Nearly two years after Stone Temple Pilots reemerged with Chester Bennington as their new lead vocalist, they show no sign of slowing down. If the subsequent EP (High Rise) didn't prove that point, their current North American tour should leave no doubt that Stone Temple Pilots is here to stay. STP hit San Francisco's Fillmore for an intimate show with openers SpiralArms and Dreamers.
Stone Temple Pilots

Nearly two years after Stone Temple Pilots reemerged with Chester Bennington as their new lead vocalist, they show no sign of slowing down. If the subsequent EP (High Rise) didn’t prove that point, their current North American tour should leave no doubt that Stone Temple Pilots is here to stay.  STP hit San Francisco’s Fillmore for an intimate show with openers Spiralarms and Dreamers.

The Bay Area’s very own Spiralarms kicked things off with a blistering 30 minute set that had the crowd … most of which were seeing the band for the first time … banging along as they wrapped their set with the catchy-as-hell Drugs and Alcohol.  Next up were Dreamers which had a mellower vibe that brought down the energy in the room and seemed to send people scurrying for the bar so that by the time STP took the stage at 10:15, they crowd was primed and lubricated for the reason they crammed the sold out floor.

The band wasted no time breaking out the classics and hitting the crowd with the one-two punch of Lounge Fly and Vasoline off of Purple. The DeLeo brothers did what they’ve always done in STP … deliver the musical goods while leaving plenty of room for their larger-than-life frontman to do his thing. And that’s where Chester shines.

As the face of Linkin Park, Chester regularly commands arena-sized stages. Throw him on the tiny Fillmore stage and, as you would expect, he fills the room. What most folks want to know is, can he fill his predecessors shoes? Unfortunately those comparisons are inevitable and the answer is undoubtedly subject to endless debate. However, if you were at the Fillmore this past Friday night, you would have your answer; when Chester hopped off the stage during Plush to work his way along the barricade shaking hands and hugging fans without missing a note, the love between this band and that crowd was palpable.

After nearly two hours of STP, the crowd barely budged and the mob of people that usually gathers by the stairs waiting for the show poster to become available never really developed.  Yes, it was that kind of show. Maybe we can all agree that it’s okay to officially drop the “… with Chester Bennington” from the Stone Temple Pilots name.

Setlist:

  • Lounge Fly
  • Vasoline
  • Wicked Garden
  • Sex Type Thing
  • Pruno (Live Premiere)
  • Crackerman
  • Coma
  • Sin
  • Big Bang Baby
  • Out of Time
  • Heaven and Hot Rods
  • Meatplow
  • Adhesive
  • Creep
  • Big Empty
  • Plush
  • Interstate Love Song
  • Down
  • Sex & Violence
  • Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart

–Encore–

  • Piece of Pie
  • Dead and Bloated

Supporting acts: Spiralarms | Dreamers

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