Incubus & Hoobastank

Opening for Incubus at their sold-out show in Sacramento, Hoobastank is the newest kid-tested / mother-approved rock band to spawn from the affluent suburbs of L.A. alongside their aforementioned homeboys and Linkin Park. Other than being boyz from the same hood, it's immediately apparent why Incubus has the 'Stank opening for them: they're a spitting image of Incubus back in the day. While their sound is crisp and tight with melodies you can marinate in and head-banging riffs to mosh in, it's the vocals that lead this band.
They warmed up the Sacto crowd with their thunderous set and piercing guitar licks, frontman Doug Robb hyped the crowd by shouting, "Go Kings!" They played "Crawling in the Dark," their aggressive radio hit that has made them a staple of the MTV charts. The simple resurgence of intelligent vocals backed by strong melodies is apparently what drives this band. Speaking of "Drive…"
Before Incubus even took the stage, the deafening, high-pitched screams of teenage girls who undoubtedly have pictures of heartthrob frontman Brandon Boyd pinned up in their lockers, bellowed throughout the arena.
The funk-metal-rock boys, greeted with open arms and open eyes, took the stage complete with a moon crescent lifted ramp and large white screens that served as backdrops for various slides and trippy light shows. With harmonies and songs that are now far more extensive in depth and ingenuity, they played their set entirely at their own pace, gracefully flowing from one epic to the next, proving just how much they've matured as artists since their first release.
Behind the group, the white screens pulsed with gently swelling jellyfish, quickly being replaced by a thousand twinkling lights and shooting stars to suggest outer space, as the familiar "Stellar" enveloped the arena.
Playing new tunes off Morning View, the melodies were guided by Boyd's soft-spoken vocals fashioning more tranquil songs with tender lyrics, bittersweet messages and seductive overtones. But just as the audience becomes entranced, they are abruptly thrust back into the days of S.C.I.E.N.C.E. with the heavy drums, powerful guitar sounds and strong, all-out hard-ass rock tunes.
Boyd and guitar genius Mike Einziger broke away from the band and settled in couches to perform several acoustic numbers including the radio favorite rock tune about spontaneous human combustion "Pardon Me." Boyd took the opportunity to comment on Einziger's illustrious afro saying, "Your hair is fuckin' bangin' tonight dude."
Later in the performance, Boyd showed off his true musical breadth by whipping off his shirt (which induced a near-seizure like reaction by the girls) and beat on his trademark bongo drums.
After close to a 90-minute performance, the band exited the stage, though an encore seemed guaranteed. Indeed, Incubus returned for two numbers, including the ethereal, bamboo-swaying "Aqueous Transmission," and then one by one the band members waved off and left… though a stray Chuck Taylor nailed Boyd in the face.
- Mary Utterback

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