Through thunder and lightning..

System of a Down, Jones Beach 8/5/12

Now, way back when in the beginning of August..
System of a Down's performance at the Nikon Theater on Jones Beach went on through the storm, to be a fantastic show. SOAD is a band that I have loved since I was in elementary school, and since I missed seeing them in 2006 had no clue if I would ever get an opportunity again to actually see them. I am so glad that they reunited, putting on this tour making it where I finally did get to see them.

The opening act was Deftones, who started out their set with decent weather. In the middle of their performance a huge, dark, and well ominous cloud was coming over the theater. Being in the highest section does make you worry about well, lightning striking with a black cloud quickly engulfing the entire sky and people mentioning tornado warnings (even though it's Long Island). Well it started poring in their set, but they continued through it. Myself and basically everyone in the stands headed in a bit for shelter, since lightning quickly followed the downpour. It became difficult to hear their performance over the rain, thunder, and crowd, but I give them props for playing through all that. Their set was the following:
01. Rocket Skates | 03. Be Quiet and Drive (Far Away) | 04. My Own Summer (Shove It) | 05. Digital Bath | 06. You've Seen the Butcher | 07. Fireal [First part only] | 08. Engine No. 9 | 09. Rosemary | 10. Change (In the House of Flies) | 11. 7 Words

There was probably about a half an hour between the end of Deftones' set and when SOAD came on, due to the extreme weather and the venue being outside. But still just imagine a dark cloud like this quickly heading over you during the opening act, when you are in the highest section (not highest seat, but still up there) of the Nikon Theater.

This was a show that I was really looking forward to, but once they started playing it really hit me of how much I loved listening to their music growing up, and just how much it meant to me finally getting to see them. That just made the show more special for me, despite the pouring rain, I am so very glad I got to see them. Now there aren’t too many concerts where I know all the words to every single song they play, but for System this was for sure and that just made me really happy. Now not including my sentimental connection to this show, they really put on a fantastic set. Some of the songs they varied how they played compared to the album, or even expanded some, which really added to it. Getting to hear all of their old songs, with their new additions and alterations was great. Plus they all just sounded great, and the whole crowd loved it. Worth every second of getting soaked in the rain.

Their set consisted of:
01. Prison Song | 02. Soldier Side - Intro | 03. B.Y.O.B. | 04. Needles | 05. Deer Dance | 06. Radio/Video | 07. Hypnotize | 08. Question! | 09. Suggestions | 10. Psycho | 11. Chop Suey! | 12. Lonely Day | 13. Bounce | 14. Kill Rock 'n Roll | 15. Lost in Hollywood | 16. Forest | 17. Mr. Jack | 18. Holy Mountains | 19. Aerials | 20. Tentative | 21. Cigaro | 22. Suite-Pee | 23. War? | 24. Sultans of Swing (interlude) [Dire Straits cover] | 25. Toxicity | 26. Sugar