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09-03-07
Review:
Nickelback,
Puddle
of
Mudd
Nearly
14,000
fans
showed
up
at
Kemper
Arena
on
Sunday
to
hear
some
modern
rock.
Nickeback
(above)
headlined,
but
Puddle
of
Mudd,
a
band
with
local
ties,
stole
the
show.
Photos
by
Mike
Ransdell
/The
Star
The
biggest
upset
in
Kansas
City
over
Labor
Day
weekend
didn't
take
place
on
an
athletic
field.
It
happened
Sunday
night
in
Kemper
Arena,
where
Puddle
of
Mudd
stole
a
rock
concert
from
two
acts
at
the
pinnacle
of
their
careers.
Nickelback
and
Daughtry
both
satisfied
their
legions
of
fans,
but
Puddle
of
Mudd's
unexpectedly
engaging
50-minute
set
most
surprised
the
audience
of
approximately
14,000.
It
served
as
a
hero's
homecoming
for
the
band
with
deep
Kansas
City
roots.
As
if
it
couldn't
wait
to
prove
themselves
anew,
Puddle
of
Mudd
began
a
few
minutes
before
the
concert's
scheduled
start
time.
"This
house
is
where
it
all
began,"
said
giddy
band
leader
Wes
Scantlin,
recalling
the
big
break
he
caught
years
ago
when
he
managed
to
slip
a
demo
to
Limp
Bizkit's
Fred
Durst.
Puddle
of
Mudd
became
one
of
the
world's
biggest
rock
bands
earlier
this
decade,
but
their
star
has
since
faded.
"We
finally
got
plugged
back
in
to
the
wall
of
awesomeness
that
makes
dreams
come
true,"
Scantlin
exclaimed
as
he
informed
the
audience
that
their
first
new
release
since
2004
is
imminent.
"Don't
the
guitars
sound
good?"
Scantlin
asked.
They
sounded
spectacular;
his
band's
sound
is
tailor-made
for
arenas.
It
was
a
complete
reversal
from
Puddle
of
Mudd's
forgettable
effort
at
Rockfest
in
June.
The
band's
triumphant
set
concluded
with
their
2002
hit
"She
Hates
Me."
Even
without
the
benefit
of
a
full
stage
or
the
visual
effects
later
employed
by
Daughtry
and
Nickelback,
it
was
the
best-received
song
of
the
night.
Puddle
of
Mudd
is
back.
Above:
Nickelback
makes
its
incendiary
entrance.
Nickelback's
set
began
with
a
bang,
literally.
The
Canadian
quartet's
show
was
carried
by
an
exceptional
display
of
pyrotechnics.
The
indoor
fireworks
that
began
and
ended
their
one-hour
and
forty-minute
concert
threatened
to
overshadow
Nickelback's
music.
Much
was
made
of
the
fact
that
it
was
the
last
night
of
Nickelback's
tour.
To
celebrate,
front
man
Chad
Kroeger
promised
a
lot
of
silliness.
Two
burly
men
identified
as
Chiefs
players
used
air
cannons
to
project
souvenirs
to
fans.
A
member
of
the
tech
crew
did
a
convincing
Lemmy
Kilmister
impression
on
a
cover
of
Motorhead's
"Ace
of
Spades."
Daughtry,
disguised
in
a
blond
wig,
chimed
in
on
the
fun
sing
along
"Rockstar."
Kroeger
also
acknowledged
the
uncertain
status
of
Kemper
Arena.
"From
what
they
tell
me,
this
is
the
last
show
in
this
building,"
Kroeger
said.
"We
need
to
rip
the
roof
off."
Nickelback
would
be
challenged
to
rip
the
lid
off
a
can
of
tuna.
Much
like
Def
Leppard,
their
pop-based
metal
is
blunted
by
a
thick
sugary
coating.
The
real
reason
Nickelback
has
outsold
all
rock
bands
over
the
last
couple
years
is
that
they're
the
reigning
kings
of
the
power
ballad.
Couples
embraced
during
"Far
Away,"
the
best
representation
of
Nickelback's
tender
material.
"Photograph,"
which
adds
a
metallic
edge
to
John
Mellencamp's
heartland
rock,
also
went
over
particularly
well.
Only
by
invoking
the
memory
of
Pantera
did
Nickelback
rock
with
authority.
"Side
of
a
Bullet,"
their
excellent
tribute
to
slain
guitarist
Dimebag
Darrell,
was
easily
their
best
rocker
of
the
night.
Sandwiched
between
Nickelback
and
Puddle
of
Mudd,
Daughtry
offered
45
minutes
of
credible
if
somewhat
anonymous
assembly
line
rock.
"I
hope
you
all
came
for
a
rock
show,"
Daughtry
said
somewhat
sheepishly.
Although
he
seemed
most
dedicated
to
his
heavier
material,
Daughtry's
hit
"It's
Not
Over"
best
showcased
the
strong
voice
that
made
him
a
popular
"American
Idol"
contestant.
The
most
interesting
aspects
of
his
workmanlike
set
weren't
entirely
Daughtry's
doing.
The
rare
level
of
devotion
expressed
by
his
female
fans
is
remarkable.
Accordingly,
Daughtry's
voice
was
often
overwhelmed
by
a
choir
of
altos
and
sopranos.
His
admirers
may
have
been
even
more
stunned
than
Daughtry
by
an
unexpected
assault
of
silly
string
and
pies
from
the
Nickelback
contingent.
It
stopped
the
show
for
several
minutes.
"I
did
not
see
that
coming,"
Daughtry
admitted.
|
Bill
Brownlee,
Special
to
The
Star