Article & photos by: Linda Carlson
Cincinnati, OH – The summer continues to burn bright with touring bands making the rounds cross country. On this night, Incubus performed to an appreciative crowd at the Andrew J Brady Music Center, situated comfortably along the Ohio River.
Count Incubus among the many bands that were formed during high school through friendships and collaboration. Incubus was founded in 1991 while lead singer Brandon Boyd attended Calabasas (California) High School, joined by Michael Einziger (lead guitar) and Jose Pasillas (drums), all of whom remain in the band more than 30 years later. There are inevitable lineup changes, but Chris Kilmore (keyboards / turntable) and Ben Kenney (bass) have been with the band at least 20 years. Kenney, however, is not currently touring with the band as he recovers from recent surgery. Nicole Row is the touring bassist for this leg of the tour.
Incubus puts on a show that as visually rich as it is musically deep. The band’s offerings over the decades have spanned quite the range, from grunge to rock to pop to soul to techno, and an Incubus concert is a magical melding of these styles. Now add dramatic and ever-shifting lighting and a large LED screen showing trippy video of band members as they perform live overlaid with psychedelic graphics. It’s an immersive experience that, coupled with Boyd’s exceptional and dreamy delivery, make for an experience that is true Incubus.
The band played a set that tapped into nearly all their albums, leaning a bit more heavily on earlier fare (Make Yourself and Morning View). A cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together” was a good fit in this set.
- Magic Medicine
- Privilege
- Anna Molly
- Just a Phase
- Nice to Know You
- Absolution Calling
- The Warmth
- Make Yourself
- Karma, Come Back
- Come Together (The Beatles cover)
- Sick Sad Little World
- Echo
- Are You In?
- Pardon Me
- Stellar
- Dig
- Wish You Were Here
Encore:
- Vitamin
- Drive
Opening the night were Paris Jackson and Badflower. Jackson excels at both soulful ballads and heavy-hitting rock (including a Blind Melon cover), while Badflower’s high octane set was electric, with lead singer Josh Katz working the crowd expertly, even entering the crowd and mingling with fans. At one point, Katz asked whether the audience would welcome their return in the future with a longer set… they cheered.
This tour continues through August. In the fall, you can find Incubus at several music festivals. Check their tour schedule at https://www.incubushq.com/.
Be sure to check out the image carousel below for more photos from the show!