Scott Weiland Slithers at Highline Ballroom [11/26/12]

If there’s a theremin and keyboard on stage for an artist that you’ve never heard use either before, prepare yourself for a trip to crazy town.

Scott Weiland played the Highline Ballroom last night. Let’s start with a sobriety check. Over the years we’ve seen Weiland in Stone Temple Pilots, solo, and Velvet Revolver. Last night he seemed slightly more sober than usual. By no means are we claiming he was or was not under the influence of mind-altering chemicals, but he was able to stand up on his own and tell fewer, slightly more cohesive albeit rambling stories between songs.

Along with a band of hired guns, the set began with a jam session that involved Weiland playing the theremin. Yes, you read that correctly. He kicked off a show that included the phrase “playing 20 years of greatest hits” in the description with something other than an STP song.

Here’s a sample of crowd response to this decision.

“What the fuck is this?” - Crowd member after opening jam

“Why?!” - Crowd member upon hearing Weiland telling the crowd that on this tour, they would be playing new sets every night and including songs that people have never heard

Apparently the majority of the crowd, including us, arrived expecting to hear a predominantly Stone Temple Pilots set. Did everyone else forget about the album of Christmas standards that Weiland released last year too?

To be honest, this reporter did not make it through the entire show. If you’ve seen Spinal Tap, think back to the scene where they start playing free form jazz during their set. That was the level of awkward.

We do wish we had stayed for Barbarella though.

The show wasn’t all disaster. Weiland proved once again that he is a vocal chameleon. He was able to bounce between rock numbers and lounge-esque tunes with ease. Impressive, but a bit confusing to an audience expecting to hear some classic tunes and were instead treated to an avant-garde set list of randomness.

Our main takeaway from the night was Scott Weiland’s recipe for Tuna Burgers as told during a flashback to STP’s first cross country tour:

• canned tuna fish
• breadcrumbs
• mayonnaise

Full set list:

• Opening Jam
• Crackerman
• Paralysis
• Killing Me Sweetly
• Black Again
• Desperation #5
• Mockingbird Girl
• First Kiss On Mars
• Do It For The Kids
• California Jam/ mountain song
• Art School Girl
• Can’t Stand Me Now
• Lounge Fly
• Barbarella
• Vasoline
• Unglued