Concert replay: Korn at Champions Square

Nu-Metal (also known as nü-metal and aggro-metal) is a type of alternative metal that fuses elements of heavy metal music with elements of other genres, most notably hip hop, alternative rock, funk, and grunge. For all intents and purposes, nu-metal originated with the formation of Korn more than 20 years ago. In 1995, the band released its self-titled debut, which peaked at No. 72 on the Billboard 200. Fast-forward to 2015 and the genre for the most part exists with only a few lingering bands …  one of which is Korn. Sunday night, the band brought its energy-packed show to New Orleans to close out Champions Square’s outdoor concert season.

Korn, formed in 1993, is from Bakersfield, California . Its current lineup includes founding members Jonathan Davis (vocals, bagpipes), James “Munky” Shaffer (guitar), Brian “Head” Welch (guitar, backing vocals), Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu (bass), and Ray Luzier (drums), who replaced the band’s original drummer, David Silveria, in 2007.

In New Orleans, Korn opted for a set that followed the band’s debut album, start to finish. In recent years, this concept of running an album from beginning to end on the concert stage has taken off. It has its pros and cons. From a nostalgic standpoint, hearing a full album can be memorable, as you get to hear that deep cut the band never plays; on the flip side, you have to sit through those not-so-great songs, the filler tracks, as it were. Bands that have solid albums make for a more exciting show, and such was the case with Korn.

After running through the album, Korn’s set list concluded with a five-song encore that featured some of its most notable songs. The crowd was ecstatic and the band seemed to feed off audience members’ energy. The stage show was pretty bare, hosting a huge backdrop of the album and sporadic fog and strobes to keep the mood dark, yet energetic. But with Korn, it’s all about the nu-metal rock, and the expected excitement roared through the crowd as the highlight tracks were played and bled over into the encore.

You can see more pictures here.