PHOTOS: Stone Temple Pilots, Aztec Theatre, San Antonio

Stone Temple Pilots
Aztec Theatre, San Antonio, TX
October 2, 2019

Photography by Michael Mullenix

Rock icons Stone Temple Pilots brought a sold-out crowd to the Aztec Theatre in San Antonio on Wednesday, October 2, 2019. Almost immediately after the lights went down for the final time in the evening, brothers Dean and Robert DeLeo were already at the front of the stage riling up the anticipating crowd before kicking off the opening to “Silvergun Superman.” From there the band was on fire, packing a setlist of their top hits like “Plush”, “Dead & Bloated”, “Big Empty”, and “Vasoline”.

Two things made this show particularly noteworthy.  The first is the utter amazing intimacy of seeing a band with this kind of stage-presence in this venue.  The Aztec Theatre isn’t a small place by any stretch of the means, but the STP live show feels like it was tailor-made for big and booming arena shows. In the Aztec Theatre, it felt like a special occasion with these monumental figures of Rock history.

The second noteworthy point is the welcome addition of frontman Jeff Gutt. Stone Temple Pilots lucked out in finding a young, charismatic vocalist eager to restore this group to its halcyon heights.  Listening to him on newer tracks like “Meadow” and “Roll Me Under” make it clear that STP still has chapters yet to write and they have the right vocal cords to deliver it.  At the end of the night, the band closed out the evening on the dual hits of “Piece Of Pie” and “Sex Type Thing.”

PHOTO GALLERY

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SETLIST: Silvergun Superman, Wicked Garden, Vasoline, Crackerman, Meatplow, Big Bang Baby, Glide, Big Empty, Plush, Meadow, Down, Interstate Love Song, Roll Me Under, Dead & Bloated, Trippin’ on a Hole in a Paper Heart ENCORE: Piece of Pie, Sex Type Thing

Michael Mullenix

Growing up around the world, Michael developed a taste and appreciation for all styles of music. While studying film making at Boston University, he dove headfirst into a mosh-pit and never came out. It was in Boston that he combined his love of film and photography with his drive and passion for being a chronicler of the underground music scene. After graduation he headed to Los Angeles and for over a decade has worked with some of the top musicians and actors in the entertainment industry. Lured to Austin by the cultural explosion in the music and film scenes taking place there, he relocated two years ago and describes Austin as a cultural Shang Ri La!