Rolling Stone
Aug 5 2005
System Rock the Arena
Hard rockers turn big show into a stripped-down affair
System of a Down have had an ambitious year, releasing Mezmerize
— the first of their two-part album Mezmerize/Hypnotize, which
debuted at Number One — and touring Europe, as well as playing a
guerilla tour of small venues in nine U.S. cities. Considering their
bombastic year, which culminates in the release of Hypnotize this
fall, System’s massive new tour is less of an arena-rock spectacle
and more straight-up rock & roll.
Opening for System at the sold-out Long Beach Arena in California
were fellow guitar-heavy, counter-culture rockers the Mars Volta,
who provided a far more visual show with oversized psychedelic
projections. Guitarist Omar Rodriguez-Lopez was in fine form after
recovering from a stomach ailment that forced the band to cancel its
European tour dates earlier this year. And while rumors of an onstage
collaboration between Rodriguez-Lopez and System frontman Serj Tankian
proved to be just that, Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante
surprised the audience by guesting on nearly the entire Mars Volta set.
Once System hit the stage, they powered through an hour and a half
of material. Although they opened with cuts off of the latest album,
the hard-hitting “B.Y.O.B.” and “Revenga,” System’s set list featured
several tracks off their eponymous 1998 debut and follow-up, 2001’s
Toxicity. In contrast to the Mars Volta’s environment, System’s set
was sparse, save for a few plush rugs, minimal L.E.D. projections
and a nice long row of Marshall amps. For such a big arena show,
the stripped-down set seemed to underscore the sense that this band
has nothing to prove.
Midway through the show, Tankian, clad simply in black, finally
spoke to the audience, ominously uttering, “In America, we have
red people and we have blue people. Red people and blue people make
purple people.”
If playing a straightforward rock show with virtually no stage banter
was System’s spin on the spectacle of arena rock, it seemed to work
for the fans. As the band hit its stride, tearing into their hit
“Chop Suey!,” Armenian flags were waved, and five mosh pits churned
with body surfers.
While System’s sound is generally typified by their hard rock/metal
tendencies and Tankian’s neo-goth vocals, highlights of their set
came not from the over-the-top hits but tracks off Mezmerize that
took a softer turn. Prior to the song “Cigaro,” Tankian picked up an
acoustic guitar and played an almost classical version of the track,
inspiring fans to raise their lighters and cell phones into the air.
Later, on the biting “Lost in Hollywood,” guitarist Daron Malakian
and bassist Shavo Odadjian backed Tankian with beautiful harmonies,
and drummer John Dolmayan launched into a moving drum solo.
The band wrapped up with the electrifying “Sugar,” then walked off
the stage. Despite the thousands of fans chanting and stomping for
an encore, System of a Down did not return. So much for the rules of
arena rock.
System of a Down North American tour dates:
8/5: Long Beach, CA, Long Beach Arena 8/6: San Diego, CA, Sports
Arena 8/8: Phoenix, America West Arena 8/11: Dallas, America Airlines
Center 8/12: San Antonio, TX, SBC Arena 8/13: Houston, Cynthia Woods
Mitchell Pavilion 8/15: Pensacola, FL, Civic Center 8/16: Orlando, FL,
TD Waterhouse Arena 8/17: Miami, Office Depot Center 8/19: Atlanta,
Gwinnett Center 8/21: Hampton, VA, Hampton Coliseum 8/22: Baltimore,
MD, Baltimore Arena 8/23: East Rutherford, NJ, Continental Airlines
Arena 8/26: Philadelphia, Wachovia Spectrum Center 8/29: Montreal,
Belle Centre 8/30: Quebec, Colisee Pepsi Arena 9/1: Toronto, Air
Canada Center 9/17: Vancouver, PNE/Pacific Coliseum 9/19: Calgary,
Pengrowth Saddledome 9/20: Edmonton, Rexall Place 9/22: Winnipeg,
MTS Centre 9/23: Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center 9/25: Columbus,
OH, Nationwide Arena 9/26: Cleveland, Wolstein Center at CSU 9/28:
Grand Rapids, MI, Van Andel Arena 9/29: Detroit, Joe Louis Arena
9/30: Rosemont, IL, Allstate Arena 10/02: Denver, Pepsi Center
10/05: Seattle, Key Arena at Seattle Center 10/06: Portland, OR,
Rose Garden Arena 10/08: Oakland, CA, Oakland Arena 10/11: Fresno,
CA, Save Mart Center
TATIANA SIMONIAN (Posted Aug 05, 2005)
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress