By Holly Fertsch
Like many of my generation, I am not immune to the nostalgia of early-2000s rock. Judging by the crowd at Hard Rock to see Incubus live, I was not the only one who yearned for that kind of trip down memory lane.
On Friday, June 27, people packed into Hard Rock Etess arena to see Incubus perform in full an album they released in 2001, nearly 25 years ago. “Morning View,” their fourth album, features hits such as “Nice to Know You” and “Wish You Were Here.” It also has deep cuts, such as “Mexico,” that the band performed acoustically. Covers of early 2000s songs, like “Under My Umbrella,” were also performed to be faithful to the “Morning View” track listing. To close out the “Morning View” setlist, the guitarist whipped out a sitar for the album’s last song “Aqueous Transition.”
However, the show didn’t stop there. The band launched into a second set featuring their hits from other albums.
Incubus defies genre. However, their earlier albums are often categorized as alternative metal, rap metal, funk metal, or nu-metal. Incubus has expressed discomfort with the nu-metal label in the past. “Morning View” marked a departure from that heavier sound, leaning more into an easy-listening, alternative rock sound more reminiscent of the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
For that reason, their second set had considerably more energy and heaviness than the live playthrough of the “Morning View” album. Incubus launched into frenetic alternative metal songs like “Anna Molly” and “Pardon Me.” Then, slowing things down to draw to a close, they performed arguably their biggest hit, “Drive,” to end the night.
Paris Jackson and Manchester Orchestra opened for Incubus. While I unfortunately missed Paris’s set, Manchester Orchestra, an indie rock band, had a full sound and captivated the audience. The concertgoers were very engaged in their set, with some even singing along.
Incubus’s bassist, Nicole Row, joined the band last year, after the departure of Ben Kenney due to medical complications. Playing a five-string bass, she fit in remarkably well, even engaging with the audience between songs.
It may seem odd that casinos book popular acts from the early 2000s to draw millennials to their venues in the same way they often book acts from the ‘80s to lure in generation X. However, if Friday’s show was any indication, this strategy seems to be working. I’m sure the countless people I stood among as we sang along to Incubus’s set would agree.
