2011
Words and photos by Keeyahtay Lewis (DeadBoltPhotos.com)
One of the most talked about tours this summer has to be Stone Temple Pilots. I know that a lot of people were super excited to see what Scott Weiland and band-mates had in store for us. With Weiland leading the charge, you never know what to expect. I was able to catch the Borgata tour stop on 08/6/11.
Opening up the night was the band Jetstream. They are a young, L.A. based trio that really did a fantastic job getting the crowd fired up for STP. I assume that most of the audience, myself included, did not really know who Jetstream were, but you would not have known that by the way they kept everyone moving along during their set. If you google them there is nothing but amazing things said about this band, and after seeing them play, I would bet that they will be a band that is around for a long time.
Up next was the band Rose Hill Drive. It would be a disservice to these guys to say they sound like a Classic Rock band, but I don’t mean it in a bad way. They really reminded me of another time when bands just played amazing, bluesy rock. They even looked the part, long hair, long beards, boots and bare feet. Honestly, they were energetic and a ton of fun to watch. The brothers Daniel and Jacob Sproul traded vocals and guitar licks with fire. You could see it all over their faces that they really believe in the music they played, which made all of us believe too.
Stone Temple Pilots were next to take the stage. There was a bit of time before they came up and you could feel the audience wondering if tonight was going to end badly. To say that frontman Scott Weiland has had a checkered past would be an understatement. STP did come out though, only about 10 minutes late, and you could tell they had something to prove. Weiland strutted out wearing a vest and a tie, megaphone in hand. He stepped up to the front of the stage with the crowd going crazy, and ripped into the first song. The band sounded tight. Weiland’s vocals were tight, and it seemed like they were having a great time. The crowd was a bit mixed at the show with kids who were seeing them for the first time, alongside their parents who were seeing them for the 20th, but everyone sang and moved along with the band the whole set. Weiland never stopped moving and the DeLeo brothers matched his energy ounce for ounce. The band played like they were young and trying to make their mark. It was fantastic to be in the audience for that.
Setlist
Crackerman
Wicked Garden
Vasoline
Heaven and Hot Rods
Between the Lines
Hickory Dichotomy
Still Remains
Big Empty
Silvergun Superman
Plush
Interstate Love Song
Big Bang Baby
Down
Sex Type Thing
Encore:
Dead & Bloated
Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart
