There’s just something about the end of Summer concert season. In the Carolinas the weather is cooling off, making the evenings very enjoyable to be outside. So that made for a perfect evening last night at PNC Music Pavilion for Korn’s North American tour. What better way to wrap up the Summer than celebrating 30 years of KORN!
Kicking off the evening was none other than Spiritbox. This band has been making a big splash in the music scene since 2016 and even bigger waves after the release of Eternal Blue 2021. Spirtbox is Husband and Wife Duo Courtney LaPlante(vocals) and Mike Stringer(guitar), Josh Gilbert(Bass), and Zev Rose(Drums) unfortunately I missed the beginning of their set due to the traffic(sorry no pictures) but was able to catch the tail end of their set and the Canadian natives killed it as always. Playing a quick 6 song set, Spirtbox was able to fit in something from all their releases including their latest single Softspine. Check out the live video below of their hit single Holy Roller.
If you had asked me if watching Gojira rock out on the side of a castle during the opening ceremony of the Olympics was on my 2024 bingo card I would have said no way. So to get to capture the French natives just a few months later was nothing short of amazing. This was not my first Gojira show, so I knew what to expect but for many it was. A Gojira show is not just a metal show, it is truly an experience. Between the music, the pyro/cyro, and the video wall, fans are fully immersed in the experience of a Gojira show. What’s truly impressive is their stage experience is not to make up for just being slightly above-average musicians, it’s to truly further the fans’ concert experience. However, strip it all away and at the core, Gojira is a group of very talented musicians. So if you ever get a chance go see Gojira.
Gojira Photo Gallery
Finally, the moment came for Korn to take the stage. Then lights go down and the roar of nearly 20,000 people erupts and fills the amphitheater. Then the intro of “Here to Stay” begins to play, once the full band some in the curtain drops, the crowd cheers, and we see Jonathon, Head, Munky, Ray, and Ra Diaz (filling in for Fieldy) giving 110% on the energy. Now this is normally the point where I talk about the band playing this song and that song. However, I want to switch gears this time and talk about something unique about a Korn show and its fans. See Korn has been able to capture something with their fans over the last 30 years that many bands could only dream of, and that’s a sense of “Family”. Many bands will say from the stage “We’re all family here” or something along those lines, but at a Korn show you feel it. For one fan (who I will not name for privacy reasons) found out in Charlotte what it meant to be part of the Korn family. Being a diehard fan of both Korn and their guitarist Brian “Head” Welch they wished to be able to meet the guitarist. After some emailing between their caregiver and Head, this fan, though battling an illness, and being confined to a wheelchair was able to meet the guitarist, as well as Ray Luzier (Drums) and Ra Diaz (Filling in for Fieldy/bassist for SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) In a statement from the fans caregiver Head took the time to not only meet with them, but also Prayed with the fan. She also states that they say “It just doesn’t seem real.” This ladies and gentlemen is what being a part of the Korn family is about! Here you’re not just a face in the crowd, you’re a member of the family.
Korn Photo Gallery
Wrapping things up, the Korn 30-year North American tour has something for everyone. If you’re ready to meet the next Queen of Metal, Spiritbox is it! If you want to experience more than just a concert, Gojira will give you that! And if you need to be part of a family, Korn will help with that. There are tons of dates left on the Korn 30-year North American tour, so if you get a chance make it out to a show! And most importantly “Welcome to the family!”
Korn Tour Date
September
23 Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
25 Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
27 Detroit, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
28 Chicago, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
29 Louisville, KY – Louder Than Life*
October
2 Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
3 Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
5 Los Angeles, CA – BMO Stadium
6 Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
8 Portland, OR – Moda Center
10 Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome
12 Nampa, ID – Ford Idaho Center Amphitheatre
13 Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center
16 Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
18 Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
20 Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
21 San Antonio, TX – Frost Bank Center
23 Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
25 Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
27 St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
* = festival performance
