On This Day in History

On this date in history, 7/29/2017, Korn brought the Serenity Of Summer Tour to Deer Creek, in Noblesville, IN. The tour had different opening acts in various locations, but our show featured Stone Sour, YelaWolf, and Ded. Ded opened the show with a burst of energy, sounding like they have done their homework at emulating some of their musical heroes. The first song sounded like Slipknot lite, and the second one featured the singer doing quite a decent job of sounding like the recently departed Chester Bennington. The only problem for me was a lack of any distinguishing original characteristics in their songs. Every song and every riff called to mind something I have heard by other bands. Perhaps these guys will stick together and develop their own groove over time. They played and sang well, and had plenty of energy, so they have good things to build on. I wish them well in finding something to distinguish them from the pack. YelaWolf was next, and for what it was, it hit its mark. I’m not a big fan of the “2 turntables and a microphone” approach, but the crowd seemed pretty responsive to it. The front man/rapper obviously has skill at his profession. I couldn’t do what he does, so I have to recognize that he has talent, but I don’t want to hear too much of it, either. Stone Sour played a good set, but I felt their mix was a little on the murky side. Corey Taylor sang great (as usual) and the band were on point instrumentally. I prefer Taylor’s other band (Slipknot, for those of you who may not know…there may still be a few of you out there!) and admit I’m not familiar with Stone Sour’s entire catalog. Nevertheless, they would have benefited from more clarity and more volume in their mix. Korn proved without a doubt why they are still a headliner all these years into their career. Jonathan Davis was a non-stop whirlwind of movement, singing with savage intensity and navigating the band through a virtual tour of their best material. All the highlights were covered and a superior sound mix and light show completed a stellar performance from a band still convincingly in their prime.

Written By Braddon S Williams aka The Concert Critic