The Nocturnal Underground tour came to the Kansas Expocentre last night as the first big rock show for Topeka in several years.
Previously, the Expocentre has played host to Rob Zombie and Marilyn Manson and more recently, country acts such as Darius Rucker. This show was a big deal for Topeka and it sure as hell did not disappoint.
The first band of the night was actually one that I had never heard of before. They go by the name of Silver Snakes. I mean, the band is so unknown that they don’t even have their own Wikipedia page. All that aside, they friggen rock. Front man, Alex Estrada, really knows how to work a crowd and get attention. The set list mostly consisted of new tracks off their latest album, “Saboteur.” If you ever see them live, they’re sure to give you a good time.
Next up was Motionless In White, who have played Warped Tour, Rock am Ring (a popular German rock festival) and now opening for Korn and Breaking Benjamin. The stage presence is pretty fantastic, as a few of the members play characters such as ghosts. This adds a certain dramatic affect to their already heavy and fist pumping music. Front man, Chris “Motionless” Cerulli, encouraged the crowd to head bang like they’ve never done before so that they would have a “bangover” like they’ve never had before. I’m not saying that I don’t need to see a chiropractor later today, but I’m not going to deny it either.
Breaking Benjamin never disappoints and that didn’t change last night. They kicked off the night with fan favorites “So Cold” and “Angels Fall.” I have never seen a crowd react to songs so much. Breaking Benjamin’s music allows for a personal connection and I think that’s why they have such a dedicated fan base. As the show went along we came to a point when front man Benjamin Burnley had a confession to make. He told the crowd that he is a “F*cking geek.” He proved this bold statement by performing a beautifully done rock cover of the Imperial March from Star Wars and then followed that with a cover of “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Breaking Benjamin truly brings something for everybody.
ARE YOU READY???? Those famous words are used by KoRn front man Johnathan Davis at every single show and I don’t think anyone is ever prepared for a KoRn show. Last night they played hits like “Somebody Someone,” “Shoots and Ladders,” and “Blind.” Not only did they play classic KoRn songs, but they performed two new singles off of their new record called “Rotting In Vein” and “Insane.” Part-way through the performance they split the crowd in half to see who was louder and it was Brian “Head” Welch verses James “Munky” Shaffer (Lead guitar and rhythm guitar). In the end, Munky won and faces were melted.
In the end, I would give the Nocturnal Underground Tour a rating of 9/10. Why not 10/10? That’s because there is always room for improvement. If you missed the show I feel pretty bad for you because it was a great one.
