Korn and Rob Zombie - August 28, 2016 - Xfinity Center, Mansfield MA

Korn

Xfinity Center, Mansfield MA

Sunday August 28, 2016

Support – Rob Zombie and In This Moment

If you’ve been around this blog much you know that I have some sort of odd attraction to the band Korn.  I am not sure where this long lasting relationship has come from, but I still buy all their records and see them live when I can.  Although this past show was a little bit of a push for me I do have to admit that back in March I came upon a 20$ groupon for this show…so…..

This was a back to back Sunday show for me at the Xfinity Center.  The plus side is the venue, although it’s a summer shed, is about 20 minutes from me.  Made my way to the show with little issue and parked further back than I expected (compared with the heavily undersold Prophets of Rage show the week prior).  Even upon entering the venue and then making my way to the “open air seats” 

I was surprised to find that that lawn was closed for the evening. 

In this Moment was on stage when I arrived and I was pretty far back and it was pretty loud honestly.  Seemed “theatrical” with stage dancers (which I thought was odd since the band is fronted by a woman) but it was neither here nor there.

Rob Zombie and Korn have been “co-headliners” and at this show Zombie was slated for the middle slot.  Rob was born in Massachusetts so it’s odd he didn’t get top bill, but perhaps with Korn having a new album due in October?  Who knows?

I had never seen Rob Zombie and it was fun.  There was a lot of distractions on the stage (I giant boom box) robots, a walking giant, just sort of “fun”.  Rob seems sincere and a likeable guy but that bubble/gurgle microphone vocal effect it’s a bit played out.  When he is talking to us why does it still need to be the same as when he sings.  The set list was pretty good and I am admittedly a casual fan but I felt pretty happy in hearing tunes I knew.

Rob Zombie Full Set list.

Dead City Radio and the new Gods of Supertown
In the Age of the Consecrated Vampire We All Get High
Superbeast
Wild Thing (Tone Loc) tease
Living Dead Girl
Well, Everybody’s Fucking in a UFO
More Human Than Human (White Zombie)
Never Gonna Stop
The Hideous Exhibitions of a Dedicated Gore Whore
House of 1000 Corpses
Guitar Solo (Rob in audience)
Thunder Kiss 65 (White Zombie)
We’re An American Band (Grand Funk Railroad)
Encore:
Dragula

So breaking down the set it wasn’t bad and he packed a lot in.  The band has a lot of visuals so the set list probably will remain pretty consistent.  The Wild Thing tease went on way too long (they don’t really play it outside of the drum and guitar riff)  The guitar solo was sort of “meh” and Rob was in the audience with a flashlight.  He never  came up as far as I was and it seemed sort of silly to do this.  When it came time for Thunder Kiss 65 they teased the opening guitar riff for probably 5 minutes.  Start, stop, yell at us, start, stop…by the time they finally started playing it people had lost the ‘ramp up’ they initially had.  It’s a killer riff, but get on with it.

By the time Zombie was done and off the stage it was “late”.  The venue has a tight 11pm curfew and it was about 9:50 before Korn took the stage.

The stage for Korn seemed wide open compared to the amount of stuff that Zombie had.  The lighting director spent a lot of time blasting us in the face with strobes and spotlights but it almost seemed expected.

Opening with “Right Now” the first thing I noticed was the bass was way up….like way up.  Shake the freaking seat up.  I felt it was muddy and “boomy” at the same time.  It took a few songs for it to level out but the band moved right along.

Korn full set:
Right Now
Here to Stay
Insane
Somebody/Someone
Coming Undone
Y’all want a Single
Make Me Bad
Rotting in Vain
Shoots and Ladders
Blind
Twist
Got the Life
Falling Away from Me
Freak on a Leash

During Shoot and Ladders Davis did use the bagpipes and the band teased “One” by Metallica.  The back side of the set I felt was even stronger than the front.  It was funny though, the guy I happened to run in to ended up leaving shortly into to their set and he kiddingly said “why is this band so angry!” and then Davis proceeded to go an expletive laden “thank you” about how “happy they were to be here”.  It was sort of comical.

The bill seems to work out, both artists continue to work on their passions.  Zombie is slated to release a move “31” this fall and Korn has a new album due on October 21^st.