Although it has nearly been a year since their last album release, Stone Sour visited fans in Boston on January 22nd. They brought the post-grunge Pop Evil, and eccentric Stolen Babies with them. The diverse lineup worked well and the audience was in for a night of great music.
Many fans braved single digit temperatures to be at the House of Blues when the doors opened. This allowed openers Stolen Babiesplayed to a large audience. Their latest album was 2012’s Naught and they are currently working on a follow up. The group has recently become a three piece, but the loss did not hinder their performance. Their usual strangeness was present in songs such as ‘Spill’. Lead singer and accordion player Dominique Persei commanded attention with her surprising vocal range and sense of style. Their set may have flown by but viewers were left with either feelings of awe or confusion long after the members left the stage. Presumably not many had seen a band with an accordion playing such a large role at a rock show before.
Rockers Pop Eviltook to the stage with the place nearly packed. They seemed a bit out of place since many of their songs are played in 
arena and sports related settings, but the audience was enthusiastic nonetheless. The band’s overall sound is best described by their own name: mostly a radio friendly pop sound but with a tinge of heaviness. Their latest album was 2013’s Onyx. Singer Leigh Kakaty’s vocals are comparable to that of Scott Stapp or Chad Kroeger, for the uninitiated. The group kept the energy going throughout their set by playing anthems such as ‘Last Man Standing’. At one point they even did a brief and cheesy cover of Survivor’s ‘Eye of the Tiger’.
The venue was finally full and waiting in anticipation before Stone Sour hit the stage. Fans went crazy as soon as Corey Taylor came out. The band began by playing ‘The House of Gold & Bones’, appropriate since it is the name of their two part release, double-album which they completed last April. A wide range of their material was played including some of their biggest songs: ‘Inhale’, ‘Through Glass’, and ‘Bother’. The only cover they did was Alice in Chains ‘Nutshell’.
Anyone who has ever seen Taylor’s other and more recognized band, Slipknot, can tell Stone Sour’s live presence is far more toned down. The show focuses mostly on Taylor which is a shame since the band is comprised of talented musicians including James Root, who is also from Slipknot. For some songs, it was just Taylor on an acoustic guitar. The encore consisted of two songs, ‘Gone Sovereign’ and ‘Absolute Zero’. Although the show may have left something to be desired in terms of presentation, it was nice to see a different side of Taylor. Here’s hoping he will come back to Boston after the next Slipknot album is released.
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Words by Melissa Campbell
Photos by Evil Robb Photograpy