September 2021

W hat else can be said about Korn and Staind other than being absolute legends in the music industry. hen I heard that this tour was making a stop at MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, in Tampa, FL, I blocked off the date on my calendar because I knew I was going to attend, regardless if I was covering the event or not, that is how much I like these two bands. As I got to the venue, the vibe in the air was something that I haven’t felt in a long, long time. It was that near sold out crowd type of vibe, that really gets you excited to be a part of such an amazing night to come. I got to say hello to my radio and photographer friends and began getting my camera gear prepared to capture what would be memories that I would never forget. It was finally showtime and the first band to take the stage was called “68”. Now I had never lis- tened to these guys before and tomy surprise, the band only consists of two members, Josh Scogin (Vocals/Guitar) and Nikko Yamada (Drums). The duo came out on stage in suits and exploded with absolutely crazy energy as their set began. They call themselves a Noise Punk band and I can see why. Their sound is very unique, almost space-like with a hint of industrial, thrown to- gether with pop punk. It was definitely a fun per- formance to watch and the duo did a great job of getting the crowd pumped up, to begin the night. At this point in the night, the venue was really starting to fill up with fans as they were prepar- ing the stage for Staind’s performance. When it was finally time for Staind’s set to begin, bass- ist Johnny April began playing the thunderous bassline to their song “Eyes Wide Open” and the crowd went absolutely insane. It has been a long time since I’ve seen that much energy from a crowd, so much so, it even got me pumped up while I was taking pictures of the band. Aaron Lewis (Lead Vocals/Guitar) belted out each and every word effortlessly, and let me tell you this, he sounds the exact same live, as on their studio albums, which is quite impres- sive to do. Lead guitarist, Mike Mushok, plays insanely heavy riffs, while head-banging and jumping around the stage, never appearing to get tired. It was truly awesome to watch. On drums was a different face that surprised me to see. Staind’s normal drummer, Sal Giancar- elli was not on the kit tonight but rather Chad Szeliga (former Breaking Benjamin and Black Label Society). I later learned that Chad only had two days to learn the whole set as he was a last minute fill in for Giancarelli. He did an absolutely incredible job and if you’ve never seen Chad Szeliga drum, you’re in for a treat. Overall, the band played all of their hits and the crowd was singing along loudly and real- ly seemed to enjoy the set, I know that I did. Finally up were Nu-Metal legends, Korn. Now I wasn’t able to photograph them but I was able to watch part of their set and wow, they sounded great. Their sound is so loud that it was literally rattling the rafters and fans were going insane, moshing, singing and giving their all to finish off the night strong. Korn also played many of their hits and I remember looking back towards the lawn section of the venue and not seeing one empty seat or open space on the lawn. It was a sight to be seen and as someone who has been to hundreds of concerts, this one was easily one of the most energetic crowds I have ever seen. Check out the rest of the tour dates and pics HERE Staind & Korn Review by | Jake Coughlin 18