Weiland wrapped in Betsy Ross’s greatest accomplishment, walked out of the shadows making a grand appearance very few could pull off. Hey did you expect any less from Weiland on the 4th of July of all days? Being chosen as the headliners of Summerfest on our nation’s independence day, the pressure was on for Stone Temple Pilots.
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Stone Temple Pilots
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 Entertainment
 Art
Summerfest at the Marcus Amphitheater
Milwaukee, WI
July 4, 2008
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Never fear, the trio came out opening with the slide guitar goodness of “Big Empty” and owned the crowd all the way through to the final notes of the closer, “Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart.” For a group of guys that disbanded five years ago, STP showed they still had something to say even though, as of yet, they have not recorded any new material.
It’s only been a few months since Weiland came through town fronting the ill fated 2008 tour of Velvet Revolver. It was only a matter of time before VR would implode and was amazing they even completed their sophomoric album. These days Weiland looks more refreshed and comfortable back in the fold with the DeLeo brothers and Eric Kretz. Weiland has found his way back to the band that started it all but can he keep his personal life together this time around?
Through the course of the night, Weiland seemed nostalgic about STP and their catalog of hits. Often in between songs, Weiland talked about where he and the band were during the making of some of their biggest hits. “This song was written on pure inspiration,” Weiland reveals before going into “Interstate Love Song.”
Just a few songs earlier, during “Crackerman,” Weiland tossed his signature blowhorn to the ground in frustration when he couldn’t get it to work. A roadie soon appeared from side stage and Weiland was once again happy, slithering around the stage like a demon possessed. The DeLeo brothers looked quite happy back with the band they created and seemed ready to deal with the unpredicted behavior of their leader.
The one great thing about going to a Velvet Revolver concert was the band would not only showcase their tunes, but STP and Guns N’ Roses songs as well. STP didn’t play any VR or GN’R tracks this evening, but they did suddenly go into Queens “We Will Rock You,” complete with Dean DeLeo delivering a perfect Brian May guitar solo. The band continued with a slow bluesy jam before going into their signature hit “Sex Type Thing” and “Sin.”
Back for the encore, framed with a big American flag on the jumbo screen behind them, the band reentered the stage with a couple new friends accompanying. “Regardless of who the next President is, these guys are still going to represent our country,” Weiland proclaimed as he welcomed the two sailors in full uniform on the stage. After introducing themselves, the sailors got the crowd into a frenzy by leading a chant of “U.S.A.” Weiland is then presented with one of their hats and wears it proudly, with that, the sailor sans hat, leads the band into the opening lyrics of “Dead and Bloated.” Perhaps a weird and twisted choice for soldiers to sing, still the moment wasn’t lost on the crowd or the sailors themselves. In fact, the sailors looked like this could be the crowning moment of their lives so far.
If STP wasn’t enough to make this 4th of July special, earlier in the night Black Francis a.k.a. Frank Black frontman of the Pixies, opened to a mix reception. Frank Black and his band delivered a great hour set but was lost on a crowd mostly unfamiliar with the tunes or even who he was for that matter.
STP has proven they can still deliver an amazing set and has the hits to prove it. Time will tell if Weiland and the boys can keep it together to get themselves back into the studio in the fall. The chemistry is still there live but can they bring that same magic to the studio?
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that was me
Written by Guest on 2008-07-05 16:45:38
yea that sailor that gave him the hat was me, my name is tim gleason and im from ny living in chicago for the navy and that was probably the best night of my life |
Well Hello Sir
Written by publisher on 2008-07-06 00:13:48
Nice to hear from you and glad you found our site and review. That was a great moment in an already great show! |
Great Show!
Written by Guest on 2008-07-07 14:03:46
Hi Sailor, Nice Job! My wife and I were sitting behind you and when they called you on stage, we knew something was about to happen big. I like the way Scott respected you and your uniform, they rock! |
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