The legendary rockers of Papa Roach returned to Amsterdam on February 4th, partly in celebration of their biggest record Infest turning 25, but also to show everyone Papa Roach still evolves with every step they take. On this massive “Rise of the Roach” tour they’re joined by Wage War as support act.
Before the evening can start with Wage War’s metalcore, there’s also an opening DJ set by Emo Night Mainland, getting the early visitors into the mood for a night of classic rock songs from the 2000s. A lot of people showed up early to get to see the opening band. Bands like Wage War wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the legendary band they’re supporting, and the Americans are such a strong choice to get the crowd hyped for the headliner.
In a decade where we’re seeing a lot of nostalgia tours from the bands we’ve grown up with, Papa Roach is determined to show us they are not a band of the past. Right before they started this European leg of a massive worldwide tour throughout the year, Papa Roach released the song “Even If It Kills Me,” the opener of tonight’s set as well. The setlist obviously features a lot of Infest songs, but the set features songs from almost every record in between. You can tell they’ve perfected their live performance, shredding through the 23-song setlist from start to finish with ease.
Around halfway through, they built in a slower segment for the crowd to catch their breath, with emotional songs like “Leave a Light On” and “Scars”, showing they don’t just focus on what everyone expects to hear, and it’s moments like these where their evolution really shines through.
Before we go into the last song of the evening, the one everyone has been saving their last bit of energy for, the band performs an homage to some other popular bands from the early 2000s, playing Korn’s “Blind,” Limp Bizkit’s “Break Stuff” and System of a Down’s “Chop Suey,” before flawlessly transitioning into their biggest song “Last Resort,” rightfully making the crowd explode with energy once again. It’s a testament to the band to have such an iconic song, yet it doesn’t define who they’ve become over the years, instead proving how far they’ve gotten since then.
The longevity of Papa Roach won’t surprise anyone who ever experienced their live shows, proving again and again that roaches are very hard to kill, and growing stronger even after 25 years. Following the European leg, concluding later this week, the band is scheduled to tour through The United States until the end of the year.
GALLERY: Papa Roach at Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, Netherlands (February 4, 2025)
