nickelBack

Give me my 'nickles back'

Troy Reimink
LIFE Assistant News Editor

November 28, 2001

A concert by a semi-famous band is a pretty big deal since there’s nothing to do in Mount Pleasant.

Watching Monday night’s Nickelback/Saliva/Default show in Rose Arena, one could not help but wonder if CMU students wouldn’t flock to anything that’s loud, well-lit and featuring recognizable faces from MTV.

Even University President Michael Rao was there, and he seemed to be enjoying himself.

Nickelback is the latest of a crop of radio-friendly post-grunge hard rock bands, riding the wave of momentary success along with Three Doors Down, Fuel, Lifehouse and scores of other sound-alikes. And their appearance at CMU continues the university’s tradition of supporting acts floating on the edge of superstardom, from Third Eye Blind to Bush.

Default kicked off the show with a short set of Pearl Jam-influenced numbers that did little to boost the excitement of the crowd.

They did fulfill one duty of an opening band — getting the audience’s ears adjusted to the volume. Other than that, their set of cookie-cutter songs kept the main floor standing still and checking their watches.

The band’s physical appearance did little to help it. The lead singer’s clean-cut looks suggest he missed the O-Town auditions. The guitarist, while talented, looked like he was in line for an AARP card. And the bassist, well, let’s just say he resembled Pippy Longstocking with an instrument and sex-change operation.

Saliva delivered a set of standard Limp Bizkit-style rap metal. But while the music was short on originality, the band put on an excellent show, firing up the audience with patriotic rants and a high-energy performance.

Lead singer Josey Scott praised American unity, saying “When you f--- with one, you f--- with each and every one of us,” prompting a “U.S.A.” chant

And when a guy takes the stage spouting profanity, sporting a long braided goatee, and screaming from the gut, you know he means business. More power to Saliva; it should have been the headliner.

At one point during Nickelback’s set, lead singer and guitarist Chad Kroeger remarked how surprised he was that the band was getting to play large venues on this tour.

Frankly, he should be surprised.

Saliva was a tough act to follow, and Nickelback did not seem up to the challenge. The band stuck to the rules: open loud, play a cover, close with a hit, encore with another hit.

The members seemed weary from the road, probably in need of some time off or some more work in clubs and theaters before making the jump to small arenas.

While the crowd got what it wanted — an excellent rendition of Rage Against the Machine’s “The Ghost of Tom Joad” and a prolonged version of “How You Remind Me” —Nickelback could not top the energy Saliva generated.

Maybe the crowd had just sobered up.

In general, the show was a good way to relax — or freak out, depending on your concert behavior — before the end-of-semester crunch, and the music itself seemed almost secondary to the party atmosphere. Kudos to Program Board and On The Fly Productions for continuing to bring national acts to CMU.

2 out of 5 stars.