Thursday night the State Theatre will thump with the power of metal. Metal bands Saliva and Drowning Pool will make a stop in Starkville as part of their 2008 tour, which brings them to only two venues in Mississippi.
Memphis-based Saliva, who rocketed to stardom in 2001 with its single “Click Click Boom,” is headlining the event, with Drowning Pool slated to open the night.
The local background of Saliva and the notoriety of Drowning Pool was an immediate
draw for State Theatre manager Emilio Garma.
“We heard that Saliva and Drowning Pool were touring together and with Saliva being from Memphis, they have a big fanbase in this area and we wanted to bring them back close to home for their fans,” Garma said.
The bands both rose to notoriety in 2001 with their debut singles. Drowning Pool initially was at the center of controversy as its single “Bodies” was considered offensive in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Meanwhile, Saliva was making a name for itself and garnering fans on the stages of Ozzfest.
“I love both of the bands,” freshmen graphic design major Chelsey Bedwell said. “I really don’t have one favorite song from either. I just like the general sound of the band’s music.”
“I’ve been a fan of Saliva’s for about three years now. It’s exciting they are coming here.”
In 2002, Drowning Pool lost its original lead singer, Dave Williams, to heart disease, causing the band to run through a laundry list of frontmen before settling on current lead singer Ryan McCombs.
The loss of Williams almost caused a band breakup before settling with McCombs.
“We decided to keep the band going because if we didn’t it would put to rest everything we did with Dave,” said bassist Stevie Benton in a band statement following Williams’ death. “If someone in your family dies, you don’t change your last name. You just keep going.”
“We’ve been getting into these smaller clubs and letting people hear our sound with a new singer.” Pierce said.
Saliva also had to search for new members as disagreements with guitarist and founding member Chris D’Abaldo caused him to leave the band.
Now the bands are touring together behind their current albums.
“We’re out touring with Saliva, and we’re getting to see some new towns. A lot of the shows have been sold out,” said Drowning Pool guitarist C.J. Pierce. “We’ve always talked about doing shows together. So far it has been a good run.”
Saliva’s latest album, Blood Stained Love Story, was certified gold in 2007.
“I think we’ve all been through a blood-stained love story of one type or another,” said frontman Josey Scott. “It’s kind of a metaphor for how things can be a certain way for so long, and then within a day, they just change and you’re on this whole other path.”
The music of Drowning Pool and Saliva should be fairly familiar to even the most mainstream music listener as the bands’ songs have been featured in countless commercials and promotions.
Saliva’s “Ladies and Gentlemen” has been used in Playstation 3 commercials and as the theme for Discovery Channel’s show “Last One Standing.”
Also, Saliva frontman Josey Scott has collaborated with many other artists on projects such as the “Spider-Man” soundtrack with Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger on the song “Hero.” Scott also has numerous appearances on fellow Memphians Three 6 Mafia’s albums.
“Bodies,” the most famous single by Drowning Pool, has been used in many movies, television shows and commercials and most recently in trailers for the movie “Rambo.”
“I know them [Drowning Pool] just from their song ‘Bodies,’ but I’d still go to the concert just to check out their music,” said sophomore computer science major Brian Pace.