SOURCE:
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/front/2712234
07-31-04
July 31,
2004, 12:54AM
By MICHAEL D.
CLARK
Copyright 2004 Houston Chronicle
PLEASE be advised tonight's concert will have decibel levels in excess of 85 Db.
Tonight's performance will feature pyrotechnics & moving/strobe light displays.
The warnings posted at the gates pointed to a raucous, head-bashing night of rock when Nickelback, 3 Doors Down and Puddle of Mudd took over the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion stage Friday.
Signs at the ticket window announced that the show was a sellout, guaranteeing that the 17,000-plus inside would be exploding because they possessed the golden tickets.
Total energy overload hit once fans saw that portions of the show were being filmed, possibly for future publicity or concert-video use.
Officials might as well have posted a third sign: Adults over 21 are encouraged to drink alcohol, bay like banshees and show skin. Now let's rock, Houston!
Following a quick set by New Orleans upstarts 12 Stones, introducing its new album Potter's Field (in stores Aug. 24), Puddle of Mudd appeared, the newest heroes of rock radio.
Mudd was the first band signed to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst's Flawless Records to make an impact on the charts. These days, they're giving Durst's band a run for its money.
The group sold 5 million copies of its debut album Come Clean, and its new release, Life On Display, has already produced a Billboard mainstream-rock chart-topper in Away From Me. Most important, fame hasn't gone to their heads. Instead, it's flowed right to their fingers.
Puddle of Mudd gave a demonstration of how to smooth out a sound without losing rage. New single Spin You Around is a grunge tribute with the military cadence of an Alice in Chains song.
Fan favorite Blurry was followed by She Hates Me.
As it turned out, the cameras were for 3 Doors Down, which was taping a movie. The strobe-light and sound warnings, however, were all about Nickelback. Late last year, the group tried to jam an arena-sized show into the Verizon Wireless Theater, and had theatrical flames shooting nearly to the ceiling.
In a haze of blinking lights and helicopter sound effects, lead singer Chad Kroeger led Nickelback onstage for Flat on the Floor, with fire trailing behind. Rock 'n' roll's official new party outfit, it threw beers at the crowd and riffed on Metallica favorites.
The group demonstrated just how close to Metallica's speed metal they come on songs like Never Again and Figured You Out.
It's a pity Nickelback's performance wasn't caught on film, as well.
07-31-04