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Incubus Took Fans Down Memory Lane Thursday in Saint Louis

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

 

–by Sean Derrick

 

It’s hard to believe it has been twenty years since Incubus dropped their breakout album Make Yourself  that propelled the band from clubs to arenas and stadiums seemingly overnight. But twenty years it has been, and the band decided to celebrate that milestone with a thank you tour of smaller venues for that more intimate feel. Such was the case Thursday at a sold-out Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

The band’s set opened with a five-minute video collection of home video and interviews of reminiscing how the album changed their lives and granted them the opportunity to travel internationally as a band. That was interlaced with live performance video of the band’s breakout year. Vocalist Brandon Boyd commented that it “felt like the first time we found our identity as a band.” With that the album cover appeared and the crowd went nuts.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

Backed by three large video screens and five smaller ones above Incubus (Boyd, guitarist Mike Einzinger, drummer Jose Pasillas II, keyboardist/dj  Chris Kilmore, and bassist Ben Kenney) easily flowed through the album like a hot knife through butter: smooth.

The band seemed to enjoy playing it as much as a parent welcoming their child back for the holidays.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

The imagery helped set the pace for adding visuals to the music. Ranging from jilted video relays of the band members to psychedelic images for songs like “When It Comes”, perfectly appealing to the audience’s eyes.

Boyd steered clear of speaking too much during the set, save for the occasional “Thank you” and to introduce their newest single “Into the Summer”. This single is a departure from the band’s mainstay musical stylings, inasmuch as “Drive” was. If you haven’t heard the song it has a definite pop vibe to it, with a very Duran Duran feel. I actually closed my eyes and imagined Simon Le Bon singing and thought “I’m at a whole new concert”. Don’t take that as a bad thing or an insult. The musicianship of Duran Duran was really good (listen to John Taylor’s bass line to “Rio” as just one example) and you can see it is a compliment.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

Boyd got artistic during “Sick Sad Little World” when he wore a masquerade mask for the last couple minutes of the song. Boyd and the band dug deep in the wayback machine to pull out “Vitamin” from their 1997 album S.C.I.E.N.C.E., which has become a staple in their set.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

They closed the main set with the rocker “Megalomaniac” (prophetic again, given the current state of affairs) and completed the show with an encore of “Dig” and “Wish You Were Here”.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

It was a tight set with good imagery and great vocals. Otherwise, a typical Incubus solid show.

Le Butcherettes opened the show with a vividly artistic set that immediately reminded me of Bjork. I kinda dug the artistry mixed with the energetic sound, even if it was bathed in deep red light throughout.

Incubus performing at Stifel Theatre in Saint Louis. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

Incubus Setlist:

MAKE YOURSELF

Privilege

Nowhere Fast

Consequence

The Warmth

When It Comes

Stellar

Make Yourself

Drive

Clean

Battlestar Scralatchtica

I miss You

Pardon Me

Out from Under

AND BEYOND

Into the Summer

Sick Sad Little World

Vitamin

State of the Art

Megalomaniac

Encore:

Dig

Wish You Were Here

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