Limp Bizkit
Marquee Theatre (view the full slideshow.)
May 26, 2013
There were plenty of terrible covers, outfits, and just an overall lack of effort as rap-rockers Limp Bizkit did their best to relive the '90s Sunday night at the Marquee Theatre. The band hit the stage to begin its 90-minute set and launched into "Rollin''" from Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (which also might be the worst album title in the history of music.)
It quickly became clear that singer Fred Durst was not up for the challenge of entertaining the packed house, but luckily his band was.
Durst looked a little ridiculous in his lifeguard hat, white LB hoodie, Oakley shades, and gloves. In fact he looked as though he'd come to plant seeds in your garden then rock your face off. "Gold Cobra" and "Full Nelson" followed and it didn't take long to see that the band lacked the energy they were once known for. The setlist didn't help -- it lacked much of the band's best material from their debut release, Three Dollar Bill, Yall$.
"Do you have any requests?" Durst asked the crowd, just before the band played partial cover of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" which quickly turned into Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and then an awful rendition of Pearl Jam's "Alive."
The fun didn't end there, as the band played parts of Smashing Pumpkins' "Cherub Rock" before guitarist Wes Borland handled vocal duties on a cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit."
But even though Durst seemed off most of the night, the band itself sounded terrific sonically, and Borland is still their secret weapon. Borland was decked out in black body paint and a mask with LED lights that covered most of his face. They continued to pay tribute to the 90s with a full cover of Rage Against the Machine's "Killing in the Name Of."
By the time it was all said and done, the band had played full or partial covers of nine different songs, including their infamous versions of George Michael's "Faith" and The Who's "Behind Blue Eyes."
"You girls make me hungry," Durst said before "Eat You Alive," which was one of the highlights of the night.
"This next song is pretty dangerous," he said later. It goes to show the power of the vagina." Then they broke into "Nookie."
The band closed the lengthy show with the aggro-inspired anthem "Break Stuff." Limp Bizkit is one of those bands people usually hate to admit they ever liked or listened to. In reality, though, their catalog of work was written to be performed at a high-energy level, and they lacked it this time around.
Critic's Notebook: Last night: Limp Bizkit at Marquee Theatre. Personal Bias: I thought the first two records were great when they came out and I still think they are fun. I think that Wes Borland's other band Black Light Burns way cooler. The Crowd: Mostly comprising of 30-somethings and drunk chicks and Paul from Chandler, who held up a sign that said he'd waited for this for 12 years. Durst brought him on-stage during "Gold Cobra." Overheard in the Crowd: Why is Fred wearing a hoodie when it's 100 degrees outside? Random Notebook Dump: Fellow '98 Family Values alum Jay Gordon from Orgy was there, but left about five songs in and looked bored.