Photos by Gillian Wisniewski
On Sept. 11, Mötley Crüe headlined Cynthia Woods Pavilion with Tesla and Extreme as their supporting acts. Cynthia Woods was packed tight, the concert gathered a wide variety of fans shown through the spread of merchandise for each band. Each opener had a big turnout, but Tesla definitely kick-started the concert with a bang.
THIS IS REAL MUSIC
Tesla began their set with “Modern Day Cowboy” to get the crowd on their feet. To say it worked was an understatement, Cynthia Woods roared with excitement as they took the stage. A handful of fans in the stands were shouting at their friends saying “THIS IS REAL MUSIC!” They were the true hype men of this show. Tesla continued with “Hang Tough,” “The Way It Is” and “Heavens Trail (No Way Out).”
Further into the night as Tesla’s setlist began to reach the end, the largest turnout for fans was “Love Song.” This song got everyone up on their feet to sway side to side with their families. Frank Hannon was presented with a double neck guitar from the stage crew as the song began. The fans tingled with excitement while shouting “TAKE IN THE MUSIC ON THIS ONE.” Leaving a lasting imprint on the fans, Tesla ended their set with “Signs (Five Man Electrical Band cover).”
The most anticipated moment
The last note they left Cynthia Woods with, was the grandest introduction for the headliner. Tesla screamed “GET READY FOR MOTLEY F*ING CRUE” so loud, you could probably have heard it from Downtown. All of that electricity ran throughout the seats just for Mötley Crüe to dull that spark with their entrance.
Circus curtains covered the entirety of the main stage as fans drowned in anticipation, and in their own sweat. Mötley Crüe began their introduction with a very confusing instrumental called “Carnival Barker Intro.” None of the members took the stage during the song. Although the main lights kept their shine, no arousal from the crowd stirred. The only thing on the stage were three carnival dancers. Everyone looked around in confusion, hopeful that this surely meant the concert was about to begin. As they finished their performance and headed back inside the giant red and white striped curtains, the lights dimmed and the crowd cheered excitedly. All of this anticipation just for another delay of the band.
A fiery introduction
The two screens on each side of the stage lit up with red flames, a fiery introduction revealed a burnt carnival scene that quickly transitioned to a circus clown. A very unique- to say the least, circus clown. He began to welcome all of the Mötley Crüe fans and introduce the whole cater of the carnival theme. The more that he spoke and moved, however, it was beyond crystal clear that this entire screen presentation was AI generated. There is no denying that, and it is clear that Mötley Crüe has no shame behind this because even some of their merchandise was AI generated art.
To move on from this subject, for now, Mötley Crüe began their concert with “Red Hot” after the circus clown introduced them to the stage. Quickly trailing with their next few songs including “Louder Than Hell,” “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil” and “Too Fast For Love,” the Mötley Crüe members themselves never stopped to speak to the audience. Every small break between songs was strictly from the Circus Clown on the screens. It started to become a little uncomfortable and tension was rising within the audience. Mötley Crüe had yet to interact with the fans, not even a simple hello. As time progressed they continued down their setlist including hits such as “Looks That Kill” and “Too Young To Fall In Love,” and finally, they began to make small conversation to get the crowd excited. “All we gotta do is blow the f*king roof off this place,” Nikki Sixx the bass guitarist shouted, “All you gotta do is follow this fist and this voice.” Immediately rallying the crowd with two sentences Mötley Crüe kicked off “Primal Screech” and shook the ground and lawn of Cynthia Woods Pavilion.
A moment of gratitude
As the songs continued more and more fans began to sit down, losing the spark and energy within the stadium. At the end of “Home Sweet Home” Sixx began a very long monologue directed for the fans. “We think of you guys every f*ing day… We work for you, we come here for you,” he expressed on the band’s behalf the amount of gratitude they withhold for their fans. “I’m gonna miss you guys one day,” the rest of the band members joined in to share some heartfelt moments before John 5 rips a long guitar solo. This is where the fans really kicked their feet up, Mötley Crüe went back to back with more hits showcasing “Live Wire,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” “Dr. Feelgood,” and to finish the night off, they ended with “Kickstart My Heart” and the crowd left Mötley Crüe with the loudest applause they could have asked for.
The importance of artistry
Throughout the night Mötley Crüe held to the high expectations of their concerts, they were visually engaging, performed flawlessly and considerably interactive with the fans. The most disappointing aspect about this concert, however, was the immense use of AI for all their visual screen displays. I don’t want to discredit the performance as a whole for this mark, though I do believe it is a very important factor to take in. We are currently living and influencing a world where AI is completely washing out artists as a whole. Though it may not be prominent in the music industry yet, it is on the uprise. And unfortunately, digital media and fine artists are beginning to lose opportunities due to society’s ignorance. This concert is just one of the numerous examples of how society has lost touch with artists, and it is extremely bewildering to see this from artists themselves.
Additionally, be sure to check out other articles on stage performances, concerts, and much more on the Cooglife website.
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