MUSIC: Limp Bizkit plays first U.S. show in five years at The Pearl

  “Don’t make fun of Limp Bizkit,” the dude said as he climbed over the edge of the banister and made his way down to the floor at The Pearl at the Palms on Saturday night. “It’s too easy.”
   The guy was right of course.
   Putting this bunch on blast is kind of like shooting a mosquito with an elephant gun.
   The blame falls squarely on the shoulder of frontman Fred Durst, who seemingly lives to be the itching powder in rock and roll’s jockstrap. He’s not much of a lyricist, lest you count the ability to rhyme “raw” with “chainsaw” as something approaching the ability to rap.      
   And so he compensates by pointedly being as in-your-face and uncouth as possible, the hard rock equivalent of a WWE heel.
And you know what? On some levels it works and makes perfect sense.
   Limp Bizkit’s oafish appeal certainly isn’t predicated on any big ideas, it’s all about an explosion of energy on a primal, noncognitive level.
   It’s fitting then, that it’s all kind of dumb.
   And dumb it is.
   But don’t take it from me.
   “I’m an idiot, a loser, a microphone abuser,” Durst rhymed on “Take a Look Around,” a climactic rap rock temper tantrum.
If Durst loves to be loathed, his bandmates fare a little better.
   Guitarist Wes Borland, who came covered in red paint, wearing a Spartan-style helmet, is skilled at conjuring both swelling pockets of dissonance, kind of like a nu metal version of Tool guitarist Adam Jones, and massive-sounding metal riffs crunchier than broken glass. Bassist Sam Rivers and drummer John Otto are a formidable rhythm section, and pack plenty of oomph.
   Together, they can create an impressive enough rumble.
   At The Pearl, it all congealed into a pool of adrenaline, as the band stormed through hits like “Nookie,” “Break Stuff” and “Rollin’” with convincing forcefulness.
   Sure, there were some sour notes.
   Durst can’t sing and he shouldn’t try, so his warbly take on The Who’s “Behind Blue Eyes” was as hard to sit through as anything starring a Wayans brother.   
   But for the most part, the show, which marked Limp Bizkit’s first U.S. gig in five years, was all about big, stupid, loud, obnoxious fun.
It Limp Bizkit was a movie, it’d be directed by Michael Bay.
   Next time, we’ll bring some popcorn.