The Projekt Revolution Tour of rap-metal bands hit the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, N.Y. on Feb. 8. Headlined by Linkin Park and supported by Cypress Hill, Adema and DJ Z-Trip, Revolution is touring the country throughout February.
Played under countless Islander Patrick, Wales and Stanley Cup Championship banners, the stage was surrounded with opaque black cloth during the downtime.
DJ Z-Trip entertained in between the bands’ sets. A DJ with quite an eclectic collection of records, Z-Trip mixed everything from P. Diddy to AC/DC. Sometimes he combined Jane’s Addiction’s “Jane Says” with Jay-Z’s “H.O.V.A.,” which is interesting to listen to.
At 7:30 p.m. sharp, the lights dimmed and the curtain opened to reveal Adema, about to rock New York into oblivion. The California band opened with “Everyone,” the first track off their self-titled album. People in the upper seats were standing and self-moshing.
“Giving In” and “The Way You Like It” were later played. Adema finished their seven-song set leaving no one disappointed. Their on-stage energy was through the roof. Singer Marky Chavez was uncontrollable, traversing the stage like a madman while singing. Guitarist Tim Fluckey’s legs were flailing everywhere. At one point, he almost kicked Marky when the two got too close.
During Cypress Hill’s set-up time two unsigned local DJs had a spinning competition. This is something Linkin Park does in every city on this tour. The best DJ they see will get to open for Linkin Park when they tour with Korn in Mexico City later this year.
Cypress Hill then came on stage, which was very unfortunate to say the least. The toked up rap turned metal trio had a tough time getting through to the crowd of different ages.
Linkin Park’s die-hard fans were between ages 13 and 30. The older fans got a kick out of hearing old Cypress Hill songs like “I Wanna Get High” and “Insane In The Membrane.” Only twice did Cypress Hill manage to get the whole crowd behind them; before “I Wanna Get High” was their one moment. With a four-foot glass bong on stage the second time everyone cheered for them was when they left the stage.
When introduced over the PA, the venue erupted in the loudest sustained roar I have ever heard when Linkin Park took stage. Everyone was standing.
They played 16 songs, covering the entire “Hybrid Theory” album except for “Cure For The Itch.” They even covered a Deftones song.
The sound of 18,000 people singing “Crawling in my skin / These wounds they will not heal” in unison was amazing. Singer Chester Bennington seemed to enjoy taking flying leaps off of various monitors lining the front of the stage.
At one point Joesph Hahn jumped onto the stage from seven-foot platform where his records and sampling equipment were located.
Bennington described the tour as a salute to diversity. He said he wanted this tour to be a yearly event “whether we’re on it, or not.”