Thousands of fans gathered Saturday night in anticipation to see Queens of the Stone Age take the stage in what would be known as the last rock show the landmark Los Angeles music venue, the Gibson Amphitheater, will ever host within its historic walls. Seeing as this legendary venue is being torn down for an extension to the next door theme park this September to use the space for some sort of Harry Potter attraction, fans were there to do one thing and one thing only – and that was to rock. 

The minute Queens walked upon the stage with nothing but the illumination of their silhouettes created by the 30 foot backdrop displaying a slimy hand (thanks to British artist Boneface) dragging across the screen and shattering the glass before breaking into Troy’s maraca owned opener “My God Is The Sun,” I felt my stomach drop and adrenaline take over. As the bright red and yellow lights intoxicated the venue and flashed to the heavy riffs, Josh took us “far beyond the desert road” and almost immediately threw us into Jon Theodore’s drumming as he took the spotlight when he led us into Songs for the Deaf’s “Millionaire” with a menacing guitar intro done by Josh. Followed by “No One Knows,” a song that oozes rock ‘n’ roll and pulsating bass, Josh finally greeted the audience for the first time that night and clapped alongside the crowd to Michael Shuman’s chilling bass solo after stating, “Because we’re all in this together tonight.”

At this point, the audience was pretty riled up so it only seemed right to continue the hypnotic streak with songs such as “Burn the Witch,” “Monsters in the Parasol,” and “Hangin’ Tree.” The set then slowly balanced out as it dived into mesmerizing songs like “Kalopsia,” “Long Slow Goodbye,” “…Like Clockwork,” “If I Had A Tail,” “Little Sister,” and “Smooth Sailing.” Smooth fucking sailing, let me tell you, is a great song as is on …Like Clockwork, but live? The manner in which they perform it along with the trance-like lighting and backdrop really does this song the justice it deserves. With Troy’s killer moves, Jon’s powerful drumming, Dean’s striking intensity, Mikey’s heavy bass/badass hair whips, and of course Josh’s Elvis-like groove, this band owned it.

The band then transgressed into the seduction that is “Make It Wit Chu,” “I Sat By The Ocean,” and “Better Living Through Chemistry.” With just the perfect mix of tunes that were both sweet and sour, the crowd was humming as well as head banging. The rockers performed the heavy single from Era Vulgaris titled “Sick Sick Sick,” before taking the time to introduce the band, or rather take a break for a drink. Josh introduced every member and joked “We’re NSYNC!” before jumping into “Go With The Flow.” Then, the Queens said goodnight and left the stage leaving fans wanting more as some punk-rock bunnies took over the giant screen – again, courtesy of the daunting Boneface. The crowd began chanting “Bunny!” before the rock ‘n’ rollers returned for an encore that continued the show with ballads such as “Vampyre of Time and Memory.”

The badass-ery that accompanies this band is all tied in to each individual’s stellar talent. Every member had the spotlight at least once throughout the show. This illustrates just how delicate and well put together these guys and their performances are. Take for example, “Vampyre of Time and Memory,” it was great to see Dean center stage on guitar while Josh is on piano. The ability to adapt to any role given is what makes this multi-talented band so interesting to watch. You simply don’t know where to look.

The night was so full of ruthless and melodic guitar solos that varied in rhythm and tempo that it truly seemed like a journey in which everyone in the venue underwent together as we all got to witness firsthand just how far QOTSA have come, expanding their horizons and truly pushing the limits of rock.

Being in the pit jamming alongside some of the most diverse faces proved how much Queens have grown both in their sound and among their ever loyal LA fan base.

The band ended the evening with the somber and soulful song “I Appear Missing” followed by an intense, crow-filled, hypnotic finale of “A Song for the Dead.” The energy was give and take. From great lighting, to a great sound, to a great crowd, and an astoundingly diverse setlist, the show was an unbelievably emotional musical experience. Queens of the Stone Age rocked that place. As usual. Farewell Gibson.