Creed showed Hidalgo a good time

Creed, the rock band who ruled the airwaves of the '90s, made a comeback with its reunion tour this summer and fall, and set the stage on fire Tuesday night in Hidalgo - literally.

Leave it to a band who was larger than life to bring back arena rock and the pyrotechnics loved by all.

As fog filled the stage and green lights slowly circled, the excitement in Dodge Arena grew. Scott Stapp stepped out to cheers and chants from the audience - oh, how the Valley missed you, Creed. Then as the band laid into the first song, "Bullets," a semi-circle of fire lit up the stage around the drummer, and the crowd roared. It didn't end there. Flames shot high into the arena, along with fireworks and thousands of sparks that rained down onto the stage as the song ended.

Actually, the fiery show was a bit distracting and upstaged the song itself. But Creed had much more in store for Hidalgo.

Stapp, the lead singer and headline-maker, made very little small talk between strings of new and old songs, but when he did speak, it seemed heartfelt. Creed was back and no worse for wear. In fact, Stapp looked good - no, great. He definitely got back in shape, and he remained standing through the show. His deep growl is still there, and the theatrical posturing seems to be a thing of the past.

By the way, if you were at the concert only to see Mark Tremonti play leads and solos, no one can blame you. There's a reason "What If" makes it onto so many Creed fans' top five lists. Tremonti rocked that song. If that weren't enough, white bursts of steam erupted at the back of the stage and on the catwalk where Stapp and Tremonti stood close, singing, playing and putting on a shameless display of "bromance."

During "One," some overzealous fans tossed half-full cups of beer onto the catwalk where Stapp stood, splashing him with the pale liquid. Stapp kept his cool through the ordeal, and even ignored when, through the cheers from the crowd, a few "you sucks" were heard.

The crowd favorites, of course, were "With Arms Wide Open" and "My Sacrifice." It's a wonder anyone could hear Stapp above the crowd's vocals throughout the two hits. Stapp smiled as he finished out the old songs, appearing humble and gracious to the last audience of Creed's tour.

Love 'em or hate 'em, Creed gave a great performance, even if the wow factor relied heavily on the sparks and fire.