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Live at BMO Stadium
October 15, 2024 Review by Jimmy Alvarez
It was a mild night in Los Angeles, but it would quickly turn on its ear as Korn and their 30th Anniversary tour had rolled into BMO Stadium.
When the BMO Stadium show was first announced, Korn lead singer Jonathan Davis said, “Reflecting on thirty years of Korn fills me with such immense gratitude for our journey, the growth we’ve experienced, and the incredible bond we share with our fans. It’s humbling to see how our music has touched so many lives across the globe. From our small club beginnings to now headlining stadiums, it’s been an unforgettable ride, and we owe it all to our amazing, undying, loyal community that’s made it possible. I’m really looking forward to this incredible night to celebrate together.”
The lineup was stellar with openers Vended, Spiritbox, Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway, Gojira and Evanescence lit up the BMO skyline.
The crowd showed up early for this one; They were animated and ready to go. Openers Vended and Spiritbox received a great reception from concertgoers who appreciated their early energy. Their delivery and interaction from the crowd made them perfect to get the show started.
Then as the sun slowly started to dip, out came Daron Malakian and Scars on Broadway. Opening with “Chemicals,” and “Sickening Wars,” Malakian took the bull by the horns and showed of his vocal prowess.
DARON MALAKIAN AND
The band was pumped for this show with shredding displays of brilliance displaying why they are the talk of the music circuit.
The early birds got to hear the songs they wanted: “Universe,” “Insane,” and the band’s namesake song, “Scars on Broadway.” The crowd was extremely vocal for that one. Malakian welcomed everyone to the show and thanked Korn for having them on the tour, then the piercing sound began again with “World Long Gone,” “Cute Machines,” “Guns Are Loaded,” and what appeared to be everyone’s favorite, “Fuck and Kill.” That song drew a Beavis and Butthead like laugh from the teens who were sitting in front of me.
The set closed on a high note with fan favorites, “Exploding / Reloading,” “Stoner Hate,” and finally they said goodbye to “They Say.”
As the excited audience took a breath to reenergize, it seemed as if everyone was raving in anticipation about Gojira.
There were multiple discussions around me about how the band had opened their eyes and ears as a result of their Olympics performance, and fans wanted to see if they would live up to the hype.
Immediately they took the stage like they were storming a beach; opening with “Born for One Thing.”
The French metal monsters are led by front-man Joe Duplantier, and his vocals were beyond insane. The highs and deep-deep boombox he possesses captivated the entire arena.
With flames in the background, Gojira played the songs fans wanted to hear, “The Axe,” “Backbone,” “Stranded,” “The Cell,” ‘Flying Whales,” and “Mea Culpa,” got a huge response.
The sound was incredible and everyone in the section I was in were in agreement – they lived up to the hype as they closed with “Amazonia.”
Despite the sun still being up and the crowd still rolling in, mosh pits came to life throughout the arena floor, and fans in the stands were also in a moshing mood.
Surprisingly, the time between sets didn’t take long, the stage crew did a great job getting the sets together. By now, the man on the moon was high in the sky looking down with a big smile as Evanescence took the stage.
The Little Rock natives immediately acknowledged the crowd, and they responded. As I looked around, the arena was now packed and every age group and nationality were represented, and they ALL seemed to know each and every word of each song.
Amy Lee looked and sounded fantastic. Opening with “Bring Me to Life,” “My Immortal,” and “Call Me When You’re Sober,” Lee mesmerized with her vocal range and tempo. The cadence of the band’s music is a trademark of their signature sound, while Tim McCord and Troy McLawhorn were guitar heroes.
As Lee acknowledged the warm reception, you could tell she was sincere, and her diehard fans were present and accounted for as they followed intently every word between songs.
Other moments that captured the hearts of their fans included “Going Under,” “Sweet Sacrifice,” “My Heart is Broken,” and they closed with “Everybody’s Fool” and “Lithium.”
As the band left the stage, you could hear kids, teens, young adults – men and women yell out how much they loved Amy Lee.
The electricity was still in the air as the lights dimmed and the silhouettes of Korn were visible, and boom, just like that; Jonathan Davis was front and center, and the crowd went nuts to “Here to Stay.”
He was stylish in his Korn Adidas track suit, but it was the voice that impressed. Sure, the look was very nu-metal stylish, but that voice is so distinctive.
Everyone was drawn in to “Dead Bodies Everywhere,” and then how the joint was still standing after “Got the Life” is beyond me.
They were hard to read, because they were putting on a show, but you could tell this was an emotional moment for the kids from Bakersfield. As Davis mentioned, 30 years is a long time no matter what aspect of life, next they went into a of Queen’s “We Will Rock You” as the segued into “Coming Undone.”
“Good God” and “Start the Healing,” got a great response, but “Somebody Someone,” seemed to be a special song to Davis, and it was echoed by the fans sitting next to me.
The lightshow was epic as expected for a band like Korn, bit it was not overwhelming, the music was the emphasis, not the light show. And Korn delivered a hit parade that gave notice to their three decades of making music.
Other standout moment included songs like “Blind,” “Ball Tongue,” and “Clown,” which was followed by a very kick-ass instrumental jam! Then, back to the vocal display of greatness, “Shoots the Ladders,” “Helmet in the Bush,” “Twist,” “It’s On,” “Make Me Bad,” and “Y’All Want a Single.” And just like that it was time to say goodnight to Korn!
Yes, but not really, you knew they would return. The crowd was screaming at the top of their lungs, and as you would expect, the guys came back out. They treated the crowd to “Falling Away from Me,” and then “Oildale (Leave Me Alone).”
The show stopper was their uber hit, which they delivered with Amy Lee. The crowd went outer limits when she took the stage, and they went into “Freak on a Leash.” If you can imagine a sold out house with everyone’s heads exploding, that’s the best way to describe the response to their closing song.
Wow, Wow, Wow, 30 years is a long time, but when it sounds like that, time is just a construct and it’s the moment that we will never forget. What a night for music at BMO Stadium!
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