Jonathan Davis goes Acoustic

Random? Yeah, kind of, but we'd expect nothing less from a man who has pretty much done it all. Skeptical about the singer from a hardcore band doing a whole tour of songs containing no meaty guitars, instead opting for double violins, upright basses, and, of all things, bongo drums? Well, even some of us were a tiny bit skeptical, to be honest, but since it is Jonathan Davis, swarms attended anyway, because Kornkids will pretty much do and endure anything if they get to see Jonathan upclose and personal, and if they have to endure obscure techno/pop singers to do it, then so be it.

Me and my friends were lucky enough to get to go to this show. Godhead opened up for Jonathan with an acoustic set of their own. It was great, to say the least. Seven songs were on their set list (which I could see from my lovely spot in the front row), varying in intensity from acoustic renditions of furious rock songs, to softer songs suited especially for the concert's vibe. The band was on point, enthusiastic, and into the atmosphere. The singers vocal approach was nowhere short of amazing, which is sadly becoming a rarity in a world where studio magic helps musicians sound good on records, but leave them sounding like strangled cats on stage, (which sort of makes me wonder if that's why it's hard to hear the singer over everything else at a show). Granted, with the whole "sit down and hold hands" atmosphere, one is tempted to close their eyes and possibly fall asleep to the mellow sounds of the strings, but it is not really in a bad way, just more in a relaxed way.

When the house lights go on after Godhead has disappeared off stage, the kids roar and scream, thinking that Jonathan himself is about to come onstage. The screams are only combated with the sounds of confusion when a slightly older, skinny dark-haired man in a suit appears onstage after a quick announcement from the, well, announcer, that introduces the violinist/vocalist that worked with Jonathan on the Queen of the Damned. This still does nothing to ease the confusion, but Shenkar walks on and starts his set anyway. Shenkar does around five very catchy and melodic songs of the techno/electronica/dance variety, all the while looking like he's in his own world, because he's undoubtedly nervous about performing, practically unannounced, infront of all of these supposedly angry and depressed scene kids, as the stereotype goes. Said scene kids, though, for the most part, nod their heads to the beat, cheer in all the right spots, and generally try and make him feel welcome and warm-heartedly recieved, which it seems Shenkar appreciated, and after his set was finished, he waved, thanked the audience profusely, and left the stage.

Now the moment everyone had waited for all night was upon us. Venue staff come onstage, to the delight of the fans, with the elaborate, red velvet upholstered throne that will house J.D. for the next hour and a half. When Jonathan does, finally, come onstage wearing a three piece suit, the screams seem to go up ten decibals, if that is at all possible. He stands there, in front of his throne, thanking the fans with a gracious smile and a few nods of his head, before he sits and takes the mic, waiting for the crowd to come to a dull roar, and thanks everyone for coming.

The show continues in the awesome way that the beginning of the night had, and delivers a few delightful surprises, including the addition of pretty much every song that J.D. wrote for the Queen of the Damned soundtrack. Also included were some covers of bands such as Duran Duran, which, Jonathan admits, he is a fan of and he doesn't care what anyone else thinks, and Orgy. Definate Korn classics were transformed into the acoustic set while still maintaining their hardcore vibe, while others were softened from the original to create almost different songs, and even some never before performed Korn songs were played, to the delight of the kids.

When the show was over, and the lights turned on, the smiling faces of the fans could be seen, excited and in awe of what they had just experienced. And when Jonathan showed up thirty minutes later to sign autographs and take pictures with the Kornkids after taking a quick shower at his hotel? Priceless.

The sound was definately wonderful that night. No one drowned anyone else out, the sound was balanced, and every professional member of the back-up band seemed to be as equally important as Jonathan himself, which was very refreshing to see. All of these points made for a very very awesome and pleasing show, almost one of a kind. And the added bonus of a hug from Mr. Davis himself wasn't bad either.