Live Review + Photos: Korn, Evanescence, Gojira & More At BMO Stadium

In celebration of a successful 30 years as a band, nu-metal pioneers Korn launched a sold out, one day mini festival at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on October 5. From first glance, the bill was undeniably stacked from bottom to top including the likes of Vended, Spiritbox, Scars On Broadway, Gojira and Evanescence in addition to an almost two hour set of their own. At the abnormally early door time of 3pm, fans were wrapped around in lengthy serpentine lines, anxiously awaiting entry outside the stadium.

As attendees filed in, they were greeted with Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” subtly playing over the loudspeakers before Vended broke out into their thrashing new track “Nihilism” which appears on the band’s recently released self-titled debut album. Vended features Corey Taylor and Shawn “Clown” Crahan’s sons Griffin, on vocals and Simon on drums, respectively. The group’s set was delightfully heavy with a distinct groove and it was clear that they were passionate about their craft. Opened water bottles, drumsticks and guitar picks were thrown from the stage into awaiting hands in the audience throughout the performance, illustrating promising showmanship. Perhaps one of the most memorable songs from the set was “Serenity” which blended guitar and vocals melodies without compromising its sonic heaviness.

Vended Setlist

1. Nihilism
2. Ded To Me
3. Am I The Only One
4. The Far Side
5. Serenity
6. Asylum

Spiritbox burst onto the stage with “Cellar Door” from their 2023 EP The Fear Of Fear. Frontwoman Courtney LaPlante is a masterclass vocalist in her own right, smoothly transitioning from heavy growls to melodic-driven clean vocals at the bat of an eye without feeling forced. The band’s strong rhythm section was on full display as well, complementing LaPlante’s versatile delivery. One of the first surprises of the day came during their performance of “Jaded” in which gothic powerhouse Chelsea Wolfe joined LaPlante onstage to contribute backing vocals. Wolfe’s voice was light, airy and goosebump-inducing, acting as a foil to LaPlante’s harsher vocal tones and offering a balance that added depth to the song. During the chorus, however, Wolfe and LaPlante teamed up, both singing in harmony to create a delicate atmospheric tone that shined through the intense backing instrumentation. Wolfe left the stage shortly after with applause and cheers from the crowd. Another highlight from Spiritbox’s set came with the performance of their new single “Soft Spine” which LaPlante introduced as being for “everybody that I fucking hate.” The raw, immense emotion of her delivery were palpable, giving the audience something to mosh to.

Spiritbox Setlist

1. Cellar Door
2. Jaded (With Chelsea Wolfe)
3. Angel Eyes
4. Soft Spine
5. Circle With Me
6. Holy Roller

Next up on the bill were the Daron Malakian-led Scars On Broadway returning to the stage for their first show since 2019. The progressive metal group kicked off their set with the avant-garde track “Chemicals” and were met with some of the most enthusiastic crowd responses of the opening bands. After the trio of “Chemicals,” “Sickening Wars” and “Fucking,” Malakian acknowledged that this was the band’s first performance since the pandemic before diving straight into “Universe.” The band ripped through a total of thirteen songs during their time onstage which culminated in Malakian’s vocals soaring above the drawn out, experimental instrumentation that has come to identify their work. In one final act of defiance, Malakian proudly proclaimed, “Your neighbor that you disagree with is not your enemy. The government is your enemy.” Scars On Broadway were undoubtedly the most distinctive performers of the day, sticking to their individuality and creative freedom above all else.

Daron Malakian & Scars On Broadway Setlist

1. Chemicals
2. Sickening Wars
3. Fucking
4. Universe
5. Insane
6. Scars On Broadway
7. World Long Gone
8. Cute Machines
9. Guns Are Loaded
10. Fuck And Kill
11. Exploding/Reloading
12. Stoner Hate
13. They Say

After being the first metal band to play the Olympics opening ceremony back in July, Gojira skyrocketed in popularity, their legion of Spotify listeners jumping from 1.8 million prior to the performance to nearly 2.7 million in the direct aftermath. With much anticipation from the crowd, Gojira took to the stage in all their glory, taking full advantage of every avenue of showmanship, from smoke machines to pyrotechnics and a dizzying lightshow to accompany their crushing instrumentation and heavy vocals. If one thing’s for certain, it’s that Gojira had the audience riled up with a sea of arms up in the air, a consistent circle pit going and even a lone crowdsurfer during “Backbone.” Their performance of “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)” was perhaps the showstopper of the night, having played it on such a grand scale at the Paris Olympics, it was just as intriguing at BMO Stadium, save for the Conciergerie as the backdrop. On the contrary, the stage set up allowed for the band’s technical mastery to shine through with the help of timely bursts from the smoke machines and flames rising around Mario Duplantier’s drum kit. Joe Duplantier’s striking vocals and precise rhythm guitar playing took center stage, highlighting not only the brotherly duo’s affinity for metal but shining a light on their environmental activism. Case in point, the closing track “Amazonia” which explores themes of climate change, extractive colonialism and deforestation. Duplantier himself introduced the song as a tribute to First Nations and Indigenous peoples. After finishing off their set, Joe took to the microphone, introducing Evanescence.

Gojira Setlist

1. Born For One Thing
2. The Axe
3. Backbone
4. Stranded
5. The Cell
6. Flying Whales
7. L’enfant sauvage
8. Mea culpa (Ah! Ça ira!)
9. Silvera
10. Amazonia

Evanescence took to the stage gracefully with frontwoman Amy Lee leading the pack in “Broken Pieces Shine.” Throughout the set, Lee’s formidable vocals blared over the loudspeakers in hair-raising waves. Lee’s voice is an instrument in and of itself, one which she controls with precision and elegance. Her soaring vocals were especially complemented by her moments at the piano, blending intricate melodies and delicate harmony with the heavier instrumentation. During “End Of The Dream,” the screen behind the band lit up with gorgeous visuals of blue bird silhouettes, flitting about as Lee sung “Why must we fall apart to understand how to fly? / I will find a way, even without wings.” Towards the end of the set, Lee introduced “Use My Voice” with a deeply inspiring monologue about believing in oneself and knowing your worth: “Don’t let anybody speak for you, only you can do that. Don’t let anybody make you feel like you don’t count. You are powerful, you are strong.” One song that was notably absent from the setlist was the band’s 2003 single “My Immortal” which was also reportedly missing from their appearance at Rocklahoma back in August. But, of course, the band saved their mega hit “Bring Me To Life” for last. As soon as the familiar notes rang out, there were cheers and applause galore, a steady group of fans singing along during the iconic chorus to finish out their time in the spotlight.

Evanescence Setlist

1. Broken Pieces Shine
2. Made Of Stone
3. The Game Is Over
4. Going Under
5. Take Cover
6. Lithium
7. Wasted On You
8. End Of The Dream
9. Better Without You
10. Call Me When You’re Sober
11. Imaginary
12. Use My Voice
13. Blind Belief
14. Bring Me To Life

Soon after, the stage was covered with a black drape, adding to the intrigue. The screens lit up, casting a look-back trailer of the band’s storied career at the forefront of the blossoming nu-metal scene, including footage of their historic shows, fans decked out in Korn merch and behind the scenes captures. All of that culminated in the band taking the stage shortly after with Jonathan Davis acknowledging that it’s been “thirty fucking years” since the release of their self-titled debut album. The band thanked everyone in attendance for their undying support over the years and began playing “Here To Stay” from their 2002 studio record Untouchables. They delivered a particularly rousing display of “Dead Bodies Everywhere” from their beloved album Follow The Leader, fans from the floor up to the nosebleeds were headbanging to their hearts content. A plethora of hits followed with “Got The Life,” “A.D.I.D.A.S.” and “Coming Undone” being played one after the other. The performance of the latter featured a snippet of “We Will Rock You,” paying tribute to the iconic rock band Queen. Midway through the set, Davis stopped to acknowledge Ross Robinson, a star-studded producer who has worked with a plethora of artists including Slipknot, The Blood Brothers, Limp Bizkit, The Cure, Sepultura and, of course, Korn. He dedicated the band’s performance of “Blind” to Robinson, thanking him for his contributions. Toward the tail end of the night, they played “Shoots and Ladders,” working in a snippet of Metallica’s “One.” Shortly after, the band performed the 1994 deep cut “Helmet In The Bush” for the first time since 2015. During the final song of the set, the classic “Freak On A Leash,” Amy Lee of Evanescence joined the band onstage to duet with Davis, adding her own powerfully melodic vocals to the mix, solidifying a poignant motif that seeped into each bands’ performance. The night was a celebration of what Korn had come to mean to fans, fellow musicians and society at large.

At one point, Davis and co. stood onstage in silence, taking in the view of the sold-out stadium, realizing, thirty years later, that all that hard work, triumph, pain and everything in between had led the band here. In this moment, they realized that group of boys from Bakersfield, the ones with dreams and aspirations for the future, had made it big. From pioneering an entire metal subgenre to advocating for those who have been left behind or cast aside, the band became a home, a perpetual safe space for the so-called “freaks” of the world.

Korn Setlist

1. Here To Stay
2. Dead Bodies Everywhere
3. Got The Life
4. A.D.I.D.A.S.
5. Coming Undone
6. Good God
7. Start The Healing
8. Somebody Someone
9. Blind
10. Ball Tongue
11. Clown
12. Shoots and Ladders
13. Helmet In The Bush
14. Twist
15. It’s On!
16. Make Me Bad
17. Y’all Want A Single

Encore

18. Falling Away From Me
19. Oildale (Leave Me Alone)
20. Freak On A Leash (With Amy Lee)

All photos by Colin Hancock