On a cold and wet evening in March, one day after celebrating the 43rd birthday of lead singer, David Draiman, Disturbed brought the Leviathan to Portland, Oregon. Portland fans, no strangers to a little precipitation, were prepared to brave the rain and possible hail, lining up outside the sold out Roseland Theater well ahead of the 7:00 opening time. The legion of loyal Disturbed Ones waited in line patiently, sharing stories of past show experiences and discussing the new album, Immortalized. The crowd pulsed with energy while waiting to see Disturbed, comprised of David Draiman on lead vocals, John Moyer on bass and supporting vocals, Dan Donegan on guitar, electronic backing, and supporting vocals, and Mike Wengren on drums. The energy was infectious, and we were all pumped up when the stage lights came on to signal the start of the show.
Opening for Disturbed was a band out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida: Nonpoint. Made up of Elias Soriano in lead vocals, Rasheed Thomas on rhythm guitar and supporting vocals, Adam Woloszyn on bass guitar, B. C. Kochmit on lead guitar, and Robb Rivera on drums, Nonpoint has been touring actively for nearly 15 years with bands such as Drowning Pool, Mudvayne, and Taproot. They are not super well-known with larger mainstream crowds (which is sad because they play a bitchin’ show) and when they came out, they poked fun at their own dreadlocked appearance and relative obscurity. Lead singer, Elias Soriano asked the crowd, “Do you know who we are?” while the band played the intro to “Freak on a Leash”. “That’s right, we’re Korn!” he quipped. Laughing it off, Elias said, “That never gets old.” Nonpoint played a nine-song set, including “Miracle”, “What a Day”, and “Breaking Skin”, closing with a crowd sing-a-long, “Bullet with a Name.” Nonpoint also did a totally metal cover of the Phil Collins song “In the Air Tonight”. The Portland crowd had no shame in belting out the lyrics right along with the band. Truth be told, I think that Nonpoint picked up a ton of new fans in Portland.
After the stage crew cleared Nonpoint’s equipment, the elegance of the Disturbed stage setup was revealed. Four light arrays, two on each side of Mike’s drum kit, housed enough lighting firepower to land most commercial aircraft. Mike’s drumkit, a beautifully wrapped Pearl masterpiece sat atop a massive four-foot high drum riser, giving him the best view in the house. Dan’s mic stand on stage left, John’s on stage right, with David’s mic right up front at stage center.
When Disturbed took the stage, there was no small talk, no apologies for a nearly five-year absence. None was needed. The fans had simply appeared grateful and ready to get back to business. As the music for the intro for “10,000 Fists” began, the crowd erupted into a deafening roar with clenched fists raised in the air. “The Game” was the second song in the set, with “The Vengeful One” from the newest album, Immortalized, ripping across the stage following. Approximately mid-way through the set, stage crews frantically made adjustments, bringing additional chairs, instruments and equipment onto the stage. As the lights came up, we found that each of the members of Disturbed were seated along the stage front. Along with the band were a Cellist and a Violinist. Mike was playing the bass, and John was now playing the guitar with Dan on the keyboard. The band performed a beautiful version of their song “Darkness” from the 2002 album, Believe. That was followed by the Disturbed cover of “The Sound of Silence”. Although I knew the words well, having been exposed to Simon and Garfunkel at a young age, I found myself stifling my own voice so that I could enjoy the incredible sound of David Draiman pouring his soul through the microphone. It was an unexpectedly emotional moment from a band that usually rocks the faces off of the crowds, not leaves them wiping a few tears away.
In all, from top to bottom, it was an incredible show. Disturbed is, quite literally, touring their asses off from here to whenever, with a much-anticipated tour coming with Breaking Benjamin, St. Asonia, and Alterbridge, while still performing shows in between dates on that run. I’m 100% they are coming to a city near you, so check out their schedule and get your ass to their show. You won’t regret it!! In fact, I’d go so far as to say you’d thank me.
Connect with Disturbed(click icons):
