MAURICE NUNEZ | Go Venue Magazine
Tonight, the 16th of October, Go Venue headed to the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. The venue had hinted to be there early, and they were not kidding. Much of the long lines and waits seemed to stem from going through the extra steps of ensuring folks had proof of vaccination or a recent negative test result to enter the venue. Everyone complied, but definitely took some time. We finally made it to the venue right as Korn had taken the stage.
Recently Korn Drummer, Ray Luzier, became the third band member to test positive for Covid this year, so tonight he would not be performing.
Aric Improta, drummer for Fever 333 and Night Verses, would fill in for Luzier this evening. We wish Ray a healthy and speedy recovery. Korn took the stage at 8:30pm and began their set with “Here to Stay” then went right into “Falling Away From Me.” These guys never disappoint. They had the arena crowd on their feet and singing along to all their classics. They played fan favorites like “Got the Life,” “Shoots and Ladders,” “Coming Undone,” “Freak on a Leash,” and “A.D.I.D.A.S.” They ended their set with the classic “Blind.” You could feel the energy in the arena as everyone in the crowd was singing along with Jonathan Davis. A crushing set from Korn.
Next it was time for System of A Down. Last time I had a chance to cover SOAD was back in 2001 when they toured for Toxicity. Tonight they were taking the stage to a packed arena here in Fresno, CA, which is known for its large Armenian community. There were many Armenian flags held high by fans in support of the band’s ancestral background. The band is very active in the Armenian community and has raised awareness and funds for Armenia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh amid the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. It was great to see the band and community come together with heavy metal music. SOAD began their set with “X” then went right into “Prison Song.” The arena went wild as they hadn’t seen the band come through Fresno in quite some time. SOAD went on to play an assortment of classics from their catalog like “Deer Dance,” “B.Y.O.B,” “Psycho,” “Chop Suey!,” “ATWA,” as well as many other fan favorites. The night came to an end with “Toxicity” and the classic “Sugar.” What a show and what a way to end the night!
It was great to have System Of A Down back! They will be in Oakland on October 18th and then in Los Angeles on October 22nd and 23rd. You can find ticket info at: www.systemofadown.com/tour. This is a show you don’t want to miss! See photos and full set-list below.
X | Prison Song | Holy Mountains | Mind (Intro Only) | Cigaro | Needles | Deer Dance | Soldier Side – Intro | B.Y.O.B. | Genocidal Humanoidz | Suggestions | Psycho | Chop Suey! | Lonely Day | Lost in Hollywood | Radio/Video | Hypnotize | ATWA | Bounce | Chic ‘N’ Stu | Protect the Land | Aerials | Toxicity | Sugar
System of a Down
Korn
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