The anticipation at a concert is a feeling like no other, and the Finger Eleven, 3 Doors Down and Creed “Summer of ‘99” Riverbend show was no exception.
Like with other concerts I’ve been to that have three bands performing, each band brought even more stage effects, electricity and energy than the last. Finger Eleven still rocked the house, even with very few stage effects, and they ended their set differently than both 3 Doors Down and Creed: They blended two songs together: “Paralyzer” and “Back in Black” by AC/DC. Rick Jackett, one of their guitarists, played the well-known guitar riff while lead singer Scott Anderson sang the lyrics to “Paralyzer.” I’m a sucker for mashups. It’s double the dopamine!
Between sets, I walked a full circle around the venue to see all the different merchandise stands, food and beverages. The fruit punch drink I bought was delicious. If they hadn’t been $15, I would’ve gotten a second one. I also had to pick up some kind of merchandise because I have at every other concert I’ve been to. I bought a bandana and kept it safely in my bag for the remainder of the show.
As 3 Doors Down took the stage, the electricity and anticipation became a crackling presence in the venue. They introduced the crowd to different light colors and effects. They played their new song “Never Look Down,” which hasn’t had an official release yet. It felt special hearing a song before the general public. “Ohio is my favorite place to play,” lead singer of 3 Doors Down Brad Arnold said. “[It’s] between you guys and Cleveland.”
After 3 Doors Down finished their set with “When I’m Gone,” the anticipation for Creed’s set began to grow. While the crowd was buzzing, a green timer on the main screen on stage started counting down from 30, which made the scattered and distracted crowd focus towards the stage. The roar was starting.
Even though I’m not a huge Creed fan, they really brought everything they had. Their Cincinnati show was the first show of the “Summer of ‘99” tour to sell out, which magnified the energy even more. Anyone could’ve easily crowd surfed no matter where they were; it was that packed. Even though I find Creed’s songs to be a smidge repetitive, they have some cool bass licks and riffs that really stuck with me. I tend to gravitate towards lead singers and guitarists but this time the bassist, Brian Marshall, stole my attention because he seemed to have the energy of a frontman, and he played some sick bass licks and riffs.
During the show, they gave away one of the guitarists’ guitars to the fan that they believed had the most energy. They said they would be looking at each and every person in the crowd, but they gave it to someone in the pit. This didn’t surprise me, but it did disappoint me that it was someone in the pit because people in the pit are the ones who usually get the stuff the musicians are giving away.
Someone brought in a poster that read “‘One Last Breath’ is my cancer fight song,” and Scott Stapp, the lead singer, pointed out the poster and noticed her. It warms my heart when musicians share the spotlight.
I love watching bands like Creed use different stage effects, especially when they’re timed with the different rhythms. During a few songs, they shot fire on stage, which is my favorite stage effect a band or artist can use. It’s aggressive and perfect for a rock/grunge show. I was close enough to feel the heat from it! For those not as close to the stage, the cameramen shot from some impressive angles and captured some incredible poses each member was doing throughout the show.
Overall, the show was fun. The crowd was consistently energetic throughout the night, and it was electrifying by the end. The crowd was mimicking only a fraction of the craziness of the bands. I really think that it doesn’t matter which musicians are performing — concerts will always be a life-long happy memory.
