Text by: Stephanie Souza
One of the most popular alternative rock groups of the 90s/2000s, Incubus returned to Brazil just eight months after their last performance in the country, at Rock in Rio, in September 2024. Fans of all ages, from different cities and with different tastes, gathered at the giant Espaço Unimed concert hall in the Barra Funda neighborhood of São Paulo.
There was no opening act, which only heightened the anxiety during the pre-show wait. The plan was simple and straightforward: to play Morning View (2001) in its entirety and revisit the band's career hits.
While some bought merchandise, others fought for the prime spot at the barrier. Bands like The Cure, L7, Distillers, Blur, and B-52s played on the turntables, in a vain attempt to calm the crowd down for the show. After a 20-minute delay, Incubus took the stage.
In an incredible light show, Nicole Row guided the start of the show on her bass, kicking off the album (and the show) with the famous “Nice To Know You” — Nicole was the last member introduced to complete the current Incubus lineup, replacing Ben Kenney Mike Einziger 's guitar Chris Kilmore 's mixing . The band, by the way, has an enviable rapport between its members, who exude charisma: Brandon Boyd repeated a heavily accented “thank you” at the end of each song.
“Wish You Were Here” was the first hit of the night, exploding the venue in a shower of hands that followed the rhythm of the music and voices that sounded as one. The lasers were also a show in themselves, appearing in several different songs, such as “Just a Phase” — which featured incredible backing vocals from Nicole. On the screen, the band made extensive use of psychedelic images and Windows Media Player-style designs.
In a brief acoustic moment, “Blood on The Ground” and “Mexico” were played center stage, with a single light illuminating Brandon, Nicole, and Mike. The fact is, the handsome vocalist has aged well, not only vocally, as he elicited screams from fans who crowded the barrier trying to get closer to the singer. At the end of the acoustic set, “Warning” and “Echo” returned with a bang, followed by “Are You In?”, whose chorus was accompanied by a loud sing-along from the audience. “Under My Umbrella” featured a small excerpt from the hit “Umbrella” by singer and businesswoman Rihanna .
“Aqueous Transmission” uses many elements of traditional Eastern music, and the performance was no different: Mike replaced the guitar with a Chinese instrument called a pipa , a kind of lute with a calm and pleasant sound. Brandon magically ended the song by playing a tam-tam – another Chinese instrument – bringing Morning View's performance to a close. In a few words, the vocalist thanked everyone: “Thank you for being here and thank you for letting the album and the band be a part of your spirit.” With a sense of accomplishment, it was time for the group's biggest hits.
“Anna Molly”, “The Warmth”, “Vitamin”, and “Dig” made the house vibrate with every note, leading the performance to a perfect end. A short cover of Portishead was also part of the encore, making way for the band's two biggest hits: “Pardon Me” and, obviously, “Drive”. The two-hour show ended on a note of gratitude, nostalgia, and surrender. Incubus is comfortable, soothing, it has a scent, a presence. The feeling that lingered was like having taken a long car trip to the coast, feeling the wind on your face and the smell of sea air.
Check out the photos by Marcela Lorenzetti :
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