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Sturgis, South Dakota is home to Sturgis Bike Week, the largest motorcycle rally in the world. Each year, bikers from all over the globe flood the streets of this small city for one week. At the same time, a five-day music festival, called Rockin’ the Rally, also bursts onto the scene. On August 8, 2006, the fiery Canadian rock band, Nickelback, headlined the first Rockin’ the Rally series, playing in a 34-acre amphitheater in front of 35,000 fans. Those of us who weren’t lucky enough to crash the party can now witness this electrifying concert on high-definition DVD.
Nickelback’s energy explodes right from the start with “Animals” and “Woke Up this Morning”—both favorites of mine. There are just twelve songs in all, so Nickelback fans may be disappointed that their personal favorite—like mine, “Fight for All the Wrong Reasons”—was excluded. But I’ll stop whining, since they make it up with others, such as “Never Again,” “Someday,” “How You Remind Me,” and their tribute to Pantera’s late guitarist, Dimebag Darrell, in “Side of a Bullet”. The band never lets up, and they’re enjoying it as much as the fans.
The cinematography is exceptional, with vivid colors and sharp tones accentuated with explosive lighting and pyrotechnics. The gunning guitars are solid and tight, and, for concert footage, the tonal quality is excellent.
The concert is pure music, without flashbacks to scenery, life on the road, et cetera. That’s the way I like it: unadulterated. Those extra bits are saved for the bonus features section. There’s a behind-the-scenes feature, with interviews of individual band members. This part is only average, since it’s nothing controversial or fascinating. The “Rockstar” video, which is a staple for all Nickelback fans, is also included—for those who might be upset that it wasn’t included in the actual concert video. If you’re showing this DVD to Nickelback virgins, they also include a brief music history of the band. However, my favorite part of the bonus section is Sturgis 101, which explains the history and excitement of the Sturgis rally.
The only complaint I have about the actual concert recording is that lead singer Chad Kroeger’s expletives are edited. There are a lot of them, and the deletions are quite distracting. Hey, this is a beer-guzzling motorcycle rally, and those who can’t handle the language shouldn’t be watching the video anyway.
That aside, though, Live at Sturgis is the best concert DVD I’ve seen in terms of visual and sound quality. Play it on a wide-screen, and you’re in for a good time. It’s definitely a must for Nickelback fans.
