Incubus & OneSideZero

I missed a lot of this show because I was busy getting drunk while trying to interview OneSideZero on their tour bus while Incubus was playing. It was a logistical mishap, you could say…The part of the evening that I remember clearly was when OneSideZero was onstage. They sound a little like Tool and a little like emo punk rock. That’s how their singer described them.

They also have three guitarists at times, which is funny to watch as two of them often double each other’s leads. Some people would describe it as excessive, while others would say it’s their prerogative to play however they damn please, let them have five guitars and they can all play all the riffs together, two on rhythm and three on lead. Whatever. It didn’t bother me a bit.

The sold-out crowd loved these guys. The median age of the attendees was about 17 and predominantly female. I’m pretty sure they were all there to see the lead singer of Incubus, Brandon Boyd, take his shirt off, which is exactly what he did.

Incubus started up not long after OneSideZero made their exit. Even within the sometimes echo-inducing Memorial Auditorium the sound was fairly crystal.

They began with a couple hits off of Make Yourself, including “Drive” which, even though it was pre-Incubus-getting-into-Eastern-influences, had a little Eastern tint to it. I think it could have been the guitarist Mike Einziger’s, effects pedal. Some of his solos had more ring in them, that’s the only way I can describe it.

Frontman Boyd swayed across the stage more fluidly than I’d seen in the past and one could tell his commanding onstage presence has benefited from so much road time. We went to do our interview and came back in time to see them play “My Favorite Things,” off of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. and it fucking rocked. Brandon had his shirt off by this time, and I was dismayed, but Incubus as a whole showed they have what it takes to be headlining these sold-out medium/large venues.

– M. Cameron Newell
– Photos- D. C. Ramirez

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