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Reunited grunge rockers showcase explosive set, sleepy interviewStone Temple Pilots - Alive In The Windy CityDVD Review (Eagle Rock Entertainment/ Rhino) DVD/Blu-ray 3 ½ stars (out of 5 stars) July 19, 2012 |
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Review by Andy Argyrakis Ever since reuniting in 2008, Stone Temple Pilots maintained a solid touring schedule and settled right back into the well-oiled grunge rock machinery that dominated the 1990s. In fact, one view of the group's first ever authorized DVD/Blu-ray set "Alive In The Windy City" suggests the foursome never left in the first place as front man Scott Weiland, guitarist Dean DeLeo, bassist Robert DeLeo and drummer Eric Kretz turn in a full-throttled performance.Touring in support of 2010's self-titled comeback CD, the concert from Chicago's sold out Riviera Theatre blends its revitalized alternative rock rumblings with heavy handed glimpses of yesteryear. "Vasoline" and "Crackerman" blast off the show with a visceral bang, showcasing an especially energetic Weiland switching feverishly between the mic and his signature megaphone. New cuts like "Between The Lines" and "Hickory Dichotomy" have no trouble keeping such company with their psychedelic-tinged revelry, though the foursome is at its most furious pummeling through classics like "Plush," "Interstate Love Song," "Sex Type Thing" and "Trippin' On A Hole In A Paper Heart." While the concert portion of the collection offers plenty of non-stop action, its 80-minute run time is a bit on the thin side considering the group has twenty years worth of material. A 15-minute interview filmed in a non-descript hotel room does little to amplify the project and even the members appear downright bored discussing a bunch of commonplace subjects (with the questions annoyingly being posed to viewers via text on the screen). While that lackluster scene certainly lets some wind out of "Alive In The Windy City's" sails, the live performance portion is nothing short of incendiary and a sure fire sign of the band's renewed vitality. |