I laugh aloud, cause my life has gotten in someone else’s mind.

Creed curates the Summer of 99 tour at Pine Knob. 2024

(photo credit Brynn)

Boy oh boy, in a full on trip of nostalgia, I lucked into getting a ticket to the first leg of Creed’s sold out Summer of 99 tour. Brynn and I attempted to score a set when the tour was announced and failed miserably. Fortunately her brother had scored some, so she was set to attend. We were able to get some floor tickets to their upcoming gig in November at LCA. But I was slated to take a seat for this one. My buddy hit me up right after Brynn had left and told me he got his hands on pair. I’ll twist a couple up and be ready in just minute I told him.

Creed was the gateway into my modern music journey. My dad had been introducing me to all the classics, and my curiosity into the sounds of the airwaves had overcome. It did take a while with my mom, to not be so protective of her one eared baby boy’s soul. Everything was demonic, etc. my dad however was hip. It was a whole big ordeal when I would want to buy cds, I was able to talk him into letting me grab a copy of Human Clay arguing that they were a Christian rock band, the harmless yet badass looking artwork would lead my mom to think otherwise for some unknown reason.

The album was heavy, and hard, at least to me. Inside the liner notes was an ad for Wind Up Records, and it had offerings of other bands on the label, including a thumbnail of Finger Eleven’s Greyest of Blue Skies. A sketch of a downtrodden marionette that immediately caught my attention. Didn’t know what it sounded like, but I was enamored with the art work and quickly scored a copy from the local Best Buy. I was off to the races with those two records on my hunt for quality tunes. Shortly after getting my hands on 3 Doors Down’s The Better Life. These three albums were major players on my sound track leading into High School, and the trip into much better and heavier music.

When they announced this tour I was beyond stoked. Finger Eleven being the band that stuck with me the most of the three, I had seen them a few times and even hung out with them. But never did get to see Creed in their Hey Day. I fell off on 3 Doors Down after that first album, and honestly can’t tell you anything about their discography except for being able to recited The Better Life note for note still to this day.

The announcement hearkened to simpler times. The Pre 9/11 glory days and the uprising in the airwaves of a span of music that feeds into the social decay and pillaging of authentic art. But goddamn did the tunes enrich the soul.

Thanks to unruly traffic I missed out on Fonger Eleven, arriving as 3 Doors Down took the stage. I was bummed, but missing out on a 7 track greatest hits (the few songs I don’t like anyways) in an amphitheater isn’t how I wanted to see Finger Eleven again. They deserve better and so do I.

3 Doors Down sounded great, even as my buddy and I were pooring it up on the lawn. It did turn into a patriotic worship service that I’m not entirely fond of, but it was to big expected due to the very nature of the band. They have always appeased the right leaning meatheads of the world and while do I enjoy any artist using their platform to promote any agenda they desire, it was far too hot for me to not be bothered and turn into a cunty old curmudgeon about it. Gotta make that money, and the god fearing military men and women have always taken a shine to them. So what are ya going to do?

They only played three cuts off Better Life, Duck and Run, Loser, and Kryptonite but it was enough to satiate a small fix. They genuinely did sound great and had no issues keeping a full house at Pine Knob enthralled and captivated during their set.

I gotta be honest, I didn’t really expect a billing like this to sell out especially as fast as it did. Creed hasn’t toured in what 20 some years? They have seen their popularity grow in recent years, which I chalked up to mostly irony and the advent of meme culture. I do remember them absolutely destroying the charts in their hey day and give them all the credit they deserve, but did not expect them to be such a massive draw in 2024. I’m glad they did, as the show was everything 12 year old Dan would have hoped for.

Years of mething around, making fuck tapes with Kid Rock and going on a decades long hiatus has got to be the secret to success and vocal sustainability. From the opening notes till the bitter end Scott sounded incredible and you could have told me we had taken a Time Machine back to 2000 and I would have believed it. The crowd, singing along to every song, not just the hits prove what kind of absolute behemoths the Creed machine was and still is. They played a solid seven songs from Human Clay, and gave My Own Prison and Weathered some love as well. Sure there were some tunes I wish they would have played that they didn’t, but that’s what the show in November is for. I’m still in awe at The Rolling Stones level of fanaticism that was prevalent throughout the entire night. Tremonti sounded incredible, and Stapp kept the hokiness at bay. I never did think I would be able to see Creed, and by golly I am glad to have been there. I am looking forward to catching them again, this time in the decent sounding Little Cesar’s Arena, where it should sound ten times better. Don’t sleep on catching them, who knows when the next time they tour will be. It was a night of near perfect nostalgia, and a killer time.

Give Finger Eleven a proper spinning, their first three albums are masterpieces and unsullied by the radio pop bullshit that got them mainstream recognition on their later stuff.

Revisit The Better Life by 3 Doors Down

And treat your ears to the Creed Trilogy that is My Own Prison, Human Clay, and Weathered.

It’ll send you back to the pre 9/11 glory days and leave your ear holes dripping.

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