Houston Celebrates Thirty Years Of Korn

Sunday night Houston metalheads gathered within the grounds of the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for the highly anticipated show featuring legendary bands Korn, Gojira, and Spiritbox. I haven’t seen a lineup this badass in a hot minute, so to say I was absolutely thrilled to be able to be there and cover it, is obviously an understatement. The hours before those pavilion doors opened seemed like forever, I’m pretty sure I drove myself crazy checking the time every five minutes waiting to grab my gear and drive my happy-ass across town. Never thought I would see the day where I was actually excited about sitting in traffic…because at least I would still be on my way to the show! That’s just the level of excitement these three incredible bands can do to a fan-girl like me. Once I arrived, I couldn’t even believe what I was seeing with my own four eyes… literally a line up to the entrance gates… and you’re probably thinking, “Well obviously there is going to be a long line to get in” considering it was an almost sold out show, but this wasn’t the case. This was the already formed line all the way from the merch booth….. To the entrance gates. Yeah. You read that right. At LEAST two hundred people in that line. I’ve absolutely never seen that before in my life of going to shows, it was bonkers to witness.

Spiritbox kicked off the night with intense riffs, powerful growls, and boundless energy as they performed a six-song setlist featuring tracks like “Jaded,” “Soft Spine,” and my personal favorite, “Holy Roller.” They commanded the stage, feeding off each other’s vitality and rage, which the crowd eagerly absorbed. Spiritbox has grown so much since I first covered them in 2022, which isn’t even that long ago, but it goes to show they have been busting their ass’s ever since… their fan base has even tripled in size since then, so it’s obvious they are only going to get bigger and bigger. Which is well earned and well deserved.

Next up: French Metal gods Gojira… Man, where do I even start with these dudes? By far one of the best bands on the planet right now in my honest opinion. I’ve been a huge fan since the very first time I heard them… I was instantly hooked. If you’ve never been to a Gojira show, you haven’t even lived yet. Dead serious. Blasting guitar riffs, the absolute iconic drumming from Mario, and lots and lots of FIRE. Gojira will straight up chew you up and spit you right back out within a matter of minutes of playing. As i was watching their performance i looked over to see other people in the crowd’s reaction and so many of them were just completely in a trance. Jaw dropped onto the floor, trance. Their twelve-song setlist featured a great mix from their catalog, including “The Axe,” my all-time favorite “Backbone,” “Flying Wales,” and even “Mea Culpa (Ah! Ça ira!),” the song they played for the world at this year’s Olympics. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed that their set was so short…you know, because I’m selfish and always want more…but they packed the perfect selection into those twelve songs. Gojira never fails to blow my mind every time I get to see them, and they’re one of those bands I refuse to ever miss.

Now, it was time for what most had come to see. Straight outta Bakersfield, California… Nu-Metal guru’s KORN! They were here, determined, and ready to FSU. This was the first time all night the merch line wasn’t completely packed. For obvious reasons…who would miss Korn’s grand entrance? But still, I was shocked by how constant that line was throughout the whole show. People are committed to getting their Korn merch, and honestly, I respect that. As many know, I’ve been a longtime fan of these guys since I was about ten. Korn’s debut album, which they’re here celebrating thirty years of, came out a year after I was born. With both my mom and dad being metalheads, it was destined that I’d love it just as much as they did. Korn played a massive seventeen-song setlist, spanning from their older albums to newer hits, and they did not disappoint. Every single song was an absolute banger. Tracks like “Dead Bodies Everywhere,” “Good God,” “Ball Tongue,” and “Clown” blasted through the pavilion, igniting circle pits and headbanging all around. I’d never seen a crowd this wild before…the energy in that place was the most electric I’ve ever felt at a show. Everyone was singing along, living their best lives. Myself included!

Frontman and complete legend Jonathan Davis, in true JD fashion, brought out his iconic bagpipes and, at one point, had the crowd sing along to “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Korn ended their set with “Twist,” “Make Me Bad,” and the crowd-pumping “Y’all Want a Single,” before giving us encore favorites: “Falling Away from Me,” “Oildale,” and, of course, “Freak on a Leash.”

As I expected, Korn indeed brought all of the chaos, all of the rage, and all of the throwback jams to celebrate thirty MF years of KORN.