REVIEW/PHOTOS: Limp Bizkit ‘Still Sucks?’ Wilkes-Barre fans beg to differ at fun, crowd-pleasing concert
What does the ’90s most divisive band do when they’ve passed middle age? Well, they embrace their “Dad Vibes” and keep on rollin’, baby.
On Saturday, May 7, following performances by $NOT, Wargasm UK, and Scowl, vocalist Fred Durst meandered onto the stage of the Mohegan Sun Arena at Casey Plaza in Wilkes-Barre Township in denim mechanic overalls with chin-length gray hair (an obviously funny wig) swaying under a backwards baseball cap. Taking a seat in his old man recliner, he took a call on his cordless landline. Then he noticed the audience. Time for the show.
Guitarist Wes Borland – in a white-on-white suit and black half mask covering the top of his face and signature black contacts, looking like Moon Knight’s evil doppelganger – began the nu metal band’s surprise comeback hit “Dad Vibes” as the rest of the group appeared under a towering inflatable housewife, complete with vacuum and cigarette, from the cover of their 2021 album “Still Sucks” that this tour is named after.
The band that everyone loves to hate can really play! Borland has long been known as one of the best rock guitar players of his generation, and Sam Rivers and John Otto are a powerhouse rhythm section – even casual fans were surprised and impressed. Limp seems to have left behind the controversy they stirred up in the early 2000s, only holding onto the fun side of their sophomoric sense of humor, and this show was indeed fun. There was a genuine air of joy around the musicians and the crowd as they pogoed, crowd surfed, and moshed to hit after hit like “Rollin’,” “My Generation,” “Nookie,” “Re-Arranged,” and set closer “Take a Look Around.”
It was clear that Durst really loves the fans and he was not going to let anyone leave without a big smile. He brought a kid up on stage to dance to audience request “Full Nelson” and a pulled a guy out of the crowd to perform a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing in the Name.” The dude killed it, earning a seat in Fred’s recliner for the rest of the concert.
Limp Bizkit did bits of pieces of other covers as well, starting with Pearl Jam’s “Alive,” and when another fan dissed the Seattle grunge heavyweights, Durst professed his love for them. Other partial covers included Pantera’s “Cowboys from Hell” and Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit” while DJ Lethal sprinkled in Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Backstreet Boys between songs like they were back on MTV’s “TRL.”
Early in the evening, Durst mentioned that they weren’t allowed to play “Break Stuff,” likely referencing their Florida show that was recently canceled due to “possible chaos,” but as the house lights went up, all of the opening acts gathered on stage as he said, “Let’s play what we forgot.” Borland dropped the famous opening chords as a circle pit opened up among the ecstatic fans who didn’t exit when the lights came on. It was a joyous aggression with only a minor bit of mayhem – they are a bunch of old fathers now, after all.
Limp Bizkit setlist, May 7, 2022, Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes-Barre:
Dad Vibes
Out of Style
Dirty Rotten Bizkit
Rollin’
Hot Dog
My Way
My Generation
Livin’ It Up
Pill Popper
Nookie
Full Nelson
Gold Cobra
Alive/Cowboys from Hell/Smells Like Teen Spirit (Pearl Jam/Pantera/Nirvana covers)
Re-Arranged
Killing in the Name (Rage Against the Machine cover)
Take a Look Around
Break Stuff
