CARNIVORES TOUR FEATURING LINKIN PARK, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, & AFI @ XFINITY CENTER, MANSFIELD, MA – Aug. 16, 2014

By Justin Perry

I can still remember the day my friends and I first heard that 30 Seconds to Mars and Linkin Park had scheduled a summer tour together. The texts were flying back and forth, and there wasn’t even a small chance we we’re going to miss it. Both of these bands are epic in so many ways ~ and then to later find out that AFI was going to be on the bill also … the summer couldn’t come quick enough.

So, as the date approached, I listened to more and more of each band’s most recent releases, as I often do before shows to familiarize myself with “the new stuff.” Quick summary: Linkin Park went back to their roots, harder driven than recent albums; 30 Seconds to Mars’ latest effort is even larger sounding than their last release ~ huge anthems, great for crowd interaction; and AFI put out what seemed like a break-out album, full of radio hits, even though the band has been around forever.

And I must say, AFI was a great choice for an opener. Their sound fits right into the whole genre of the tour. The crowd’s response was super positive when it realized it knew the words to a lot of AFI’s popular tracks, which have seen plenty of radio play. I overheard people say, “I didn’t know they played this tune” while still looking around for friends and finding their seats.

Once it was time for 30STM to hit the stage, there were already flags with the 30STM logo flying high throughout the audience (supplied by the band for production value ~ awesome touch). The lights went down, and with the appropriate intro build up, out ran Jared Leto. Described by Wikipedia as being an actor, singer-songwriter, musician, director, producer, activist, philanthropist and businessman,  Leto has a massive presence. Everyone was a little starstruck, and there’s no mistaking Leto’s showmanship. He commands the audience’s attention by running all over the amphitheater! And as the crowd sang along to all the ballads with hands waving in air, confetti and balloons flew. Finally, they invited a huge group of fans join them onstage for the encore “Closer to the Edge.” 30STM played a nice long set, too. I remember telling myself this concert was worth the ticket price already, and the headliner hadn’t even started!

Just as the crowd started getting restless between acts, Linkin Park exploded onto the stage.  It immediately became apparent why this band can headline a tour of this magnitude with such amazing opening acts… quite simply, the members of LP are musical experts. Their sound has been polished, and has become more and more massive over the years of award-winning albums and relentless touring.

Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda’s vocals complement each other perfectly. Which reminds me of the question I ask myself after every LP show: How does Bennington sing so hard every night?!? I mean, this guy has veins popping out of his forehead every time he screams out one of those long-held notes, which ~ thankfully ~  happens 523 times per set! I realized this time, he would be in big trouble without Shindoa holding down half the vocal parts. You begin to realize this band has two really good lead singers … that alone is something almost unheard of these days.

While technically LP is touring in support of its latest release, The Hunting Party, the band pleased the crowd with many of its No. 1 singles from its five previous albums, as well. These guys have plenty of amazing material to pull from, and it’s apparent when you notice everyone around you is singing every word at the top of their lungs!

I don’t think I saw one disappointed fan all night … the combination of incredible acts on this tour definitely made it one of the best of the summer!

SETLISTS
LP – www.setlist.fm/setlist/linkin-park/2014/xfinity-center-mansfield-ma-43cec327.html
30STM – www.setlist.fm/setlist/thirty-seconds-to-mars/2014/xfinity-center-mansfield-ma-3ce3907.html
AFI – www.setlist.fm/setlist/afi/2014/xfinity-center-mansfield-ma-7bcec200.html
Photos of Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds to Mars from the Carnivores tour (photos by Justin Perry):

Photos of Linkin Park and Thirty Seconds to Mars from the Carnivores tour (photos by Justin Perry):