Stone Temple Pilots 8/23/08

Concert number 100, in the books.  STP delivered a solid show at a brand new venue that had great sound and so close to Dahlonega that it seems to good to be true.  It also happened to be lead guitarist Dean DeLeo's birthday.  They took a minute out of the show after a few songs to present him with a cake delivered by his child (gender indeterminate) and we all sang "Happy Birthday."  Scott Weiland was unusually mellow and talked to the crowd very... slowly... in between songs.  He may be on that shit again.  Hope not, but, wouldn't be surprising.  They played all the hits like "Creep," which crept, and a few b sides throughout the night with a graphically impressive screen that stretched the width of the stage behind them.  The real story of the night came towards the end when in the middle of a song, Weiland, while standing on speakers in the middle of the stage, turned around and the flipped off the drummer, Eric Kretz.  Then, about 15 seconds later, decided it was time to do it again.  Naturally, a happy drummer this does not make.  I thought they were going to break up right in front of us, one thing I have not experienced at a show.  When they finished the song, Weiland walked back to the skin set and Kretz angrily pointed around the stage and told him what he thought while Dean acted as mediator and must have reminded them that there were a lot of people there that payed a lot of money to see the show.  Even the t-shirts were $40 at the cheapest (add $5 for XXL, WTF).  This reunion tour seems to be all about the money as I guess most of them are.  So, they played one more song, abruptly left the stage and had the encore break.  They came back and it was Weiland who screwed the pooch and left out a verse during "Trippin on a Hole in a Paper Heart."  After the 3 song encore it was a race between Weiland and Kretz to get off stage that made the Olympians look turtle-ish.  No group bow, no waving, no drumstick throwing, no "thank you's," no nothing.  Dean and his brother/bassist Robert stuck around briefly to say fare the well and left, then Dean brought his kid out on stage to wave goodbye and that was that.  Based on what I've read, Scott must have a real problem with drummers.  I'd like to hear comments from Matt Sorum of Velvet Revolver.  Good luck to the cities ahead on this tour, could be a bumpy ride.