Photos and Review by Daniel Bocchino
Creed made their grand return to Syracuse on Friday, July 11, as the band brought their Summer of ’99 Tour to the Lakeview Amphitheater. The show, which was sold out days in advance, also featured Daughtry and Mammoth. Creed last played in Syracuse in October 1999, just days after releasing Human Clay— the album that sold over 11 million copies and catapulted the band into rock stardom.
The evening kicked off with a set by Mammoth. Fronted by Wolfgang Van Halen, son of Eddie, the band wasted no time getting the party started. Opening with “The Spell”, Van Halen immediately showed off his guitar prowess, while his pristine vocals greeted the arriving concert goers. The band tore through a blistering but quick thirty minute set while hyping up their second studio album, The End, due October 24.
Next up was Daughtry. The band was a late addition to the tour after 3 Doors Down was forced to cancel due to singer Brad Arnold’s cancer diagnosis. Singer Chris Daughtry stirred the audience in to a frenzy, pacing the catwalk which extended into the pit. Early in the set, Daughtry welcomed Central New York native Joey Belladonna (Anthrax) and the two shared lead vocals on a cover of Journey’s “Separate Ways”. This wasn’t the only cover of the band’s set, as Daughtry would honor 3 Doors Down later in the set with an acoustic rendition of “Away from the Sun”.
A palpable buzz swept across the amphitheater as the stage became set for the evening’s headliner. As the house lights dimmed and “Creed” flashed across the video screens behind the stage the crowd erupted into a frenzy, chanting the band’s name. The band took to the stage and launched in to 2002’s “Bullets”. Singer Scott Stapp paced the stage like a caged animal during the song’s spoken word intro before a wall of flames exploded behind the band and the song kicked in. The band kept the momentum going with “Ode”, off of their debut album My Own Prison.
The remainder of the main set featured songs off the band’s first two albums, a true trip back in time to the summer of ’99. The band sounded as fresh and strong as ever, now over 25 years since they ascended to the top of the rock world. The main set featured 14 songs, and included smash hits like “My Own Prison”, “What’s This Life For?” “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open”. During “What If” the band encouraged those in attendance to go wild (and they did) promising to award the most passionate fan with Mark Tremonti’s guitar. The winner this evening was Autumn, a young fan clearly thrilled with excitement as she made her way to the stage to collect her prize.
Following their 14 song set, Creed returned for a two-song encore, performing “One Last Breath” before closing with “My Sacrifice”, as a shower of fireworks rained down during the latter track. The band exited the stage to a standing ovation, and the summer of 99 once again became a distant memory—but if the momentum of the tour is any indication, it is one we will be able to relive again soon.
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