Better Late Than Never – A Review of Stone Temple Pilots at The Palace [PHOTOS]

Scott Weiland, frontman for the Stone Temple Pilots is a genuine rock star.  A police escort rushed his tour bus from New York City to the Palace Theater in Albany almost a hour and a half later than expected.  When he arrived you knew Scott was in the building, a larger than life rock icon wearing sunglasses, a half burnt cigarette in his mouth, greased up hair,  and seconds later on stage as if nothing happened.  

The Stone Temple Pilots a band that helped build a generation as Scott said on stage to a three quarter filled anxiously awaiting crowd at the Palace Theater Sunday night September 11th.   Scott Weiland told the mostly middle aged audience, "Nirvana put out a album in 1991, our album came out one year later and we joined Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains as bands that changed music"!

STP walked on stage at 10:25pm, almost an hour and a half late, after opening band 'Rose Hill Drive' from Colorado finished their set. The delay caused many disgruntled fans to express their displeasure as drunken fights happened throughout the theater between the two acts.  The reason for the delay was Scott Weiland. He was in New York City as part of the 9/11 remembrance and got delayed leaving the city.

STP opened with two songs off their debut record 'Core' back in 1992; Crackerman, and Wicked Garden, before slamming into the unmistakable sound of the wah wah pedal on Vasoline from their second album 'Purple'.  If front a large lighted backdrop with thousands of lights, Scott apologized for being late blaming traffic in New York City, the band plowed into Heaven & Hot Rods from their album 'No.4' , followed by some of their new songs ' Between the Lines', and Hickory Dichotomy. The show was a like a greatest hits concert as many in the audience sang along with Still Remains,  Big Empty,  Silvergun Superman,  Plush,  Interstate Love Song,  Big Bang Baby,  Down, and Sex Type Thing  rounding out the set  - Dead & Bloated and Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart were the encores.

It was like a step back in time to the late nineties as the Stone Temple Pilots performed at the Palace Theater.   Scott Weiland was the main focus and in between songs rambled as a drunk Englishman.  Overall it was a great show, all the hits plus some deep stuff only true STP fans love,  after a hour and a half wait..  better late than never.