Spirit moves Creed crowd

The Cincinnati Enquirer August 28 2002

Concert review

The Riverbend stage was a pulpit, and Scott Stapp controlled it.

In the middle of the song “One,” the lead singer of Creed spoke. “Every night across America,” said Mr. Stapp, “we lift up our hands as a sign of unity.”

With this, the large crowd, gathered together Monday night to see America's No. 1 rock band, raised its arms on cue.

As he commanded, so obeyed his flock. And it was good. (At least that's what the audience thought.)

There was a biblical feeling to Creed's hour-and-45-minute performance, from Mr. Stapp's messianic poses to the faux Corinthian columns towering behind him. Moreover, the recurring theme in Mr. Stapp's lyrics dealt with transcending guilt by spiritual means.

“My Own Prison,” the Florida band's first hit from 1997, was a metaphor for, as Mr. Stapp sang, “my own sin.” When he later sang “Can you take me higher?” he wasn't referring to a buzz. And as the band played “My Sacrifice,” his arms-stretched-to-the-side poses were a little much.

Just how Christian-rock these guys are is an ongoing debate. Mr. Stapp grew up in a devout Christian household, but the G-word isn't big in Creed's repertoire. The Christian nature of the lyrics is more implied than plainly stated.

And the music is classic-rock secular. Mark Tremonti's simultaneously catchy-and-crunchy guitar playing came straight from grunge, and it was as key to the performance as Mr. Stapp's sing-along lyrics and bellowing delivery.

For those who like their rock less melodramatic and more diabolical, Jerry Cantrell was a welcome opening act. The former Alice in Chains guitarist was back after appearing on the Nickelback bill at Riverbend in June.

Mr. Cantrell began with several slow and heavy hard-rock tunes from his latest album, Degradation Trip, but it wasn't until the sixth song, a version of Alice in Chain's “No Excuses,” that the congregation took to its feet.

.Chris Varias