On this night, Stone Temple Pilots and Rival Sons took over the Coney Island Boardwalk with special guests Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown. This night symbolized the passing of the torch as Stone Temple Pilots certainly christened Rival Sons and Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown. Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown was the first to take the stage.
Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown showed that they are well along their way to claiming that brass ring to be at the top of the rock-n-roll food chain. Their licks are irresistible, so full of inspiration and feeling, and they certainly warmed up the New York City crowd with songs such as “Ramblin’ Bones” and “Shock & Awe”. The packed audience could tell that Tyler Bryant and his boys were born to command the stage with their throwback style of classic rock meddled with blues, which would certainly pay homage to the likes of Led Zeppelin with the vibes of John Lee Hooker and B.B. King. I envision in a few years time that Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown will be headlining the Ford Amphitheater. Rival Sons were the next to take the stage!
After a brief, yet absolutely intense drum solo, the lights came on and Rival Sons came wailing like a banshee into the New York City night. They immediately kicked in to “Back In The Woods”. Frontman Jay Buchanan left the audience awestruck with his voice control and the power behind his vocals. I’m under the assumption that he has a pretty amazing vocal instructor and I wonder what kind of witchcraft is behind in shaping Jay’s voice because the power in his voice is not of this world. There is so much soul in Jay’s voice. Finally, we have a band that we’ll be telling our grandchildren about. The guitars were wailing and the rhythm section was grooving and before you knew it, Rival Sons had the crowd in the palm of their hand as they broke into “Open My Eyes”. They closed off with the hand clapping, body swaying, soul shaking ditty entitled “Keep On Swinging”, which is such a wonderful song about climbing that mountain to get out of the valley. They have set the bar at almost an impossible height for the legendary Stone Temple Pilots to attain.
It was pretty well documented that the audition to replace the late Scott Weiland was an arduous process, however, there was one guy that stood out from the pack, and that was Jeff Gutt. Fast forward to 2019 and Jeff Gutt has taken the torch as frontman for the legendary Stone Temple Pilots and ran with it like a thief in the night. The grunge and the grit of their classic song “Down” kicked off the night. As Gutt broke into the vocals, you could feel the presence of Weiland within the band as Gutt stood along the barricade and serenaded the crowd with “Down”. The fans got to be right up close with the band, which made a show that was packed with thousands of people feel like an intimate dive bar show. Dean DeLeo shows that he is one of the most underrated guitarists in history with his effortless solo in “Down” while Robert DeLeo and Eric Kretz kept the pulsating pace in the rhythm section.
It was a night chocked full of hits as Gutt and crew picked up the swagger with their classic “Wicked Garden” before breaking into another classic “Vasoline”. The audience sang at the top of their lungs to every hit. Gutt does an impeccable job of paying homage to Weiland while incorporating his own style to Stone Temple Pilots.
The crowd responded incredibly well to their single from 2018 entitled “Roll Me Under” before closing out the night with “Dead & Bloated”, “Trippin’ On A Hole In A Paper Heart”, before busting out into their encore with “Piece of Pie” and “Sex Type Thing”.
The crowd left satisfied and it amazes me how tight Gutt, the DeLeo brothers, and Kretz all sound. While the memory of Weiland will still remain, fans of Stone Temple Pilots will be reassured to know that Gutt is continuing to help wave the Stone Temple Pilots banner for years to come. We’re anxious to see what’s next for the band.
Stone Temple Pilots have several dates left for 2018 before heading out to Australia with Bush and Live. Check out the tour dates below:
Wed. 10/9- Cal Coast Credit Union Amphitheater in San Diego, California
Sat. 10/12- Aftershock Festival in Sacramento, California
Sat. 10/26- Festival Sin Fronteras in Moyotepec De Juarez, Mexico
Under The Southern Stars featuring Stone Temple Pilots, Bush, and Live in Australia!
Fri. 4/3- Peter Barclay Sports Fields in Tuncurry
Sat. 4/4- Parramatta Park in Parramatta
Sun. 4/5- The Entertainment Grounds in West Gosford
Thu. 4/9- Stuart Park in North Wollongong
Sat. 4/11- Hastings Foreshore Reserve in Hastings
Sun. 4/12- Yarrawong Showgrounds in Yarrawonga
Mon. 4/13- Bonython Park in Adelaide
Wed. 4/15- HBF Stadium in Mt. Claremont
Fri. 4/17- Sunshine Coast Stadium in Bokarina
Sat. 4/18- Riverstage in Brisbane
Sun. 4/19- Foreshore Park in Newcastle East
For tickets and further information, click here.
Fans can find Stone Temple Pilots at the following locations:
- Photo Credit goes to Crios Valentino and all photos are posted via approval of Stone Temple Pilots management
- Photo Credit for Rival Sons and Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown goes to Crios Valentino at Crios Photography
