Review by Luke Matthews
“I’m so f–king happy live music is back! These last two years have suuuuucked!”
KoRn frontman Jonathan Davis is right. The last two years without consistent live music has sucked. Monday night at Wells Fargo Arena felt like “old times” as two rock road warriors made Des Moines one of the 19 stops on the Requiem Tour.
Chevelle have played Des Moines countless times in their 20+ year history. Brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler along with touring bassist Kemble Walters packed plenty of tunes into their hour-long set. Songs like “The Clincher” and “Face to the Floor” had the mosh pit going while the band honored long-time fans with early hits like “Send the Pain Below” and “The Red.”
Chevelle primarily leaned on their catalog, only giving two slots to songs from their latest record, Niratias. The band closed their set with one of those newer offerings, “Mars Simula.”
Chevelle didn’t need a lot of flash to put on a great show. An immense amount of sound comes from the three-piece to make up for the lack of extravagant lighting or floor-to-ceiling video walls. Heavy riffs and melodic tunes make for an always enjoyable show from the guys from Illinois.
KoRn hit the stage a bit before 9:30 to thunderous applause and a dramatic kabuki drop. The Bakersfield band was back in Des Moines for the first time since they played the Val Air Ballroom 10 years ago. Back when times were simpler, Central Iowans could count on seeing KoRn at least once a year whether it was at the smaller Val Air or when they would pop for the big room at the Well, as they did for the 2011 Music as a Weapon tour.
Let’s just get this out there: Jonathan Davis still sounds fantastic after decades on the road and recording. Right down to his trademark skats amidst various songs. The tour is in support of the band’s 14th album of the same name with just one piece missing. Bassist Fieldy continues to take a hiatus from the band while he works on his mental health. In the meantime, the more than capable fill-in of Ra Diaz from Suicidal Tendencies stalked the stage as if he had been playing the 5-string for all of KoRn’s history.
With a rich history to pull from, KoRn picked some real gems for this particular tour. Davis stopped to tell the crowd that 2022 marks 20 years since the Untouchables record was released. They then treated the 5,000+ fans at Wells Fargo Arena to a live rarity for the band in “No One’s There.”
Much live Chevelle, KoRn didn’t require a lot of bells and whistles for their stage setup. Save for Jonathan Davis’ trademark mic stand and some flourishes to Ray Luzier’s drum kit, the set was mostly bare save for 5 small square video screens that hung above the band and played what looked like the equivalent to early 2000s Windows screen savers throughout the night.
Other highlights from the night included Davis’ bagpipe solo before going into the crushing “Shoots and Ladders” and the mass of middle fingers in the air before “Y’all Want a Single.” Otherwise, KoRn serviced old and new fans alike with songs spanning their long career. The former LAZERfest headliners seemed to gain energy as the show moved forward. The crowd continued to feed off the energy of the band throughout the night.
As the show closed and the band took their bows, Davis promised the band would return. We can only hope they do with all members back and much sooner than in a decade.
CHEVELLE SETLIST
An Island
Door to Door Cannibals
Self Destructor
Vitamin R (Leading Us Along)
Joyride (Omen)
Face to the Floor
Verruckt
Young Wicked
The Clincher
Send the Pain Below
The Red
Comfortable Liar
Mars Simula
KORN SETLIST
Forgotten
Got the Life
Here to Stay
Start the Healing
No One’s There
Shoots and Ladders
Lost in the Grandeur
Y’All Want a Single
Falling Away From Me
Worst Is on Its Way
Coming Undone
Freak on a Leash
Encore:
It’s On! / Trash / Did My Time
Twist
A.D.I.D.A.S.
Clown
Drum Solo
Blind
