Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
In support of their newest release Hydrograd, Stone Sour has hit the road with the forces of Cherry Bombs, Man with A Mission, and Steel Panther. All acts brought their own pizzazz to the theater that made for a breathtaking night full of music, laughter, and love.
Stone Sour was blissfully happy to return to Tulsa and front-man Corey Taylor even sported a “I <3 Tulsa” tee. The first three songs were a blur (not going to lie,) as I was in my own world photographing a band I’ve admired for so long. All I could replay in my mind was the Spring of 2007 on the Jägermeister Tour, being a young teen and moshing during Stone Sour’s set, having the time of my life. It was humbling, and I was honored to be there in Tulsa that night.
The band visited each studio album throughout the set. The first three tracks from Hydrograd started the performance, followed by “Made of Scars” and “Reborn.” Stone Sour was playful with the crowd throughout the night. “We have something very fucking special. Are you ready to sing some songs Oklahoma?” asked Taylor. Spurts of cheering was ongoing, followed by Taylor saying, “I wasn’t done, you rude bitches.” Laughter filled the crowd and was followed by a band intro.
Something I personally admire is when a song is performed in a different way, such as the way Stone Sour did with “Say You’ll Haunt Me.” The song took on a reggae feel with more emphasis on the drums and bass. Fans took well to the new twist as they danced on the floor before Stone Sour erupted into the full band original mid-track. A heavy rendition of “30/30-150” rumbled throughout the theater, followed by fun confetti canon blasts. As the confetti fell upon cheering fans, Corey Taylor grabbed his guitar for the slow tempo, intimate portion of the set. He introduced the next song as the “most requested song… mostly by ladies” (and what can we say, we like the sappy shit.) “Hesitate” proved to be an overall crowd favorite. Voices echoed throughout the entire theater for the heartfelt performance. Guitarist Christian Martucci was all smiles as he immediately jumped to the front of the stage with an electrifying riff leading into “Tired.”
It’s known that Stone Sour is one band that just likes to have a good time, and keep the atmosphere light and the music heavy. When introducing their newest single, Corey Taylor asked of the crowd, “I want you to dance – have a good time. That’s what it’s about.” The crowd followed his request as they bobbed and clapped along to “Rose Red Violent Blue.” The clapping continued into an applause for Josh Rand, as Corey Taylor announced they’ve been making music together for 25 years. Colorful lights kept the night lively as the band rapidly interacted with the crowd. House of Bones Pt. 2 was visited with an electrifying performance of “Do Me A Favor.”
“We’ve dusted off some old shit. Do you want to take it all the fucking way back?” asked Taylor. A pit erupted before “Cold Reader” could roll off his lips. Roy Mayorga rolled off a little extra drum emphasis parts that gave a good dance feel to the song, and the whole band closed off the track with a heavy ending. Audience members got rowdy with head banging, jumping, and moshing for “Get Inside,” which was seen across the entire venue. Praise ensued as the logo banner illuminated in subtle red before Taylor’s guitar blared through the speakers. “We ain’t done with you motherfuckers yet.” Crowd favorites “Song #3” and “Through Glass” continued with involvement from crowd surfers, clappers, and more as the band emit all energy into the end of the set. The band finished with “Thank you. We love you.”
Silence was no option as fans immediately began chanting the second the band left the stage. The theater roared and demanded more, and soon a flashing ray of lights halted everyone’s attention. A recording of the band playing “Gone Sovereign” brought on suspense, as there was no sight of the band members. One by one they took position and burst into the remainder of the track. It was hard to deny the smile that crept my face as the band mates kept laughing with each other. It wasn’t evident at the time what was so funny; all you could see where friends just having fun with each other. A video cam of Roy reveals someone had put glitter on his drum set prior to the encore:
The crowd went wild for “Absolute Zero” underneath the yellow lights. More canon blasts kept the party going, and the mosh pit widened with each passing second and beat. Vibrant wacky wavy inflatables joined the band on stage and were decorated to match each member. This led to an explosive ending of a hard rock party with an incredible performance of “Fabuless.” Stone Sour again thanked the crowd for joining them for the evening, and the crowd roared one last time.
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