Playlist Rewind: Scott Weiland and Big Bang TV at TLA

While Phillyist found Big Bang TV to be a pleasant surprise, one thing the audience could agree on is that they wanted to rock—hard—and these guys weren't bringing it. There was a "Freebird" heckler one song into the set, and the crowd began chanting "STP" one song later. You gotta remember: these are the types of guys who are probably still knockin' boots to "Wicked Garden" and "Sex Type Thing." In fact, one guy standing next to us proclaimed Big Bang TV was the "worst opening act I have ever seen." However, this guy looked like the 40-Year Old Virgin with flannel—literally, a grunge has-been who has never known the touch of a woman—so we don't take his taste in music too seriously.

Though the crowd had to wait, they weren't disappointed.

Weiland strutted out to massive applause and began with three songs from his new solo album, Happy in Golashes. The crowd went with Weiland on the new material, which was more like crooning than the bull-horn-aided fuzz that helped sell Stone Temple Pilots eight million records in 1992. Now 41 years old, Weiland's voice has matured, not aged. He can still hit all the same chords and his voice is more melodic now, an instrument far superior to those of his traveling rhythm section.

These ballads, one of which featured the lyric "you are the apple of my eye," were all well and good, but when the band went into the opening notes of "Vaseline," the crowd went nuts. Weiland ripped into the song with the fervor we all remember from the mid-90s, ending the song with a scream that was half Steven Tyler, half David Draiman, which sent the crowd into such hysteria that the band had to wait a minute before they began playing their next song.

Another element of Weiland's charisma that hasn't tempered with age is his dancing. Now anyone who knows STP knows one thing: Weiland's got some moves. We saw STP live for the first time in 2000, and Weiland's gyrations and displays of flexibility were unlike anything we had ever seen onstage outside of Cirque du Soliel. We can only describe Weiland's moves Friday night as part Moonwalk, part Mashed Potato, and part Electric Slide. Phillyist must admit: we were in awe, and somewhat entranced.

Weiland played a handful more STP songs throughout the night, including "Interstate Love Song," "Atlanta," and "Unglued." The crowd's energy clearly grew with every jaunt back to the 90s—including the hit "Barbarella" from his 1998 album 12 Bar Blues—but his new material wasn't too shabby either. Close your eyes and you might think you were at a David Bowie show—he even did a rendition of "Fame" that was quite skilled, though he prefaced it by saying they had only rehearsed it once before.

However, there was one big piece we were yearning for by the end of the concert—the DeLeo brothers. This guitar and bass duo were the perfect complement to Weiland while in STP: quiet finesse, not too showy, providing Weiland with an open canvas to display his eccentricity, emotion, and charisma. While Weiland's drummer killed it, the lead guitarist was out of his element, showing up Weiland on numerous occasions in the name of getting his guitar solo. To start, the guitarist looked like this guy. No joke. Second, there were times during the STP songs when the guy couldn't even hit the notes that Dean DeLeo wrote 10-15 years before. Third, when he finally found a note that he could hit, he took center stage and made the classic constipated face when guitar players strain to hit the boss notes. I got news for you, buddy: this song is NOT about you. People didn't pay $30 per ticket to see you. You're only playing for crowds of this size and energy level because of Weiland. You are BACKUP for one of the most successful hard rock frontmen of the 90s. Start acting like it.

We were thrilled to see Weiland back in his element, feeding off the energy and the crowd and loving every second of it. We wish him well in his sobriety, and cannot wait to hear the new material STP produces when they return to the studio.

Image credit: Flickr user Napalm filled tires.