Stone Temple Pilots Rock Kelowna's Prospera Place

The buzz for Stone Temple Pilots at Prospera Place in Kelowna, BC, was palpable from 6 blocks away. As I drove in from the main highway, down the waterfront street, and into the venue parking lot, I could see many groups of people hurrying from parked cars towards the arena. As I too walked from my car to the venue, the buzz grew and I could overhear small pockets of excited conversations all around me.

Inside the venue, people scurried to find their seats. The choice spots at the front of the rail had already been scooped up by eager fans standing in line hours before show time. Even with those spots gone, the General Admission floor was filled nearly to capacity by fans anxious to be as close to the band as humanly possible. A group of girls at the front were wearing white t-shirts all with the same hand-lettered message for singer Scott Weiland. Others wore glow in the dark bracelets or necklaces, and many clutched plastic cups of adult beverages, which they readily raised high in exuberant toasts to the band about to hit the stage.

As the lights dimmed down, a cheer rose up from the waiting crowd and the band came out jumping into their first song, Silver Gun, with no hesitation and no grandstanding. The energy was intense on both sides of the rail; the band tossing it out to the audience who eagerly accepted it and tossed it right back, and then some. Despite the gulf between band and audience, Scott Weiland, and brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo (bass/vocals and guitar respectively) did their utmost to bridge the space reserved for security and any hapless body surfers tossed over the edge by exuberant friends. Drummer Eric Kretz also did his best to engage the audience from his raised drum pad, and the randomly patterned (and non-distracting) light show behind him helped focus attention on the band’s fourth member.

The opening song transitioned into the next with no breather, and the mood was set for the remainder of the night. Both band and crowd were determined to outlast each other but it was a draw – and both sides came out ahead. If you have a chance to see Stone Temple Pilots on this tour – go.

For more photos from the show, visit the Concert Gallery.

Review and Photos By Donna Mair, RockStar Weekly

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