On September 5, AFI, Thirty Seconds to Mars, and Linkin Park ripped through The Woodlands with the critically acclaimed Carnivores tour. Particularly interesting about this tour is the distinct sound of each band, likely bringing in fans that share little crossover.

However, after a night of brilliant musicianship, the figurative line separating the unique groups of fans certainly began to blur. After commanding the stage for a sum of over three hours, you’d be hard pressed to find a person in the crowd who wasn’t a fan of all three performances.

AFI

AFI opened up the evening at the ripe hour of 6:25PM. With many fans still in transit, stuck on the insufferable Interstate 45 or navigating around the slow old folks in the suburbs, AFI played to an arena at about half its capacity. Despite the early hour, AFI put on a performance as if it was 9:00PM and the house was packed.

Kicking things off with “The Leaving Song Part II,” Davey (vocals), Jade (guitar), Hunter (bass), and Adam (drums) brought an immediate energy to the venue. His stage presence as haunting as it is compelling, Davey compelled the attention of fans in attendance by pouring every ounce of emotion into each note he sang. Hunter and Jade swung their instruments in the air while twisting their bodies in circles. Adam set a beat that could be felt in your organs as the bass drum reverberated throughout the arena floor. Ascetically, the band could not have been more appealing. Yet, for all the movement and passion, the sound didn’t suffer a bit.

During “The Days of the Phoenix,” Davey left the stage to walk the aisle. Stopping about midway up the first section, he stood on a chair and held the final note before the break. As the audience drowned the singer with affection, he ran back to the stage and jumped high in the air. A throwback to a staple of live punk acts in the late 90’s, the song resumed like a crescendo when his feet touched the ground.

AFI has been one of the best live acts in music for two decades. Today, with added maturity and robust catalog of music, the AFI live performance is as good as ever.

Thirty Seconds to Mars

Did you know that Thirty Seconds to Mars frontman Jared Leto won an Oscar for his role in The Dallas Buyers Club? When he’s not the center of attention at the Academy Awards, Leto is making chart busting albums with his brother Shannon Leto and guitarist Tomo Miličević. On tour in support of the band’s latest effort, Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams, Thirty Seconds to Mars stole the show as the middle act of the Carnivores tour.

With smaller platforms erected high above the main stage, each musician had his own post. With large video screens in the background and confetti guns being used liberally in the direction of the crowd, the band was visually stunning. Clad in a long white coat, a “Holy Guacamole” t-shirt, a crown, and sunglasses, Leto projected a vibrant enthusiasm to the audience, and it was contagious. And, from the beginning of the set, he wanted to make sure everyone there was having a good time.

“Are you having fun out there?!” Leto proudly questioned the audience as he walked through the crowd mid-performance. “I’ll never forget this day. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”

As thousands hung on his every word, every note, and every movement, Leto brought a fan on stage.

“Are you freaking out out?” Leto asked the lucky fan. After explaining to the fans “she has a chance to take a selfie,” Leto put his arm around her and posed for a series of pictures just prior to the start of “Do or Die.” After Leto escorted the fan off stage, he returned with an American flag. “God bless the USA!” Leto exclaimed.

Fans in The Woodlands were in for a special treat. Toward the end of the set, Leto left the stage and setup shop in the stands with an acoustic guitar. Flanked by fans on every side, Leto rolled through samples of some of the band’s classic tracks. However, on this night, he was positioned in the crowd for something more important than music. Friends from the radio station 94.5 FM had challenged Leto to take the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. Just prior to removing his shirt and getting drenched in ice water, Leto challenged every fan in attendance to the same. As two giant buckets of water splashed through his hair and trickled down his chest, the deal was sealed and the challenge was set.

To close out the performance, Leto and company brought about 50 fans on stage. Leto enthusiastically reminded fans to enjoy themselves.

“Thank you Texas. This is our last song, so we’re going completely fucking apeshit if you don’t mind. Let’s have the best time of our lives!”

And that they did. Although the music sounded incredible, Thirty Seconds to Mars stood out because of the delivery. They’re all having the time of their lives, and it’s just as important to them that fans feel the same way. For a first timer, this performance was absolutely spectacular.

Linkin Park

Linkin Park had the daunting task of coming after two bad ass performances. After more than two hours of frenetic performances, Linkin Park would certainly be hard pressed to maintain the energy.

Just as the first member of the band took the stage, it was clear that Linkin Park would push the house speakers to capacity. With extremely loud bass and electronics powering through the arena, Linkin Park used brute force to keep the fans in attendance in the game.

Lead singer Chester Bennington exuded great passion and pain as he sang the notes to “Guilty All the Same” and “Given Up.” Clearly making every effort to give the fans in attendance his all, it was simply astonishing to see Bennington maintain such pace throughout the entire set. Yet, for all Bennington’s effort, it wasn’t until the fifth song of the night, “One Step Closer,” that the audience really got back into what was going on onstage. From that point forward, it was smooth sailing.

For the twenty-eight song setlist, Linkin Park performed shortened, extended, or otherwise modified versions of the band’s most popular tracks. Simply, it wasn’t a cookie-cutter performance of what fans have already heard on the records.

The Carnivores Tour was a blast. Although AFI and Thirty Seconds to Mars really stood out, Linkin Park continues to deliver better performances with every tour.

If you have the chance to catch this tour before it’s over, don’t miss it. If you can’t see this particular tour, find another way to see AFI and Thirty Seconds to Mars. They’ll absolutely blow you away.

Contact Robert at robert@starsandsatellites.com or @RobertSatellite on Twitter.