CONCERT REVIEW: Korn and Alice in Chains at Coral Sky Amphitheater
On Sunday night, thundering bass and drums along with ear-splitting electric guitars had the Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach rocking like a hurricane ripping through the Atlantic Ocean that South Floridians know all too well. The chest-pounding sounds of drums and heavy bass were felt by those who attended the hard rock show that featured four knock-you-on-your-ass bands, including hardest alternative rockers Korn.
For nearly 25 years, nu-metal band Korn has been known for their legendary live on-stage performances, and on Sunday they delivered the heaviest punch-you-in-the-stomach metal to hit the Coral Sky Amphitheater stage this year. Attending a Korn concert is not for the weak. Korn lead singer Jonathan Davies immediately engages you and moves and shakes you until you finally give in.
Early in the set, Davies took a moment to thank the crowd. “Because of you people, on behalf of myself and my band mates, you people have given us every (expletive) thing we have in our life.” The expression of gratitude to his faithful fans was quite remarkable; often times when bands reach superstar status they forget about the fans who supported them during their rise to stardom. It’s hard to believe that, in October, it will be 25 years since the band took the stage for the first time. Now with the pleasantries out of the way, it was time to get back to business.
There was an incredible light show along with stacks and stacks of massive amplifiers that created the ear-piercing sound that the crowd demanded. Korn took full advantage of the opportunity to deliver what everyone wanted: a solid performance of some of the hardest rock that brought out the band’s very best. With Ray Luzier pounding the drums from his throne atop the drum riser like a king watching his troops going into battle and James Shaffer, Reginald Arvizu and Brian Welch head-banging nearly every guitar riff, it was clear that it was going to be a night of epic performances. The band opened with “Here to Stay,” and once in full attack mode Korn ripped through “Blind,” “Divine,” “Rotting in Vain,” “You’ll Never Find Me,” “Twisted Transistor,” “Shoots and Ladders,” “Got the Life,” “Make Me Bad,” “Somebody Someone,” and one of their biggest hits, “Freak on a Leash.” As the band closed out the night and left the stage, it was clear there was some unfinished business, and for those still there on a late Sunday night, Korn rewarded them with four additional hard-pounding jams. Ray Luzier returned to the stage with a drum solo that led into “4 U,” “Twist,” and “Coming Undone,” and Korn closed out the night with fan-favorite “Falling Away From Me.”
Alternative mega-rockers Alice in Chains delivered a solid performance that could not be overlooked. Although not headlining on Sunday night, Alice in Chains is certainly worthy of headlining their own shows. With 14 million records sold and eleven Grammy Award nominations along with six solid studio albums and a series of radio hits, they have etched themselves into the list of legendary grunge rock bands. However, this is a band that has endured its own challenges and their fair share of heartache along their path to success, losing Layne Staley and Mike Starr far too early. Alice in Chains has continued to dominate the rock scene with William DuVall and Mike Inez, who are not newcomers and considered to be a long-tenured part of the band.
Those who came to see Alice in Chains endured a shirt-soaking steamy South Florida afternoon that included a 75-minute performance where lead singer William DuVall opened with “Angry Chair” and continued through a fast pace of the band’s most recognized hits, including “Man in the Box,” “Check My Brain,” “Again,” “Them Bones,” “Dam That River,” “Hollow,” “Rainier Fog,” “No Excuses,” “Nutshell,” “Bleed the Freak,” “It Ain’t Like That,” “The One You Know,” and “Would?” before closing out their set with mega-hit “Rooster.”
Supporting both Korn and Alice in Chains were Underoath and Ho99o9. The Tampa-based metal-core rockers Underoath are certainly not newcomers to the rock scene, playing many rock festivals both stateside and abroad annually. However, they have had several lineup changes since first forming in 1997. With the only remaining original member Aron Gillespie in the lineup, Underoath took the stage to a supporting group of fans who came out during 95-degree heat to catch this band’s performance. Hardcore hip-hop trio Ho99o9 opened with an interesting mix of punk, hardcore rap and grunge. Although relatively unknown, this band provided plenty of energy that got the mosh pit going early.
