Staind brought the ultimate post-grunge lineup to a jam-packed Jones Beach on Monday night.
The band, which has now been around for over three decades, celebrated a quarter-century of their breakout record, “Break the Cycle,” on Monday. The band was joined by Seether, Hoobastank, and Hinder for a huge night of music.
It’s no secret that Aaron Lewis can put on a good show. Both with Staind and his country band, The Stateliners, Lewis proves time and time again that he is one of the most consistent frontmen of the post-grunge era, of those that are left.
The band acknowledged the fact that the scene is losing, and has felt the loss, of some of their best over the years. During “Something to Remind You,” the band played a tribute video featuring many who have passed over the years, including Chris Cornell, Scott Weiland, and Chester Bennington.
That is what Staind does best in their live shows. They are able to bring out deep emotion without directly saying a word. They can sing it, they can show it, but they never say it. Yet, it evokes the same emotion on the crowd.
Despite this, it’s still a bummer that Lewis doesn’t speak more of his mind during Staind shows. We know he’s not afraid to — at his solo shows, he has virtually no filter. But at Staind shows, he remains reserved and lets the music do the talking. In essence, the band’s personality didn’t show much beyond the deep sounds of their songs.
Seether faced this issue too, but it was more notable during their set. Seether’s frontman did not speak to the crowd until a medical emergency in the pit paused their performance. They went song-after-song for a full 60 minutes with no breaks, and they certainly had the speakers at full blast.
The openers, Hinder and Hoobastank, were both a good touch and a great way to start the night.
Staind returns to the area on Wednesday night in Camden at the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion.
NJ Music Festivals 