Concert Review: Stone Sour, In This Moment, Hell or Highwater

Let’s begin with the band Hell or Highwater–at least, that’s what I believe they were called.  We walked in when these guys were playing, aging metal-head type guys with some catchy sounding tunes. I didn’t know them, though, and the lead singer seemed like a bit of a megalomaniac.  I just tried to look them up and found a band on FB with this name.  Not the same band.

I found another site for another Hell or Highwater with a list of songs and a winged skull logo. Looked promising. One of the names of the songs listed was “War Boner.” That looked even more promising. They looked like the “War Boner” type.  Scratch that–I just listened to that band and saw a video.  It wasn’t that Hell or Highwater either.

Found another one on line–this looks about right–only their tour dates don’t line up with my show. WTF? Can’t bands find original names?

Anyway, I’d give ’em a B-, whoever the hell they were.

Next, we had In This Moment.  I must say, I don’t much like their name.  I was enthralled by the lead singer’s vocals,  however.  The chick can scream like you would not believe. My ears are still ringing two days later.  She also put on one hell of a baby-doll-creeptastic show and almost all of the songs made me want to look them up again later. A- for hurting my ears and probably not being able to sustain that level of screaminess and still speak five years from now. I will be following these guys closely.

Stone Sour.  What can I say? They opened with “Gone Sovereign/Absolute Zero,” which I knew they would.  I screamed so much my throat was rough yesterday. I drank enough that the rest of me was rough as well. I thought they would play on the big stage, but was pleasantly surprised to see them at the standing-room-only smaller stage.  I was so freakin’ close I got hit in the face with Corey Taylor water at the beginning of the show. Thank you, Corey.  I will cherish it forever. The rest of the set was amazing.  They were rocking the heavy tunes hard, with the exception of “Bother” and “Through the Glass.”  Played a number of songs from House of Gold & Bones 1, and at least one from the new album which came out the day of the concert.  They played “A Rumor of Skin,” which I was stoked about. I would have been excited to hear “Taciturn”–or “I’m Not Jesus” would have been killer–but, alas it wasn’t in the cards.

Still, nothing but an A+ for my boy Corey.  It was eargasmic.

-Kimber