in my body and even now I can still feel the musical sparks escape my fingertips. Papa Roach, Powerman 5000 and KoRn all have my deepest thanks and appreciation, as my fan level for them has gone heart deep.