Korn headlined at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, Tx on October 20th, 2024 with support from Gojira & Spiritbox on their North American Tour!
Korn changed the world with the release of their self-titled debut album in 1994. It was a record that would pioneer a genre, and blur others-leading into a larger cultural movement. Since forming, Korn has sold more than 40 million albums worldwide, collected two Grammys, toured the world countless times, and set many records in the process that will likely never be surpassed. Korn has continued to push the limits of the rock, alternative and metal genres, while remaining a pillar of influence for legions of fans, and generations of artists around the globe.
Korn (stylized as KoЯn) is an American nu metal band originating from Bakersfield, California and was formed in 1993. Their current lineup consists of lead vocalist/bagpipes/programming Jonathan Davis, guitarist/backing vocalist James “Funky” Shaffer, guitarist/backing vocalist Brian “Head” Welch, bassist Ra Diaz filling in for Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu (on hiatus), and drummer Ray Luzier.
The pioneers of nu metal kicked off their set with the GRAMMY-winning single “Here To Stay” from their 2002 release “Untouchables“. I don’t believe this song was picked to be first by accident. It seems as if it was made to be a statement that they’re “here to stay” after thirty long years of reigning in this genre. The following two songs, “Dead Bodies Everywhere” and chart topping “Got the Life“, were from their best selling five-times platinum 1998 release “Follow the Leader (stylized as FOLLOW the LEADEЯ)”.
Next up was the ode to sex, tracksuits, and sneakers “A.D.I.D.A.S.” (All Day I Dream About Sex) from their 1996 sophomore release “Life Is Peachy“. This song truly developed a style for the band, not only with their attire but their aesthetic.
“It’s On!” directly followed afterwards as the fifth song on their set. This hasn’t been constant throughout the tour. Most band’s stick to playing the same songs throughout the entirety of their tours. They decided to switch it up a bit to keep things interesting I suppose. “Good God” & “Start the Healing” (from their latest album) transitioned into the next portion of their set.
Jonathan Davis speaking before “Blind”:
“Look at all you crazy motherfuckers! Houston showed the fuck up! Check it out y’all, we’re celebrating something very special tonight. Tonight, we celebrate thirty mother fucking years of Korn! What a fucking trip it has been! Just a bunch of punk ass kids from Bakersfield, California with a dream y’all. We’ve had some ups and we’ve had some downs, but I gotta tell ya’ after thirty years if this many mother fucking people show up to your show. I cannot thank you enough! I want to say what’s up to all the people out there that that knew what I was talking about on this record. The people that truly felt it and felt the power of this amazing band y’all. I want to tell you that you will always live in my heart until the day I die!”
Now this is where things got interesting! The elongated start to the intro track “Blind“, off their 1994 self-titled debut album, began playing. All the members slowly began teasing their instrumentals until Jonathan Davis belted out the infamous “Are you ready?“. This was the first of four tracks off this iconic album. “Ball Tongue” & “Clown” kept the same pace with the heavier instrumentals and more sadistic style. With tensions at an all time high, Davis busted out the bag pipes to ring in the nursery rhyme filled song “Shoots and Ladders” where they incorporated a snippet of Metallica’s “One”. This was an interesting rendition of their already eventful song.
Davis began going into a maniacal fit growling, the famous way that only he could, for the intro to the short but sweet track “Twist“. This proceeded into “Make Me Bad” from their 1999 release “Issues“. They concluded their regular set the best way I could see fit, with everyone screaming “Y’all want a single, say fuck that” and waving their middle fingers in the air!
To everyone’s delight, they continued performing with three encore songs. The first of which was “Falling Away From Me“. I actually walked my little one down to the pit area for this song, as it was her first concert being five years old. Immediately, Davis spotted her then proceeded to point and wave while smiling at his newest fan! This truly made my daughter’s night as she waved at him every other chance that she could (proud dad moment). Secondly, to my surprise and I’m sure many others, they performed “Oildale (Leave Me Alone)“. Last but certainly not least, was the moment we had all been waiting for “Freak on a Leash“. The entire audience sang along to every word before completely losing it after Davis’ iconic beatboxing proceeded by the inevitable “Go!“. This ensured absolute madness throughout the capacity-filled amphitheater and especially up in the lawn!
Korn proved to be as strong as ever, while celebrating being a band for thirty years and ensuring many more! Their set was filled with many hits and some deep cuts from their discography. They welcomed old and new fans alike. If you haven’t seen them perform live before, then I highly suggest you catch their next show at a city near you at your earliest convenience!
Setlist:
- Here to Stay
- Dead Bodies Everywhere
- Got the Life
- A.D.I.D.A.S.
- It’s On!
- Good God
- Start the Healing
- Blind
- Ball Tongue
- Clown
- Shoots and Ladders
- Twist
- Make Me Bad
- Y’all Want a Single
Encore:
- Falling Away From Me
- Oildale (Leave Me Alone)
- Freak on a Leash
Gojira is a French heavy metal band originating from Ondres, Landes, France and was formed in 1996. Their current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm and lead guitarist Joe Duplantier, lead and rhythm guitarist Christian Andreu, bassist Jean-Michel Labadie, and drummer Mario Duplantier.
Gojira became the first heavy metal band to perform at an Olympics opening ceremony during the 2024 Summer Olympics in France!
Setlist:
- Born for One Thing
- The Axe
- Backbone
- Stranded
- The Cell
- Flying Whales
- Grind
- Another World
- L’enfant sauvage
- Mea culpa (Ah! Ca ira!) ([traditional] cover)
- Silvera
- Amazonia
Spiritbox is a Canadian heavy metal band originating from Victoria, British Columbia and was formed in 2016. Their current lineup consists of vocalist Courtney LaPlante, guitarist Mike Stringer, bassist Josh Gilbert, and drummer Zev Rosenberg.
This up and coming band has been taking the world by storm here recently! Courtney Laplante’s mesmerizing clean vocals will put you in a trance, then comes the harsh screams and heavy riffs to snap you right out of it.
Setlist:
- Cellar Door
- Jaded
- Angel Eyes
- Soft Spine
- Circle With Me
- Holy Roller
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