Fans get 'Higher' on Creed

The Roundup Thursday, October 3 2002

Fiery stageshow burns with spiritual energy

For a while, it seemed as if the stage show was going, going, gone. Extinct. Dead. And then Creed came into town.

With an extreme stage show of fire, lights, fireworks, a monster screen projecting images of the band and a temple-like set surrounding them, Creed definitely lifted the crowd higher Wednesday night at the Pan American Center.

The night culminated during "Higher," when lead singer Scott Stapp stood above the rest of the band, with four massive stone-like pillars behind him, and raised his hands in the air a lá Moses-parting-the-Red-Sea style. Thousands of arms rose with Stapp's as the voices of an almost-sold out audience drowned out Stapp's. Fireworks rose behind Stapp as the band went on to finish with "My Sacrifice."

Creed built religious and spiritual symbolism into each song. At one point, the lights moving across the audience changed colors to resemble stained-glass windows. During many songs, images of the sun moved around the Pan Am as Stapp sang lyrics such as "Don't have to settle the score/Cause we all live/Under the reign of one king."

Before singing "One," Stapp said he felt the song means more since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. An ocean of arms emerged from the audience as everyone sang along.

During "My Own Prison," images of barbed wire and a chainlink fence were projected on the screen. Images of crime scenes were projected during "What If."

"Who's Got My Back" began and ended with American Indian chanting as torches lit one at a time behind the band throughout the song, while scenes of American Indians flashed onto the screen.

Mark Tremonti's poignant opening riffs guided the crowd into a frenzy of excitement that soon turned into burning sing-alongs.

Both Sevendust and 12 Stones proved that a band could be heavy and polished at the same time. With more than heavy riffage from both John Connelly and Clint Lowery, Sevendust's Lajon Witherspoon sang beautifully to the band's new material they tried out on stage.

Between songs, Witherspoon reminded the crowd to cherish life and dedicated a heartfelt "Angel's Son" to late Drowning Pool's Dave Williams, as well as Snot singer Lynn Strait. Sevendust pleased the crowd with much of their newer material, topping off their performance with "Denial."

Second opener 12 Stones was an enjoyable buildup to the hard-hitting Sevendust and the religious experience that is Creed. The band warmed up earlier in the day with a short, and crowded, acoustic set at Farley's. While Creed torched the crowd, Cinder caused the crowd to fizzle out. The band gave a decent effort but managed to get only a few in the crowd moving, including a gray-haired man who fought his way to the barrier in front of the stage. But Cinder's style of nü metal was reminiscent of death metal as the singer screamed his way through each song.

The crowd left the show reborn after four incredible hours of what could be labeled an exalting experience.

.Patricia Garcia & Heath Haussamen