Live Review: Bush, Stone Temple Pilots, The Cult at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
By Laura Fox
Torrential rains, extreme heat, and gusty winds didn’t dampen the spirits of concertgoers at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center Friday, July 19. Clad in plastic ponchos, garbage bags, or just their soggy clothes, they soaked up a great night of rock and roll as the Revolution 3 tour rolled through town. LA-based Julien K were the first to take the stage, getting the crowd warmed up with their edgy, electro-rock sound.
Post-punk/metal giants The Cult were up next. Somewhat ironically, the heaviest downpour of the night was during their second song, “Rain.” At the end of the song, however, an announcer came on stage and told everyone in the lawn to come down and sit in open sections of the pavilion; he didn’t have to ask twice!
Stone Temple Pilots started their set with their mega-hit, “Wicked Garden.” Frontman Jeff Gutt, who joined the group in 2017, nailed the rock star role, performing with great energy and passion, along with an in-your-face attitude and tons of crowd interaction.
Veteran band members Dean DeLeo on guitar, Robert DeLeo on bass and Eric Kretz on percussion also showed the fans lots of love. With the exception of “Meadow,” and “Roll Me Away” from their latest studio album, “Stone Temple Pilots” the band stuck to classic hits from their older albums, ending with another huge single, “Sex-Type Thing.”
Bush’s set started dramatically, with percussionist Robin Goodridge silhouetted behind his drumset, sticks raised. Then the first iconic riff of “Machinehead” rang out from the darkness, and lead singer/guitarist Gavin Rossdale leaped onto the stage. The crowd went nuts, lunging to their feet and shouting wildly.
The commotion never really died down as Bush powered through their biggest hits, plus an amazing cover of the Beatles’ “Come Together.” Rossdale, along with Chris Traynor on guitar and Corey Britz on bass, made constant eye contact with the audience, which they ate up. Rossdale, in particular, was in constant motion, pacing from front to back and side to side throughout the set.
By the time Bush closed their set with “Comedown,” the temperature had also come down. The rain had also stopped, leaving concertgoers basking in the echoes of the heavy-hitting show they had just experienced.
