Four songs into Hinder’s 12-song set Wednesday night at Pacific Amphitheatre, the generic qualities of the band became glaringly evident.
Take the soaring choruses of Papa Roach, the vocal styles of Buckcherry’s Josh Todd and Fuel’s ex-frontman Brett Scallions and you’ll start to get a feel for Hinder’s straightforward brand of rock ‘n’ roll.
Both Papa Roach and Buckcherry were openers on “The Badboys of Rock” bill and both outfits put the headliner to shame.
It’s Hinder’s first big outing, and with its double-platinum “Extreme Behavior” still doing well on the music charts, it only makes sense for the band to capitalize on its rocketing success. On the other hand, the group proved live that it’s not quite ready for the big leagues with a contrived set that dragged on far too long.
With universal lyrics that young adults (and their moms, as evidenced by the pair sitting beside me) can relate to, it’s no wonder Hinder’s been racking up the sales, but in concert the outfit visibly strives way too hard to be “rock ‘n’ roll.”
Between the video of the band partying backstage with groupies or singer Austin Winkler’s microphone stand coming pre-adorned with multiple bras, Hinder came off as the biggest poseurs since Limp Bizkit.
And it didn’t help that the outfit played such middle-of-the-road, predictable music. “Bliss” was about “getting so drunk you don’t think about your ex” and “Running in the Rain,” with piano accents, was a failed experimental stab at Aerosmith.
The band’s only compelling moment came when Papa Roach’s Jacoby Shaddix assisted in a decent cover of Steppenwolf’s “Born to Be Wild,” but it’s a sad affair when your best live song isn’t even something you wrote.
The same can’t be said for Papa Roach or Buckcherry, who both clearly brought their A-game.
Shaddix and Co. reminded the crowd how time-tested the quartet is in the nu-metal genre with its 13 songs. Sure, Shaddix doesn’t rap as much anymore, but when he did on tracks such as “She Loves Me Not” and “Broken Home,” the crowd screamed along to every word – a testament to how many fans have stuck with the band through the years.
Shaddix wasn’t afraid of giving love back either; he frequently made runs through the orchestra section and was mobbed by fans.
Musically, Papa Roach’s newfound penchant for hooky pop-metal, which the band has been churning out in spades as of late, went over well and “Time Is Running Out,” “Reckless” and especially “Scars” turned into full-fledged sing-alongs that nearly drowned out the noise the band was making.
The dirty Sunset Strip vibe of Los Angeles act Buckcherry rocked the house in an entirely different way. Even Shaddix rocked out on the side of the stage and could be seen mouthing the words to the Guns N’ Roses-inspired hard rock.
Singer Josh Todd’s wha-wha-whiny vocals were perfectly in tune and added extra punch to “Broken Glass” and “Sorry,” but the band’s sleaziness can still drain.
There are moments when the act shows depth, but its most popular songs, like the demeaning “Crazy Bitch” and cocaine-fueled “Lit Up,” become trite fodder fast.
If there’s anything the band conveys on songs like this, it’s that sex plus drugs really does equal rock ‘n’ roll. Don’t hate the players, hate the game, right?
Even the bill’s openers, L.A. outfit the Exies, had more going for it than Hinder. The band’s sound, which melds the instrumental sensibilities of 30 Seconds to Mars with the rasp of Kurt Cobain, was a pleaser.
The band started its six-song show slowly, but halfway into the set the Exies hit gold with “Hey You,” and never let up. If only the night would have ended on such a high note.
Contact the writer: 714-445-6689 or npirani@ocregister.com
