Borgata Event Center
Atlantic City, NJ. July 18, 2009
Back to the Borgata. This is a small, intimate venue with perfect acoustics for great sound from a great band. It almost reminds me of my high school gym, but with carpet floors and a section of pull-out bleachers. If you ever get the chance to go see a show there, GO! You will not be disappointed.
The Borgata got a major shot of big-time rock and roll as the Stone Temple Pilots pulled in for a sold out Saturday night show. As the band took the stage with Scott Weiland on vocals, brothers Dean DeLeo on guitar, Bassist Robert DeLeo on bass and Eric Kretz on drums with Scott Weiland wearing a full suit, tie and black sunglasses and opening the show with "Silvergun Superman", "Wicked Garden" and "Vasoline" to techo-looking lights and a huge LCD video backdrop that took up the entire back of the stage, projecting video and film clips and colors to every song. From the opening songs to the last, the singer sounded flawless, slinking across the stage with undeniable swagger. As Scott took off his jacket and sunglasses, the band slowed things down with "Big Empty", then continued with all their greatest hits: "Lounge Fly", "Army Ants", "Sour Girl", "Creep" and "Crackerman". Then "Plush", the breakout single and a fan favorite that labeled STP grunge-rockers in the early 90's, rocked that song to no end. With a huge smile, Weiland laughed, "If it’s half as much fun for you as it is for us, then we're doing pretty cool,” before launching into "Interstate Love Song", "Seven Caged Tigers," with Weiland saying this is one we haven’t played in awhile, "Down", "Sex Type Thing", "Sin", and "Unglued" before ending their set.
After a brief break, the band returned to the stage for their encore with "Piece Of Pie", "Dead and Bloated" and "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart" before the band climbed up on the speakers to link arms and take their final bows.
Seeing the band in such a small venue was a treat, but seeing and hearing them play songs they haven’t played in years was simply awesome. And with rumors of a new record in the works, let’s just hope that pans out so that there would seem to be room for a full-fledged STP comeback.
– Gary Crouthamel, concert photo journalist