Stone Temple Pilots inject Red Rocks with nostalgia novocain.

From the moment we pulled into the notorious upper parking lot at Red Rocks Amphitheater tonight, I knew we were in for a trip - nay - a spill down memory lane. Not only was Stone Temple Pilots returning to Colorado after a mind-numbing show at the Fillmore this past fall (see previous entry: STP Still Rock to the Core!), they were bringing with them an arsenal of music that mixed the new with the old and the wicked (garden)! But I digress...

Pulling into the lot, I threw the car into "park" just in time to inhale the my-so-called-life 90s nostalgia around me (if you did not get that reference, please close your browser now and know that Jared Leto hates you). To my left, Eddie Vedder's baritone droll escaping a set of car speakers to remind me how to keep my flow even; and to my right, a fellow concertgoer (female, mid 30s) downing what appeared to be the last six-pack of Zima known to man, literally! "This is going to be GOOD," I recall thinking as I soaked in the scene. I hadn't seen more 90s pride since the Lillith Fair announced its (triumphant?) return to the touring market.

Fast-forward more than a decade, and almost as many cocktails (I figured if Scott Weiland was going to be sober that left more for us), and we find ourselves in the nice, cushy seats of the Mayor's Box at Red Rocks. Now let me just say, if it's not too late, vote Hickenlooper for Govener! This guy knows how to party! I mean, despite a lack of presence at the concert from the potential Governor-elect (what, like it's a voting night?!), one could tell by the quality of his seats that he knows how to take in a show!

Following an opening set from Cage the Elephant - whose desire to wax Nirvana played nicely into the theme of the evening - Stone Temple Pilots took to the stage like kids to the playground at recess. Now I have seen some STP shows in my life, but the energy that prevailed tonight was impressive if not motivational, considering this act has been going at it for over 20 years (less a minor break during Weiland's Velvet Revolver days...don't nitpick).

What unfolded from here was a steady stream of juke-box hits and fist-pumping excellence, with the occasional new track thrown in for good measure (during which you feigned excitement or risked being in the minority). And although it appeared like age may be finally catching up with the STP crew (several of the band's members sporting grey hair and guts), they still rocked it like it was 1995. Hammering out studio-perfect versions of Interstate Love Song, Big Empty, and Creep (with added audience participation in the chorus), STP kept the audience thoroughly entertained with its nostalgia novocain. With a live show that pays as much homage to the past as it does attention to the future, Stone Temple Pilots proved tonight that they can still capture an audience; but with new music on hand captivating a younger generation, STP has become an anomaly in downsizing the age of their audience. A fact which tells me one of two things: 1) musings of the grunge-era are as timeless as stone-washed jeans and flannel shirts, or; 2) I had better hold off on having kids until this whole thing blows over.

Cheers for now (and then),

Chip