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It was an earsplitting good time at the world arena in Colorado Springs last Monday as Hoobastank, P.O.D. and Linkin Park all took the stage in true rock-and-roll fashion.
Post-grunge group Hoobastank kicked things off and warmed up the large crowd of expectant fans. The band played such hits as “Crawling in the Dark.” The performance was sound and paved the way for what was to come.
Next up was P.O.D. a Christian hip-hop hard-core rock group out of South Town California. They walked on stage to an impressive green laser-light show that shone onto a large backdrop of what appeared to be an angel with butterfly wings.
As the lights dimmed Sonny, lead singer, slammed into a half an hour set by screaming into the mic. As the band played he bounded around stage swinging his long dreads as he banged his head.
They played a number of songs from their new album, Payable on Debt, such as “Will you” and “Revolution”. During the song “Youth of a Nation” Sonny brought some fans from the audience up on stage. He picked up one of the younger fans, placed him on his shoulders, carried him around stage and let him sing the chorus.
The set was well played, although one could hear the difference in the live performance compared to the CD. The live performance was not as good as thir CD. However whatever they lost from the studio they more than made up for in sound, as they blasted the music from huge speakers that hung from the rafters of the coliseum. Another good song that they played from their older album was “South Town.”
Then came the main course: Linkin Park. This hip-hop rock techno all combined group from Southern California brought an insane amount of energy to the stage.
Their stage set up was amazingly elaborate in and of itself. It looked like some sort of futuristic metallic army base.
The DJ and drummer were both elevated on platforms. There was a ramp that went up around the back of the stage, and two ramps leading to platforms on either side of the stage which, put the musicians within arm’s length of the audience.
On the front of the stage sat metallic looking crates that the guitarists and singers could stand on. Behind everything hung a large screen that displayed different images throughout the show.
The group immediately dove into their unique blend of rock and rap. The guitars churned out thundering riffs as Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington, vocals and guitar, screamed into the mics. DJ Joseph Hahn worked the turntables adding some electronic beats to the mix.
They played a variety of their songs from previous albums, including: “One Step Closer,” “In The End,” “My December” and “It’s Going Down.”
They also played some songs off of their new album Meteora like “Breaking the Habit.”
They put on a very good show with non-stop intensity. One of the main highlights of the show was when guitarist Rob Bourdon picked a member of the audience to come on stage and play a song with the band.
After picking a couple duds who couldn’t play, he found a guy who was great. He played the entire song with the group flawlessly and then watched the rest of the show from the side of the stage.
After an encore, the band walked offstage to an arena of fans screaming for more. It was a amazing show in all and everyone left that night with a ringing in their ears.
