Incubus stuns crowd with dynamic show Tuesday in Saint Louis

Sean Derrick August 5, 2017August 5, 2017 0 Comments 8, Brandon Boyd, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre Saint Louis, Incubus, Jimmy Eat World, live concert, Live show, Saint Louis concert review and photos

–By Sean Derrick

The hard-to-define rock band Incubus made a stop in Saint Louis Tuesday at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre for their 8 Tour.

Incubus, a band many have tried to classify as alt-rock, pop, post-grunge, techno, rap-metal, funk and many others hit just about all of those categories in their show on Tuesday. Ranging from pop (“Drive”) to rock (“Pardon Me”) to the psychedelic influenced “Wish You Were Here”.

In town to support their latest CD 8 (released in April) the band performed 8 songs from the CD during the show, nearly 40% of the show. While that is normal for a band with two or three albums under their belt it is not usual for a band with eight albums. Thankfully, the album is very strong from start to finish and flows well live.

In fact, they kicked off with “Love in a Time of Surveillance” which wowed the crowd with a rocking riff and immediately showed off their stage lighting setup. The first thing I noticed was the large circular video screen in the back surrounded by a ring of spotlights that quickly reminded me of the famous Pink Floyd setup that became synonymous with the band. It fits well in the Incubus arsenal.

Lead singer Brandon Boyd didn’t talk much at all to the crowd, but that is nothing new as he focuses on the music and the mood, letting the music be his voice.

The rest of the band (guitarist Michael Einziger, drummer Jose Pasillas II, bassist Ben Kenney and Chris Kilmore on turntables and keyboards) were tight as they rolled through nearly two hours of strictly great music.

The energy that came from the crowd was continuous and infectious and one couldn’t help but get caught up in the dive the band was producing on stage.

The encore consisted of a trip through the serene and relaxing world of “Aqueous Transmission”, which is something most artists don’t do. Usually the encore consists of a rousing send off, but in Incubus’ case it actually made sense.

Jimmy Eat World performing at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Saint Louis Tuesday. Photo by Sean Derrick/Thyrd Eye Photography.

The tour runs to August 19 in the US before heading to South America for September, and finally back in the US in October. With a solid setlist and a fascinating light show this is certainly a show to check out this summer/fall.