Review of the Incubus Concert at Merriweather Post Pavilion, August 9, 2009

Incubus is a band that has toured relentlessly from the beginning. But the guys, Brandon Boyd (lead vocals), Mike Einzinger (guitar, vocals), Ben Kenney (bass, vocals), Jose Pasillas II (drums) and DJ Chris Kilmore (turntables), took nearly a year off to pursue personal interests. They regrouped and released a 2-CD greatest hits album on June 16, 2009 entitled Monuments and Melodies. The supporting tour started shortly thereafter. They played at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on August 9, 2009, and they did not disappoint--but they weren't stellar either.

The opening act was a quartet from the UK, The Duke Spirit. The lead singer, Liela Moss, tried her best to excite the crowd but came up short. She put on a good show but her attempts to talk to the crowd were awkward. The other members of the group, drummer Oliver Betts, bassist Marc Sallis (who only joins the band for tours), and guitarists Luke Ford and Toby Butler, were rather unexciting. The sound was mixed poorly and it was difficult to distinguish anything from the drums. They felt more like an inexperienced, young group; not a band that formed in 2003, opened for R.E.M., and has performed on all the major late night network talk shows.

Incubus was scheduled to start at 9pm, and they were on by 9:02. Not many bands are that prompt and it was much appreciated by the hot crowd. As this is a tour supporting the greatest hits album, they played their most popular songs. Opening with "Pardon Me" got the crowd revved up. Following with "Nice To Know You" and "Anna Molly" further excited the audience. Playing a bit of Björk's "Possibly Maybe" as a transition into "Stellar" was interesting and beautiful. Haunting Third Reich imagery, complete with Hitlers wearing winged jet packs, played on the screen behind DJ Kilmore's setup and Jose's shiny gold drum set during "Megalomaniac." Brandon's performance during "Circles" was passionate and the audience loved it. Ironically, two female concert-goers got into a verbal dispute, and one of them then got into a fight with her boyfriend during "Love Hurts." "Just A Phase" was the last song before the acoustic portion of the show.

Brandon and Mike played an acoustic version of "Drive." They stopped mid-song after Ben returned and started singing. The three of them laughed along with the crowd before starting the song where they left off. "Make Yourself" is a surprising choice for an acoustic set as the original is very hard-driving, but it was done well, especially Ben's acoustic guitar work. DJ Kilmore played the keyboard while Brandon played the djembe and Jose played the cajón for "Dig."

Brandon broke out his didgeridoo for "Redefine" from 1997's S.C.I.E.N.C.E. Disappointingly, that was the only song they played from their first full-length album. It was surprising that "A Certain Shade of Green" was left off the playlist as it was the only single and only song on Monuments and Melodies from the first album. Brandon worked the stage during "Warning," getting up close with the crowd on the far left then the far right. But he was front and center for most of the show, which was rather frustrating for those on the sides of the venue. After renditions of "Oil and Water", "Quicksand" and "A Kiss to Send Us Off" from Light Grenades, the band ended with "Wish You Were Here" and "Aqueous Transmission" from Morning View. "Aqueous Transmission" is an unexpected addition because Mike had to play the pipa live--which he did with aplomb.

The break before the encore was brief, which was good because it was very hot and the crowd was tiring quickly. The band played three songs from Monuments and Melodies: two songs previously unreleased in America and a cover. "Punch Drunk" and "Look Alive" were B-side rarities that were included on the retrospective album. A fun cover of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" closed the show on a high note.

As musicians and artists, they are exceptionally talented, but there was little variation from album versions. Brandon did deviate from the recorded vocals and his range is amazing. Mike is one of the best guitarists working today. Sadly, Ben cannot match Dirk Lance's vibe, and older songs are lacking because of it. The extraordinary bass solo during "Redefine" was left out because Ben cannot play it, or if he can, he inexplicably didn't. If a drummer's talent can be judged by the elaborateness of his drum set, then Jose is immensely gifted. DJ Kilmore's performance was unsatisfying because his scratches were essentially identical to recorded versions. A good turntablist should change things up and improvise but he didn't.

From accounts of concerts in the band's younger days, their performance this night was flat. Mike was expressionless for most of the show, almost like he was bored. Brandon didn't move much from his spot or interact with the crowd. Ben, DJ Kilmore and Jose were also mellow. It may have been the oppressive heat, or it may just be that the guys are in their mid-thirties now and they don't have the energy they had a decade ago. It would be a shame if they were bored with their music and bored with performing live. Despite a lack of energy, the music was expertly played and was mixed well. Lighting, hints of smoke and the large screen added nice touches to the show but weren't overpowering or distracting. Overall, the concert was satisfactory. Incubus did not live up to their potential this night, but they certainly did not fall flat. The crowd was adoring and appreciative, so the guys did impress.