The second leg of the massive Knotfest Roadshow 2022 tour is close to wrapping up very soon. The first two legs of the tour have seen the band play 40 dates in arenas nationwide, and Slipknot have just announced an additional 9-date fall tour with Ice Nine Kills and Crown The Empire. I got a chance to catch them in Banner Springs, Kansas, at the Azura Amphitheater on a balmy Tuesday evening when they stopped in the area with Cypress Hill and Ho99o9.
Kicking things off was a three-piece outfit out of New Jersey, Ho99o9, blending elements of hip-hop, rap, and punk rock into a unique sound that took the Kansas crowd by surprise. It took a few songs into the set, but the audience eventually warmed up to the band’s over-abundance of energy on stage.
Following a brief intro from DJ Lord, the crew from Cypress Hill took to blazing the stage with a hat-trick of tracks that lit the crowd up. Starting with “I Wanna Get High”, B-Real and company quickly went on with “Dr. Greenthumb” and the classic “Hits From the Bong.” Missing from the gang was Sen Dog, who had to drop from the tour due to a medical emergency/surgery. Other highlights were crowd-favorite tracks like “When the Shit Goes Down” and, of course, “Insane in the Brain.”
On to the main event. Slipknot burst onto the stage with a literal bang, diving into “Disasterpiece,” from their 2001 sophomore effort, Iowa. Frontman Corey Taylor prowled the stage while Clown and Tortilla Man flanked each side of the stage, perched high on the scaffolding with the percussion kits. The band tore into “All Out Life”, followed by “Wait and Bleed” which featured some extensive pyrotechnics. There truly was no weak point in the setlist, even on slower tracks like “Snuff.” The Kansas crowd was roaring and singing along to nearly every song, as the nine-piece outfit delivered a memorable and ferocious performance. My favorites of the evening were “The Heretic Anthem,” “Spit It Out,” and “People = Shit,” the latter being one of the encore songs. They ended the evening with “Surfacing” off of their stellar 1999 self-titled debut album.
Slipknot and the Knotfest Roadshow is truly a feast for the senses to witness live. While there are only a handful of dates left on this second leg of the Knotfest Roadshow, additional dates have just been announced for a fall 2022 run on the tour. I highly recommend checking them out if they stop anywhere near you!
Photos by Thomas Woroniak Photography
