Slipknot Brings The Knotfest Roadshow to Usana Amphitheater
October 11, 2022
West Valley City, specifically Usana Amphitheater, played host to what is perhaps the biggest metal tour out on the road right now last week as The Knotfest Roadshow descended on Utah. The tour brought metal superstars Slipknot as well as special guests Crown the Empire and the ever-entertaining Ice Nine Kills, to entertain metal fans of all ages in Utah.
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This was Crown the Empire’s second stop in Utah this year after they brought their own headlining tour to The Complex back in June. This time they got to play on a bigger stage and the production quality of the show was so much better. We got a chance to not only see the band clearly, but the venue size and excitement washed over the crowd and made the experience that much better.
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Up next was the multifaceted metal act Ice Nine Kills. This band seemed to be right at home on Usana’s stage. This is another band that was playing their second show in Utah this year and there were lots of fans there talking about the last time they came through. Their act mixes film and music more than any other band I have ever seen. It also specializes in mixing classic horror movies with the sound of their music, and this seems to resonate with their fans both new and old. We not only get a great live music performance but also a stage production that rivals any stage play out there. We get to see vocalist Spencer Charnas take on different personas such as Pennywise the clown, Freddy Kruger, Norman Bates and others. It flows together oh so well and the fans love it. The band seems to have hit their stride in recent years with The Silver Scream and Welcome to Horrorwood albums and their niche is perfect. Charnas has mixed his love of music and film seamlessly in a very entertaining style but let’s not forget this is still a metal show and the music was the star here.
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The crowd eagerly awaited the arrival of Slipknot on the stage next with the excitement building and building. The stage crew came out and started building the set but it was soon blocked by a big black Slipknot curtain that covered our view of the stage so we waited in blind anticipation of what the show would look like. Finally, the lights went out and the curtain lit up and the crowd came alive making enough noise to hear across the valley by the amphitheater. What happened next is both a blur and burned in my memory, the curtain dropped, and the stage production boomed, then band was on stage playing and Corey Taylor was center stage and the crowd lost it. It was a blur because it happened so fast and was so exciting it was a mental overload, and I will also always remember it because it was the first time, I got to cover this band and it was insane. Their stage presence is better than any other band I have seen, Taylor is a master on the stage and his performance demands your attention. They are so good live and the production that goes into this show is a masterpiece. When you mix all that’s going on with the band on stage with the crowd, known as the Slipknot Family, it just gels into an experience like no other. For the next hour and a half, we were treated to a true metal show with the band killing it putting on a clinic on guitars and drums and the pyrotechnics and lights second to none. Taylor took the time every once in a while, to talk about how the music was all about inclusion for everyone no matter what you look like, love, or anything else. This is what the Slipknot family was all about.
