Staind - Best Buy Theater, New York, NY (9.15.11)
Posted by Matt Arena on 09.20.2011
Staind are back in New York City for the first time in almost 3 years. But with the loss of their drummer and a new album, how will their live show fare?
Heralded as one of the few nu metal bands (a genre association that Aaron Lewis scoffed at) to make it out of the late 90’s/early 2000’s, Staind has had their share of news lately. Losing long-time drummer Jon Wysocki in May of 2011, Staind also released their 7th studio album, Staind this week. A much heavier, aggressive album than their past work, it’s clear that Staind is making a return to their hard rock/metal roots. Recently they returned to New York City for a benefit show at the Best Buy Theater for the families of the first responders on 9/11. I got a chance to sit down with the three remaining members of the band (lead singer/guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mushok, and bassist Jonny April) to chat before their show. Through the 30-minute sit-down, Staind came across as an extremely sincere and candid band. As opposed to most popular acts being so focused on their image, it’s really refreshing to see a band that is genuine and doesn’t put on an act. For what was an unexpected interview, it was really great to sit and talk with such an honest group of guys.
Playing at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square, it was clear early on that Staind would have a packed house. Banners for the families of the first responders were hanging as a representative for the organization came on stage to thank the band and talk about the charity. After a bit of a delay, Staind finally hit the stage. Opening with an old, smasher of a hit, Mudshovel brought the energy from the very start. Chants of U-S-A! U-S-A! broke out in-between almost every song, even Lewis got patriotic when reciting the pledge of allegiance and wrapping himself in an American flag that was tossed on-stage (a la Rocky IV). The new songs were indeed heavy, with one odd standout being Wanna Be. Aaron had mentioned in our interview that he rapped on one of the songs from the new album and to be honest it threw me off to imagine it, but it really worked with the song. Prefacing the crowd beforehand with “this is the first time we’re playing this song, so I may just turn the volume off on the guitar,” the song still went over very well. Wanna Be’s brutal chorus filled with Aaron’s primal screams combined with the rap-rock verses meshed together surprisingly well. Not to say that a full on rap-rock Staind album would be something I’d look forward to, but for an experimental song, it rocks.
As great as the new material was, the crowd was a bit lethargic at times, possibly because of the odd structuring of the set. This wasn’t due to lack of energy from the band, though. Mushok whipped his perfect metal mop around as he ripped through awesome solos and riffs. Lewis was able to pour heavy emotion into all the slow songs, making them feel very personal. But it seemed like after every heavy song, a slower ballad was played, making it hard for the band to build any type of momentum with the crowd. The lack of moshing was noticeable as people just didn’t seem to rock out to the heavier songs as they seemed to get into the slower hits more (the one-exception being a fight nearly breaking out beside me during Outside). Being that most of their hits are slow ballads, they obviously all went down extremely well with the crowd. Lighters came out and many sing-alongs were heard, most notably during the “since I’ve gone and fucked things up, just like I always do” line during It’s Been A While. While the set structure may have been odd, it was still undeniably great. Even slightly lesser known hits like For You (highlight of the night), Mudshovel, and Aaron Lewis solo song Country Boy all went down very well. During Lewis’ Country Boy, the crowd went nuts for the many guns and southern living references, which was kind of odd considering the show was in NYC. Do these people know how hard it is to a get a pistol permit in the state of New York?
After blasting through the bulk of their main set, there was a short encore break after which they came out for Something to Remind You. After closing the main set with such a great, aggressive song like For You, it was fitting that the encore consisted of a slower song. With just Mike, Aaron, and a cigarette on stage, Something to Remind You may have been the best slow song of the night. Yes, even better than It’s Been A While. A solemn song about goodbyes and mistakes, it was great as a closer with Aaron breathing even more emotion into the lyrics. Being a fan of Staind since I was about 12 years old, it was an amazing experience to not only sit down and talk with them, but to see them perform so well. Admittedly, a major portion of the show made me re-live my middle/high school years, but it was still clear that these songs sound fantastic live. This was especially evident with the newer material. With their latest self-titled album being released just days before, a full-on album support tour announcement is most certainly imminent. Don’t miss this band when they play near you.
Setlist:
1. Mudshovel
2. Throw It All Away
3. Right Here
4. Failing
5. So Far Away
6. Wanna Be
7. Outside
8. Eyes Wide Open
9. Country Boy
10. The Bottom
11. It’s Been A While
12. Not Again
13. Paper Wings
14. For You
15. Something to Remind You
The 411: Despite losing their long-time drummer, Staind made it clear that the band can still but on a great show. Pumping out fan favorite hits in tandem with premieres of tracks off their latest album, they gave fans a great show for a great cause. With the only real drawback being the odd set structure, this was still a sensational show from a band I've been a long-time fan of. Sitting down beforehand with them was truly a special experience and in conjunction with the stellar show they put on, it was a memorable night at The Best Buy Theater in the heart of Times Square. Make sure to experience Staind when they launch a support tour for their newest album.
