KORN

30 years later, this Bakersfield California metal band still slaps harder than they ever have. ..

It’s been forever it seems that I have been this excited to see a rock concert.   Sure, I see lots of good shows during the year, and a few are excellent.  But very few make me want to drive in grid lock traffic for 3 hours and still feel enthusiastic when I arrive at the facility.

Until I heard Korn were coming to the Pacific Northwest, with their 30 Anniversary tour along with Spiritbox and fresh from the Olympics – Gojira.  What a line-up.  Who wouldn’t be stoked to see this event in Tacoma Washington’s Tacoma Dome?  I was damn lucky to get into this one as it was sold out too as they haven’t been to the Tacoma Dome since 2006.

I remember back 30 years ago when I first saw the video for “Blind” off the self-titled album,  I was mind blown.  I knew they were something special, with rhythm heavy 7 string guitars squealing away,  played by Munky (James Shaffer) and I guy named Head (Brian Welch)..Furthermore, add an emotional singer Jonathan Davis who touched (and still does) what that teenage aggression and agnst.  I just couldn’t get over one of the most catchiest ear worm metal lyrics of all time –  “I can see I am going blind”. That wasn’t all, the bass sound was extraordinary with Fieldy (Reginald Arvizu) coming up with an infectious bass grooves along with crushing drums from David Silveria.

Some 30 years later, the band keeps rolling along, selling out tours and producing 14 albums great music.  The backend of the band has changed, Fieldy is not touring with the band on bass as tonight we get Ra Diaz, and Ray Luzier replaced David Silveria way back in 2006.

As the curtain drops down from the stage we see that this band looks and feels just like they were 30 years ago too as the start it off with “Here to Stay” from the 2002 Untouchables album.  What a statement and what a brain trip I was about to go on for the rest of the evening as these guys look the same as they did back then with heads down hang banging and long dreads flailing on both corners of the stage.

“Dead Bodies Everywhere” and thereafter “Got the Life”.   The audience is already losing their minds as well as myself.  If you were within the first 50 yards of the stage, the sound was unreal, chest pounding good.   These older sounds really came alive and the guitar tone was a lot more organic sounding than anything recorded.   This is top level sound for a “A” level metal legends, of course they will have the best available.   I cant speak for the rest of the Tacoma Dome as that place is so cavernous and the sound echoes the farther back you get.

“A.D.I.D.A.S”, who doesn’t know the lyrics to the chorus on this one?  Everyone I looked at was singing this one out loud.  Just one song after another, with “It’s On!” and “Good God” thereafter.  Jonathan’s voice is just like 30 years ago too, I really can’t believe my own eyes and ears. We get a new one, well kinda new,  from the last album in 2022 with “Start the Healing”.  I really liked that one and it’s heavy groove doesn’t feel out of place from the older songs at all.

Now we are 8 songs deep into this show and the “Blind” riff starts as Jonathan starts some audience talk “what a ride it as been as we started as small kids from Bakersfield California”.  One thing you will notice at the audience of this show, is that its not a show that is all made up Generation “X” or Millennials.  BUT ALL ages and generations I’ve seen here tonight.  This band just appeals to everyone still to this day.   That is why they continue to do so well as their music defies anyone generation.  Oh yes, and back to “Blind”, of COURSE this is my favorite point of the show, I was focused on Diaz on bass and he pulls off the Fieldy sound, and feel, very well.  Head’s first few low riffs on that intro of the song sound like a chainsaw cutting the Tacoma Dome’s wooden roof structure.   It’s actually one of the largest wood domed structures in the world, did you know that?

After “Blind”, you can really appreciate the guitar FX and sounds these 2 guitar players can do, as they influenced a lot of metal of what it is today.   I mean some of the screeching and squeal harmonics they create.  Head’s guitar squeals at the end of “Blind” were sonic, and echoed wonderfully. “Ball Tongue” and the heavy riffs of “Clown” would precede thereafter as I sang along with the other 20000 people though all these songs.  Had to laugh to myself as part way through “Clown” the band freezes, and Jonathan seemingly has more power than most parents do to quiet teens down, by saying “Now shut the fuck up!”, and the dome went silent.   Thereafter he did the clean vocal part and they proceeded with the heavy breakdown.

“Shoots and Ladders”, yes, Jonathan does play the most annoying instrument on the planet with the bagpipes and believe me, he can make those pipes shriek.   This is the only band that can make a series of children’s songs totally heavy as F—K and have people mosh to it.  If that was crazy enough, the one minute angry gibberish song “Twist” was next, and Jonathan still can put bite into that one.   “Make Me Bad”, “Y’all Want a Single” rounded out the rest of the main set at 14 songs.

Now we get into Korn overtime with the Korn Klassic “Falling Away from Me”, they can’t miss that one.  “Oildale (Leave Me Alone)” from Korn III: Remember Who you Are from 2010 was thereafter.  Of course, if they had to  play “Freak on a Leash”,  finishing this 17 song Korn-fest the right way on a happy note.   That song is the definitive Korn song, with crazy bass licks, heavy 7 string guitar, annoying chirpy riffs, and Jonathan’s emotional vocals hitting home.

Did I just see one of the best shows I have ever seen?   It certainly ranks right up there that’s for sure.   These guys look like they haven’t aged, or changed at all in the last 30 years!   They played the best of Korn this night, like the very best stuff.   It wasn’t a ‘one song from all 14 albums’ kinda night either, as they hit only 8 albums in the discography, but they certainly picked the right ones as 76% of them were from first 4 albums.   It was a dream set of Korn songs, that is undeniable.  The band itself was incredibly solid, the stage was amazing and huge, sound was the bomb, and the nostalgia for all OG Korn fans was immense.  Gojira represented France at the Olympics this year’s opening ceremonies, maybe Korn should play the next Olympics in L.A?   Best show of the year for me, this will be hard to beat, and will be remembered forever.