B.Y.O.B. and Children of the KoRn at Count's Vamp'd LV
- Aug 24, 2018
- 4 min read
On Friday, August 17th, a pair of local tribute bands teamed up to take over Count's Vamp'd and bring us the music of Korn and System Of A Down. The club filled up quckly and it was immediately apparent that this was going to be a special evening, with an energetic crowd, ready to rock out to both bands' top tracks.
B.Y.O.B. is a recently-formed System Of A Down cover band, taking their name from the first single off of SOAD's Mezmerize album. The initials stand for "Bring Your Own Bombs", and was written as a protest to the war in Iraq. The band consists of Dallas Williams (lead Vocals), Chris Iorio (guitar), Andy Gerold (bass), and Craig Nielsen (Drums). Their debut performance was back in April, at the House of Blues, and they were very well-received.
This evening kicked off with B.Y.O.B. taking the stage first and rolling right into "Suite-Pee", the opening track of System Of A Down's self-titled, certified platinum, debut album. A well-planned intro into the world of SOAD! From there they merged into "Forest", a track from SOAD's sophomore, certified triple-platinum album, Toxicity. Without pause they jumped back to a track from the debut album called "Ddevil", after which front-man Dallas Williams took a minute to greet the crowd and introduce the band. Dallas does a great job with the vocals, and definitely evokes the persona of SOAD front-man Serj Tankian, with his stage presence and mannerisms. Talented, young guitarist Chris Iorio has worked hard to emulate the distinct tones of SOAD's Daron Malakian. He even plays a white Gibson SG, similar to one of Daron's and, on this night, was sporting a black pea coat and fedora combo for which Malakian is well-known. At their previous performance he was repping the Las Vegas Golden Knights by wearing a Jonathan Marchessault hockey sweater. In the same manner, Malakian is often seen wearing an LA Kings hockey sweater. As a fan of both teams (no booing!), as well as that of SOAD, I can appreciate these little nuances. It emphasizes the band's commitment to bringing us fans into an experience that makes us feel as though we are seeing the real thing, in a much more intimate environment than would ever be possible. This was my third time seeing B.Y.O.B. and they have gotten better each and every time. B.Y.O.B. rocked their way through a 16-song set, finishing off with the Grammy-winning single for which they are named.
B.Y.O.B Set List:
Suite-pee
Forest
Ddevil
ATWA
Cigaro
Toxicity
Spiders
Needles
Hypnotize
Deer Dance
Jet Pilot
Lonely Day
Chop Suey
Sugar
Aerials
B.Y.O.B.
B.Y.O.B. Photos from Randy Udell / R U Rockin' Photos
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Next up was Children of the KoRn, a (locally) well-known group of very talented artists, who have been doing KoRn covers since August of last year. I first saw them perform, at this same venue, December of last year and I recall how singer Joel Floyd West really nailed the Jonathan Davis image. From the dread-locks, down to the kilt and ADIDAS sneakers, he was obviously immersed in his role. He even changed into an ADIDAS track suit toward the end of the show. The only thing missing was the bagpipes!
The rest of the band consists of Craig Nielsen on drums, Andy Gerold on Bass, and Dustin Turner and Dylan Dice handling the guitar duties. Dice is a recent addition, replacing Kevin Johnson who moved back to his hometown of Chicago, and this was Dylan's first public appearance with the band. He certainly fits into the KoRn image with his long dreads, as well as an abundance of tattoos, very much like that of Brian "Head" Welch. He also has his ESP LTD guitar (similar to the one used by Head) tuned down for heavy riffing. While bassist Andy Gerold neither looks like Fieldy of KoRn, nor does he play the same type of bass guitar, he definitely handles the low end in a manner that is unmistakably KoRn-like. Drummer Craig Nielsen has probably pounded on the house kit at Vamp'd more than any other drummer in town, and works the percussions in a manner that does justice to the skills of Ray Luzier. While Children of the KoRn have only been performing together for just over a year, and have endured changes at both bass and lead guitar, they elicit the iconic sound of KoRn like the original artists, and make you feel as if you are in the presence of those great musicians from Bakersfield, CA.
From start to finish, Children of the KoRn takes you on a journey through the discography of KoRn in a manner that is truly respectful of the original, all the while allowing you to enjoy it live in a small, club atmosphere. If you are a fan of KoRn's music then this group is a must-see.
Children of the KoRn Set List:
Shoots and Ladders
Blind
Need To
Divine
Clown
Twist
Adidas
Rotting in Vain
Got the Life
Falling Away
Faget
Coming Undone
Here to Stay
Lies
Freak on a Leash
Ball Tongue
B.Y.O.B. Photos from Randy Udell / R U Rockin' Photos
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Once again, special thanks to Korie Koker and Coun't Vamp'd for providing one of the best venues for live music in Las Vegas! Support your local music scene and go see a band at Count's Vamp'd!
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