Knotfest Roadshow brings perfect chaos to Peoria, Illinois

The Knotfest Roadshow brought their latest cross-country installment to the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois on April 7th. This leg of the annual tour featured the natural headlining performance by hardcore metal legends Slipknot, as well as support from In This Moment and Wage War. 

Jinjer was originally announced for the tour, but were forced to drop due to the ongoing Russian invasion taking place in their home country.

Openers Wage War paid homage during their set by dedicating their song “High Horse” to the Ukrainian band; it was the ultimate nod of solidarity, as fans in the lower bowl waved the Ukrainian flag as Briton Bond (vocalist) shouted the lyrics, “You wanna see a war? I’m here to settle scores.”

In This Moment followed up with a mind-blowing set that went above and beyond. Their set felt more like a theatrical rendition of their top hits, rather than just playing their songs in front of a live audience. Every part of the performance was intentional, from choreographed dances and several wardrobe changes to visual production that enhanced the storytelling aspect.

Slipknot ended the night with a set that was every bit as chaotic as one would expect from a band voted ‘Best Band In The World’ (by NME in 2020). For nearly two hours, the nine men that make up the band thrashed around the stage, slinging their instruments and throwing literal fire. They played some of their biggest hits that they likely perform in every city, such as “Psychosocial” and “Duality”, but there were also a few surprise tracks intermixed. Right before performing “Snuff”, frontman Corey Taylor told the crowd that this was the first tour with the full band in which the ballad made the setlist since its release 13 years ago. All-in-all, Slipknot put on an incredibly thrilling show.

Photography by Jayme Bigger

Share this article

or