Stone Sour and the Hydrograd Tour Hits Old National Centre

Stone Sour, Red Sun Rising, and The Dead Deads Play to a Packed Audience

Venue: Egyptian Room at Old National Centre
Dahlia Presents

You can see the look in their eyes. It’s as if you stared into their souls and extracted sheer elatement. Visions of getting lost inside yourself and not giving a damn where, why or who you are. From the ear-to-ear grins to the passionate cries of camaraderie—singing along, cheering or just plain losing their minds—these are the people who came to escape inside the sanctuary of rock and form the audience for Stone Sour.

We stare like deer into headlights. Rows of light panels sit in the back and serve as attention getters long before they even are switched on. They are ominous throughout the opening sets. It did not help when The Dead Deads launched into “Nothing Will Be Fine,” a song they wrote right after the 2016 Presidential election. Meta Dead sings, “Put your head down between your legs. This is the part where we lose our faith.” It puts a subconscious tone to the surveillance vibe that looms. The crowd was receptive to the band’s blend of social expressiveness (songs about sex, defiance, and introspection) and day glow angst. Their energy was exactly what this room needed to jumpstart a Sunday night. For them, they played like it was Saturday night.

The Dead Deads – Nothing Will Be Fine Music Video

Falling down a deeper emotional path, the philosophy of Red Sun Rising is tantalizing. If anyone deserves a headlining tour it is this band. There was a powerful charisma in which the group worked the audience. “Amnesia” highlights the band’s prowess. With the stage opening up, each member illuminates their individual charms and craftsmanship as a live band.

Everything they performed from Polyester Zeal was an awakening, and as they reached “Emotionless,” the world melted away.

Red Sun Rising – Amnesia Music Video

The realization came when they turned the lights on. We were momentarily in the dark until we heard, “Hello, you bastards.” The stage became fully exposed while two eyes from Stone Sour’s drum kit peered out at us. Those thundering chords from “YSIF” had a full house pumped. To say sparks were flying for “Taipei Person/Allah Tea” is not just metaphorical, they lit the damn stage up with pyro. This show just became an event and the crowd ate it up.

People danced, they lost their fucking minds. What is it that makes Stone Sour not your typical rock band? It’s not just the roaring fury of rock muscle. The appreciation that pours out of the audience pushes back from the band, and you can feel that relationship in your bones. Corey Taylor says their mission is to prove rock and roll is still alive. As Taylor growls in “Fabuless,” “It’s only rock and roll and I like it, I like it,” it’s Stone Sour rock and roll and we all like it.

Stone Sour – Fabuless Music Video

The band worked like a well-oiled machine, which is saying something with Josh Rand temporarily away from touring.

The band’s reaction to the packed Egyptian Room was humbling. Like a flash of light we were able to escape within the confines of rock and roll and walk away with a lasting impression. Each band was a glorious spectacle not only complimenting each other but themselves. And for Stone Sour? I believe their real mission was to prove to Indianapolis that after 16 years of gratitude, it has only made them stronger.