Concert Review: Live / Stone Temple Pilots

Stone Temple Pilots and Live took the crowd at Blossom Music Center on a trip back to the ‘90s on Tuesday night. Both bands are celebrating 30-year anniversaries of iconic albums that showcase the essence of alternative rock’s golden era. They delivered powerhouse performances of their best work and many songs you just can’t get out of your head.

The night began with Soul Asylum, who set the tone with an effective 7-song set. Their monster hit, “Runaway Train,” was a highlight, reminding the audience of their place in the alternative scene. They even played a brand new song off their album ‘Slowly But Shirley’ from this year. This is something I was surprised to hear, considering that many of the bands from this era stopped putting out new songs a decade ago (or longer), but Soul Asylum consistently puts out new music.

Live took the stage next, celebrating the 30th anniversary of their breakthrough album ‘Throwing Copper.’ Unlike Stone Temple Pilots, they weren’t playing their anniversary album in its entirety, but the 14-song set did draw heavily from the album.

I can’t decide which approach I prefer. Seeing a band play their hits is always a good time, but by playing an album front to back, they likely get to play songs that don’t always get played live. Both approaches have their merit. Lead singer Ed Kowalczyk, the sole remaining original member, belted out fan-favorites like “I Alone” and “All Over You,” electrifying the crowd, but it was the closing performance of “Lightning Crashes” that truly captivated the audience and reminded everyone of just how great that song truly is. Kowalczyk’s vocals still carried the emotive weight that defined the band’s success. He just sounded good. Talk about a song that won’t leave your head.

Finally, Stone Temple Pilots closed the night by playing their album ‘Purple,‘ which was also celebrating its 30th anniversary, in its entirety. Jeff Gutt, who took over as frontman in 2017, filled the massive shoes left by the late Scott Weiland, with impressive confidence and charisma. He played it up to the crowd, many times stepping to the front of the stage and reaching into the audience, letting them grab his hand and legs.

I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and I was a little worried the absence of Weiland would be noticeable. His voice really helped give the band their sound. But Gutt does such a great job in that role. They really landed on the best-case scenario. Gutt sounds very close to Weiland, but that’s precisely what you want in this situation. You want to hear these songs exactly as you remember them, especially when they have so many memorable hits. Gutt pulls it off, giving the crowd everything they want by nailing the vocals, even the difficult ranges. He even made sure to stop and ask the crowd to give it up for Weiland, which I thought was a nice touch.

After they played ‘Purple,’ they encored with four more songs, including hits “Plush” and “Sex Type Thing,” giving the crowd even more of what they wanted. It was the first time I’ve seen a band give an encore after one of the shows where an album is played in its entirety. It was a nice touch, because sometimes when the album is over, the show just sort of ends. A short encore of hits is a good way to round it out.

The concert was a masterclass in rock nostalgia. All three bands have experienced their fair share of lineup changes and internal struggles over the years, one missing the specific voice of their lead singer, and another with only a lead singer left, but this tour showed that their music still resonates with fans and just how many good songs they have between them.