The arena juggernauts are back on top just when rock music needs them most
Last night in the heart of New York City, Creed made their triumphant return to the Madison Square Garden. The arena rock juggernauts last played the legendary venue more than two decades ago. After not touring for the last 12 years, the band plotted their comeback back in the spring. With an overwhelming response, Creed continued to add dates to the tour. While there are still a few shows left on the run, it feels as though the band reached their reunion’s pinnacle with the sold-out stand at the world’s most famous arena. Over the last decade, rock music has been fighting to stay off life support. More recently, the genre has been enjoying a renaissance of sorts, with new acts like Ghost, Måneskin, and Greta Van Fleet enjoying mainstream success, and veteran bands like My Chemical Romance mounting sold-out comebacks.
Creed have climbed to the top once again at time when rock music needs them the most, and last night’s stand at Madison Square Garden was the crown jewel of their comeback.
Check out our full live photo gallery below, plus the setlist from the evening.
Even before doors opened, there was a buzz around The Garden. Fans lined up outside the venue before doors even opened. It felt like more than just a concert – it was an event. A pop culture moment that wasn’t to be missed, something that hard rock concerts have somewhat lost in recent years; an undeniable energy that this is the place to be.
As fans started to roll in, Mammoth WVH took the stage first and got the evening’s festivities off to a tremendous start. The group, let by Wolfgang Van Halen, are by no means a metal act, but their music is still stacked with plenty of riffage to keep even the most extreme headbanger content. They opened up with “Another Celebration at the End of the World,” the lead single from their sophomore LP, Mammoth II. From there, they made the most of their six-song set and likely won over a few new fans.
Other highlights included “You’re to Blame” and “Like a Pastime.” They wrapped things up with their fist-pumping anthem, “Won’t Back Down.”
Mammoth WVH had a mammoth year in back in 2022. The Wolfgang Van Halen outfit released its debut album, and the lead single “Distance” received a GRAMMY® nod for Best Rock Performance. Last year, they toured alongside Alter Bridge on their Pawns & Kings Tour, and also mounted some headlining jaunts of their own. After touring relentlessly and putting out a second album, Mammoth WVH most recently served as special guests simultaneously for two of the biggest bands on the planet – Metallica and Foo Fighters. All the hard work is paying off in a big way, and they’re helping keep the flame of rock ‘n’ roll lit and burning bright.
Again on this tour – as with all shows prior – Mammoth WVH’s set did not include any Van Halen tracks, nor should it have. Wolfgang Van Halen played bass for the iconic group his father founded from 2006 to 2020. Now, Wolfgang has set out to establish his own place in the rock world since Eddie’s unfortunate passing in 2020 at just 65 years old – and he’s doing a damn fine job of it. He isn’t riding his father’s coattails to stardom, and the material he’s cranking out on his own has some serious weight to it.
Rock mainstays 3 Doors Down got their set rolling with one of their more straight-ahead rockers, “Train.” From there, the always reliable chart-toppers proceeded to play a train of their biggest hits right in a row. They cranked out “It’s Not My Time,” “Loser,” “Duck and Run,” “Here Without You,” and “Let Me Go” – all of which were Top 10 hits for the band, including the set starter “Train.” In fact, the group’s full set boasted four No. 1 hit singles.
Another highlight from the performance was a brand new track, “Never Look Down.” 3 Doors Down released their last album Us and the Night back in 2016. It peaked at No. 14 on the Billboard 200. With the debut of “Never Look Back,” fans can certainly start to get excited about a new studio effort from the band.
They finished things off with two of the biggest songs in their catalog – their breakout hit “Kryptonite,” and the chart-topping “When I’m Gone.”
When the lights went down, the energy in the building was palpable. Chants of “Creed” started at a low rumble and escalated to a roar. They ripped right into “Bullets” as fire shot up across the entire stage. The ultra-heavy hit served as a perfect opening number, and a statement that Creed are back with full force.
From there, it as a barrage of hits spanning the bands entire career. Signature songs like “Freedom Fighter,” “Torn,” “Say I,” “One,” “With Arms Wide Open,” and more were incredible to hear live again. As a special treat, they added “Inside Us All” to the setlist. Sadly missing were songs like “Weathered,” “Faceless Man,” “Hide,” “Don’t Stop Dancing,” and others, but hopefully there is a next time, and they can dig a little deeper into their catalog.
The band’s meatier cuts like “Bullets,” “Are You Ready,” “What If,” and “Unforgiven” packed a powerful punch. They particularly highlighted Mark Tremonti’s insane riffage, further reinforcing the fact that he’s undeniable one of the greatest guitar players of all time. While they did an excellent job reinventing the power ballad with hits like “With Arms Wide Open,” Creed definitely to not get enough credit for their ability to bring the heavy. And, if you don’t believe it, you need to see for yourself when Tremonti is mid-shred with one signature Chuck Taylor sneaker on the monitor while sporting his trademark mean-mug. It’s a thing of head-banging beauty.
Since they announced their comeback, Creed have been going through quite renaissance. If you scroll, you’ll see reels and memes of the band splattered all over social media. There’s even a whole Instagram page dedicated to the band. Most of it is just light roasting out of love, but some are cheap shots, which is to be expected. It doesn’t make it any less weird, though. These guys were leading the charge during the last rock resurgence back at the turn of the millennium. They cranked out some of the biggest anthems of the last three decades, and still – along with Nickelback and a few others – continue to catch the brunt of baseless jokes from fake rock fans who wouldn’t know a good riff if it punched the right in the face. Regardless, the band is very relevant again. When you walk around the concourse and see the age range of fans at the shows, it’s evident that they are reaching the next generation.
Last night’s sold-out show at The Garden was no exception – Creed have been selling out venues around the country on this entire run. Their Summer of ’99 Cruise sold out so fast, the booked another one almost immediately, which also sold out. With the astronomical amount if tickets these guys have been moving, it’s absolutely shocking that they haven’t been booked at any major festivals. To be fair, we don’t have the inside scoop. Perhaps offers went out, and the band declined. Scheduling is also a factor, with Scott Stapp surely looking to book more solo dates to support his latest album. Mark Tremonti also has a new record on the way, with a European tour booked for January. More likely, though, it seems like Creed aren’t “cool” enough for totally bad-ass rock festivals. For some weird fuckin’ reason, no matter how many millions of records they sell or how many venues they pack, they’re still – unjustly – one of the genre’s few black sheeps.
Fuck it, Creed and Nickelback should team up for a stadium tour next summer and give a figurative middle finger to all the haters.
Another highlight of the evening was lead singer Scott Stapp’s inspirational narratives throughout the show. Playing off the subject matter of specific tracks, Stapp gave insight into certain songs and made it applicable to life, often drawing from his own struggles and experiences. It was uplifting, to say the least.
After “With Arms Wide Open,” Creed launched in to arguably their biggest hit – “Higher.” The track has become a full-fledged arena rock anthem, and the whole crowd belted out every word. With the fans needed just a bit more, Creed returned to the stage and treated them to the seminal hit “One Last Breath” before wrapping things up with their chart-topping 2001 single, “My Sacrifice.”
It is so good to see these guys back on the road. Some bands might just mail in a reunion tour cash the check, but not Creed. These guys are bringing it every single night, and they deserve their flowers once again. As rock and metal continue their uphill battle back into the mainstream, it’s huge to have torchbearers like Creed back on the road to represent.
Creed are closing out 2024 in a big way. The band recently plans for a New Years Eve run with very special guests Sevendust. The two storied groups will perform at the Choctaw Casino & Resort in Durant, Oklahoma, followed by a two-show stand at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada to cap off the year. Tickets are on sale now.
Creed recently released a brand new music video for their hit single “Are You Ready?” which features live footage and behind-the-scenes action from their current reunion tour.
The anthem “Are You Ready?” is the lead track from Creed’s watershed 1999 album, Human Clay. The band is currently celebrating the 25th anniversary of the record, which cemented them as certified superstars. It debuted at No.1 on the Billboard 200, where it remained for a record-breaking 104 weeks. The album’s first single, “Higher,” spent a whopping 57 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at No.7, and topping the Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts for 17 weeks. The 2x Platinum single “With Arms Wide Open,” became Creed’s first No.1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 — a spot it held for four weeks – and earned the band a GRAMMY® for Best Rock Song and a nod for Best Rock Vocal Performance.
To commemorate the occasion, the band just reissued the record on several limited edition 2-LP vinyl variants, as well as a deluxe 2-CD set. The original 11-track album, available on color vinyl for the first time, includes Gray Smoke (available wide), Black & Grey Splatter (exclusively via the official Creed store), Orange Smoke (Walmart),Red Smoke (Barnes & Noble), Gray Opaque (Revolver), and Black & Gold Marble (Spotify Fans First).
Arriving back on August 16, the deluxe 2-CD release features the newly remastered original album, plus a wealth of bonus material, including a complete, never-before-heard concert recording, captured in San Antonio, Texas in 1999. A deluxe digital edition of the album also features six additional bonus tracks, including alternate versions of “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open,” and a cover of the Doors classic “Roadhouse Blues” featuring the Doors guitarist and founding member, Robby Krieger (recorded live at Woodstock ’99). Fans who pre-save the album today can stream or download an advance 3-track EP, which offers “With Arms Wide Open (Live),” plus a rare acoustic performance of the same track and the newly remastered album version.
The release follows their multi-platinum Greatest Hits collection which debuted on vinyl last month. Originally issued in 2004 as a limited-edition pressing, the 13-track compilation spans the GRAMMY® and American Music Award-winning band’s first three albums (1997’s My Own Prison, 1999’s Human Clay, and 2001’s Weathered) and features such chart-topping singles as“Higher,” “One Last Breath,” “With Arms Wide Open,” and “My Sacrifice.” As a special bonus, the 2-LP set features an etching on Side D that mirrors the cover art. In addition to the standard black vinyl from Amazon, Greatest Hits can be found in a variety of limited exclusives, including Green Smoke vinyl (official Creed store), Orange Smoke (Craft Recordings), Red Smoke (Target), Gray Smoke (Best Buy), and Blue Smoke (Walmart). The collection is also available for streaming and digital download now.
Human Clay has sold over 11 million copies in the US alone, achieving a rare Diamond certification by the RIAA. In 2009, it ranked at No.5 on Billboard’s 200 Albums of the Decade roundup. Today, it remains one of the best-selling albums of all time in the US, while it has sold over 20 million copies worldwide.
Due to overwhelming fan response, the multi-platinum rockers recently added a second leg to their 2024 reunion tour. The new round of dates begins on November 2 at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and wraps up on December 5 at the Kia Center in Orlando, Florida. Very special guests for the run will be 3 Doors Down, Mammoth WVH, and Finger Eleven on select dates.
Back in April, Creed set sail on their highly anticipated Summer of ’99 Cruises. The venture marked the band’s first live performances in over a decade. On guitarist Mark Tremont’s 50th birthday, the band kicked things off appropriately with, “Are You Ready?” Fans on the sold-out ship definitely were. From there, it was a barrage of hits, featuring the likes of “Bullets,” “What If,” “Torn,” “With Arms Wide Open,” and more. They also pulled out the rare gem “Weathered,” which hadn’t been played since 2002.
They wrapped things up with their seminal smash, “Higher,” and sang “Happy Birthday” to Mark Tremonti. With the crowd wanting more, Creed returned for a two-track encore. They performed “One Last Breathe” and “My Sacrifice,” two hit singles from their 2001 chart-topping album, Weathered.
Check out fan-filmed footage from the show below and the full setlist HERE.
After the music cruises, platinum rockers Creed have taken their reunion on the road. The band launched the tour on July 17 at the Resch Center in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The run wrapped up on September 28 at Hard Rock Live at Etess Arena inside the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Very special guests for the trek were 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, Switchfoot, Tonic, Big Wreck, and Finger Eleven on select dates.
In addition to the headlining shows, Creed put on a special one-day festival dubbed Summer of ’99 and Beyond with 3 Doors Down, Daughtry, Finger Eleven, Fuel, Vertical Horizon, and The Verve Pipe on August 31 at the Glen Helen Amphitheatre in San Bernardino, California.
Until now, Creed had not toured together since 2013. Their last studio effort was 2009’s Full Circle, which featured the hit singles “Overcome” and “A Thousand Faces.” Since then, frontman Scott Stapp released his acclaimed third album The Space Between the Shadows in 2019. Guitarist Mark Tremonti churned out four Tremonti albums. Mark, along with fellow Creed members Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall, unleashed four more Alter Bridge albums including the masterful Fortress (2013) and their latest opus, Pawns & Kings (2022).
Scott Stapp released his fourth solo LP, Higher Power, back on March 15 thought Napalm Records. The album describes a metamorphosis forged by loss, frustration, betrayal and near defeat. The record also features stand-out performances by Dorothy, award-winning guitar great Yiannis Papadopoulos, and multi-GRAMMY® Award winning songwriter and musician, Steve McEwan, makes a co-writing appearance on the album.
Stapp says, “Higher Power was born out of never ending consequences with triggered, yet naive defiance,” Stapp says of the record. “It’s the realities and realizations of being human in this experiment we call life – holding onto hope in the dark waiting for the light.”
The GRAMMY® Award-winning Stapp released his last album, The Space Between the Shadows, back in 2019. Anchored by the hit single, “Purpose for Pain,” the record also featured fan favorites “Face of the Sun” and “Survivor.” The album debuted at No. 3 on the US Current Rock Albums chart, the U.S. Current Hard Music Albums chart, and the UK Official Rock and Metal Chart. It cracked the Billboard 200 at No. 137.
Mark Tremonti’s upcoming sixth album with his namesake group, The End Will Show Us How, is slated to arrive next January 10, 2025. So far, Tremonti has released three singles – “Just Too Much,“ “The Mother, the Earth and I,“ and “One More Time.” To celebrate the release, the group is heading overseas for a run across Europe and the UK starting on 14 January in Germany. In addition to general tickets, VIP + Soundcheck Access passes will also be available.
In addition to digital download, the forthcoming The End Will Show Us How will be available on CD, signed CD, marbled orange vinyl, splattered blue vinyl, and splattered red vinyl. All vinyl editions come with a signed cover art lithograph.
Tremont’s last solo effort was 2021’s Marching in Time. Released through Napalm Records, the disc hit No. 1 on the UK’s Rock & Metal Albums chart, and cracked the Billboard 200 at No. 184. Produced by frequent collaborator Michael “Elvis” Baskette (Alter Bridge, Falling In Reverse, Limp Bizkit), the album churned out four singles.
