Nickelback: Live at Sturgis 2006

Depending on whom you ask, Nickelback represents a lot of things to a lot of people. To some, they’re the frontrunners of the national rock scene to date; a Rosetta stone if you will, a benchmark by which all other bands looking to break big measure their success. To others, they’re little more than radio rock drivel, exploiting the success of seeming pioneers who, themselves, did little more than regurgitate the same chords ad nauseam, while using gold plated divining rods to find the most lucrative methods. All opinions aside, these guys know their audience.

Headlining shows follow a general formula: you take a big name band, throw ‘em on stage with some fireworks, put up a half interesting backdrop to give the nosebleeders something to not feel gypped, crank it to eleven and spark a joint. The major problem with this band and the concerts they put on is that they so seldom stray from this mold. Being upheld to journalistic integrity, I can’t lie; I really don’t like Nickelback or anything that they represent. In the same vein, however, I have to admit, Chad Kroeger and his merry band of 90s kickbacks can put on a pretty decent show.

Outdoor concerts are a hard beast to tame; the amount of x-factors a production team has to prepare for are astronomical, and trying to film one for mass marketing purposes takes this challenge to a completely different level. Being viewed by the type of person who went out and bought the Woodstock ’99 DVDs, this show had some shoes to fill and I must admit that it didn’t disappoint. The sound quality was absolutely astounding, and while not on par with studio work, it was definitely well mixed and wonderfully recorded. The camera work is painfully generic, but when even the guitarists look bored, it’s easy to realize that there isn’t a whole lot outside of tits and fire to film, and even that gets old after the first three songs. Despite the few shining moments of quality showmanship, the performance was uninspired as a whole, and while Kroeger definitely caters to the fans who trudged out to see him, the rest of his band seems like they’d rather be catching some HBO in their junior suites. 

Packaged with a lackluster list of DVD extras, most of which can be found on youtube with a little bit of diligence, this release is definitely for the more devoted end of the fan spectrum. Marketed at the nominal price of $15, you’d be better served to just grab a ticket the next time these guys decide to bless your town with their presence. 

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