Cold and Nonpoint

By David Gerhard

Unfortunetly I misseed the first band due to the fact that the ticket said 8:00 and the fisrt and went on at about 7:30. I arrived to see  Black day down finishing up thier set up before thier set. This set lasted a good 30 and again it was all about the music. Black day down's singer has very little crowd connection but the music made it for them. Taking the time to make a plug for thier cd was a great chance for a rest and broke up a set that seemed like one song. Black Day Down played at The Rock Night Club nearly 8 months ago and I still remember it like it was last week. I would consider this a good thing and I can't waite to see them in another 8 months. I expect greater change and maybe even a new cd.

Edison took the tage soon after. I think it was the sound board that made this set worse than it was. It just wasn't a set with clean vocals. the vocals were to quite and that with too much bass cause the singers enunciation to be excesive when it came to his S's. The songs were great radio rock; with ketchy beats and lyrics. Unfortunetly it didn't come together for me. I'm sure this set would make a great album. This is Edisons first tour in the united states. They've been over seas and did a tour for the troops over in Iraq. During the tour in iraq, they shot a music video for a song they played next. After listening live, i will have to watch the video and listen to Edisons cd to have a better understanding of them.

Day on fire took the stage next. Coming to Minnesota from Nashville with a new age, clean cut, rock and roll look. While listening Day on fire i realized that this just wasn't my cup of tea tonight. Thier sound didn't really fit with the show but it gave them a new audience to play for. The lead singer of Day on Fire played for a great band called Full Metal Jacket. Half way through thier set they gave us a treat by playing a Tune by Full Mtal Jacket with the guitarist from Nonpoint. Then they played a song the wrote and dedicated to the age and bands of grunge. It sounded like he called it Unearth but i could barely understand because there was an execive amount of bass. Which led to me barely understanding the lyrics. After the set was over i wondered how much better this might be on cd.

The lights dimmed and Queen's We Will Rock You howled like the breeze before the storm. The light show started blanketed the stage and Robb Rivera's drums rolled in like thunder after the strike. Tossing introductions to the wind: Nonpoints set began. It was hard for me to tell who had more through the first few songs, Elias and his 10 foot dredlocks or the sold out crowd jumping before him. Playing to the crowd with an edge of mystery Elias led in to some as the crowd ate out of his hand. After playing a song called miracle, Elias anounced that that was the new single off Web set to release in May. He then began to play the next single called Lucky Number 13. I can tell you this much, they haven't forgotten that tried and true sound that put this band on the map in 1997. The crowd lost thier minds when Nonpoint played Pantera's 5 minutes alone and dedicated in to the late "Dimebage" Darrel Abbott. The crowd knew every word to 5 Minutes Alone and evey single song that came before it. They told us good bye the only only way they could. A Bullet With a Name On It would have ended a show to remember but there was more to come.

As the Alarm sounded for a hurricane, Cold trickled their way to the stage and the bass drum struck in like a tidal wave. The set list flowed just as it should. It played in to ladder of energy between band and crowd. While playing a set of new and old; we were brought all the way to the begining with Go away off the self titled album. Then jumped right in to playing Welcome to My World and The Web which are thier new singles off there latest album properly named Epic. Welcome to My World is a song that show cases the change they've over gone but doesn't let you forget who they are and were. These songs forshadow and epic album. After plugging thier new album, they played When Angels Fly Away and sedicated it to the trops over seas. A show I'll never forget ended with the crowd singing along to the last song. I don't think there was one person in the Rock Night Club that wasn't singing Stupid girl from start to finish. Scooter Wasn't much for conversation this evening but the words he shared expressed thanks and humility to all thier fans. Thankfully, we won't have to waite for long because we know that cold will always come back to thier home away from home. Here at The Rock in Maplewood.