PAPA ROACH
September 4, 2002
Hi-Fi Buys Amphitheater, Atlanta
Papa Roach
’s uplifting performance was the surprise of the night. Apparently they’ve learned to manage their anger or perhaps money, fame and acceptance have bought them the contentedness they obviously lacked a year ago. The vibe was completely different from their Ozzfest performance last year. Then, they were furious and bitter. They wallowed in self-pity while front man Coby Dick bashed himself in the head. This time, they had lost none of their intensity but seemed almost joyful, as if they had finally been able to overcome their troubled childhoods.
Their set began in symbolic darkness, then the newly renamed singer (he now calls himself Jacoby Shaddix) made himself accessible by walking through the audience for the first song. This was in sharp contrast to the Ozzfest performance where he unsuccessfully tried to provoke the people in the front into attacking each other. The only point tonight at which they seemed to be emotionally wounded was during the impassioned “Broken Home,” when Jacoby fell to his knees, screaming in agony. I almost felt sorry for him…almost. They ended with their suicide rant, "Last Resort."
Review by Amanda Stahl
Photos by Chris McKay