WAKE UP! System of a Down is currently playing a handful of shows on the West Coast, their first U.S. gigs in THREE years, and it all kicked off with a 30-song performance on Saturday, October 13th in San Bernardino, California. If you tuned into our setlist psychic before the weekend started, then you can attest for our accuracy. SOAD did indeed open up with deep cut "Innervision," followed by "Prison Song."
The rest of the set was teeming with cuts from each cornerstone of the nu-metal pioneers' career. They were one of headlining the acts of a six-band bill at the sold-out Glen Helen Amphitheater, other acts included: Incubus, Clutch, At the Drive-In, Skeletonwitch and Pallbearer. The night fired off with high energy as they snowballed through thrashing hits like "I-E-A-I-A-I-O," the "Soldier Side" intro and "B.Y.O.B."
Other highlights in the set included “Toxicity,” “Chop Suey,” “Lost In Hollywood,” “Hypnotize,” and "Aerials." The Glendale-based band gave around 40,000 fans a taste of just about everything from their five album catalog. Watch fan footage and check out the setlist below.
As you can see, the band have preserved their perfected intensity over the years; they've hardly even cracked! Vocals, guitar riffs, and rhythm remain unscathed. The next day they headed up to Sacramento for a headlining performance at Aftershock Festival. They crafted their setlist to be more "fest-friendly," but it was still a whopping 22-songs long, and they added in "Roulette," making it the first time they've played it this year. You can peep photos of that later this week in our Aftershock Festival gallery!
SOAD still have three dates to play, tomorrow they head to Phoenix, Arizona, then back to California for a gig in San Diego, and conclude October 19th in Las Vegas. Head to their website for more info.
