Riverbend show proves Creed belongs in the big time

The Cincinnati Post August 15 2000

What a difference three years makes.

Over the past few years, Creed was a constantly touring band playing SFX-booked venues in Cincinnati such as Top Cats, Bogarts and the Taft Theatre.

Monday night the band moved into the big time, joining Dave Matthews, Pearl Jam and Jimmy Buffett as the only acts to sell out Riverbend this summer.

It is a rock promoter's dream to be able to grow a band through the local venues, and Creed has become one of the summer's huge success stories on the modern rock scene, selling out amphitheaters across the country.

Creed proved they have indeed earned the right to play the ''big hall'' with an intense rock set, heavily influenced by post-grunge and metal music. The Florida-based rockers showed they will likely be around for a long time, featuring a formidable rock power trio of musicians fronted by the gutty vocals of Scott Stapp.

It was a 90-minute set where the band mined its several FM radio hits such as ''My Own Prison,'' ''What's This Life For,'' ''Higher,'' ''What If'' and ''Arms Wide Open.'' They pretty much played them straight, note for note, and that was just fine. The live set spoke volumes about the power of their music and lyrics.

And since the band has hit the big time, the show included the requisite big stage flash pots, fireworks, and fire balls. It was good fun, but the band was so tight and compelling the pyrotechnics were probably not even needed to hold the audience.

Stapp carried the show with his growling bass voice that comes from a grungy spot so deep down he can make Eddie Vedder sound like a soprano. During the set he complained that his voice was shot from a sore throat, and even suggested the show was close to being canceled, asking the audience to hang with him. Despite some raspy spots, he sounded just fine. Fans gladly helped Stapp out, often singing the choruses.

Creed is still a bit of an enigma when it comes to its intensely spiritual lyrics, something usually not found outside of Christian rock. But that's a critics's concern, and certainly not one that was on the minds of the thousands who just enjoyed hearing the power rockers strut their stuff with their intensely personal songs.

Still one couldn't help wonder if the band was being sincere, or mocking the mass rock audience itself, with such songs as ''Say I,'' as Stapp growls out such lyrics as ''Children with no vision do exactly what they are told.''

American Spirit opened with an uninspiring set. The second act - 3 Doors Down - was a different story. They proved they should be more than a one-hit wonder with their song ''Kryptonite.''

.By Rick Bird