Korn Goes Korporate in the O.C.

>> Fullerton, CA, October, 2004 >> Was Best Buy embracing an edgier image or is Korn trying to sanitize theirs?  The answer to that question wasn’t necessarily answered last night at Korn’s impromptu free show at the Fullerton Best Buy store to promote their latest best of release, Greatest Hits Volume 1.

With over two thousand fans in attendance, teens, twenty somethings and a few dozen parents in tow besieged this strip mall.  Although Korn is more accustomed to large arenas with tens of thousands of fans, they seem to embrace the fans and their parking lot surroundings. They performed in their usual high-energy pomp on a full sized stage where comfortable standing room was only available near the street curb. Overall, it was a mild mannered crowd and only a few crowd surfers made it across the barricade but never on stage. 

Lead singer Jonathan Davis and gang performed for about 45 minutes, playing their repertoire of hits including their cover of Cameo’s “Word Up,” which opened the show.  Davis wore his familiar black kilt, looking slightly pudgy but nevertheless with the stamina that allowed him bounce around and demonstrate his explosive intensity.  This brought the crowd into a temporary frenzy and highlighted the evening.

Korn was available for autographs afterward to a limited lucky group of 750 fans, many of who received their wristbands early that morning.  For most fans, this was a cool opportunity to see a band up close and right their hood.  To some extent, the edge that Korn represents was somewhat blunted with that big blue corporate logo in the background.  For this free show, no one seemed to mind.