Photos and Review by Robert McDonald
Show photos HERE
The House of Blues in Boston welcomed Stone Temple Pilots (STP) to the stage on Tuesday night. STP, one of the most successful bands of the 1990s, has seen their share of turmoil and in-fighting over the years, but tonight it was all about the music. Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington and newest frontman for the band was at the helm and delivered a powerful performance of STP favorites and some “new” songs.
The night did get off to a rocky start during the opening “Lounge Fly”, as Chester was barely audible during the first quarter of the song. Once the soundboard was adjusted Chester’s vocals rang out loud and clear for the remainder of the show. Chester’s worked the stage like a pro and when he launched into “Wicked Garden”, he and his neon red hair bore a striking resemblance to Weiland, founder and previous lead singer, in the band’s music video for the same.
Unsurprisingly the set for the night was filled with all of the band’s hits such as “Vasoline”, “Sex Type Thing” and the haunting “Big Empty”. The only Bennington collaboration playing tonight was “Out of Time” introduced as a new song, even though it was released as part of the EP titled High Rise back in 2013.
One of the many highlights of the show was when Bennington jumped down to serenade the lucky fans in the front of the pit who willingly sang backup for “Plush”, one of the band’s biggest hits. The night concluded with a two-song encore set of “Piece of Pie” and “Dead & Bloated”.
Since I never experienced a live STP show with Scott Weiland I don’t have anything to compare, but the Chester-led performance for me was incredibly authentic and true to the band’s music. Only time will tell how the band will grow as they move forward without Weiland, but for now I’d say it’s a Big Bang Baby.STP
Stone Temple Pilots at the House of Blues Boston – MA
