Spotlight on Creed

Spencer Patterson

Friday, Oct. 4, 2002 | 9:15 a.m.

The good lord willing, Creed will make its third Las Vegas appearance tonight at the Thomas & Mack Center.

Twice previously, the hard rock band -- known for mixing Christian references into its popular music -- has postponed or canceled Las Vegas concerts for personal reasons.

In November 1999 shows scheduled for back-to-back nights at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and the House of Blues at Mandalay Bay were nixed when a callous developed on singer Scott Stapp's vocal chords. Tickets for those events were later honored at a 2000 Thomas & Mack Center appearance.

Then in April, 20 Creed dates -- including a Thomas & Mack show slated for May 22 -- were postponed when Stapp was involved in a car accident. Though he emerged without significant injuries, the band opted to halt its touring schedule for more than three months.

Stapp appears healthy and ready to go this time around. He and his band are touring behind their third album, 2001's "Weathered," which has spent 44 straight weeks on Billboard's Top 200 after holding down the No. 1 spot for eight consecutive weeks upon its debut.

Who: Creed.

Where: Thomas & Mack Center.

When: 6:30 tonight.

Tickets: $36.50, $46.50.

Information: 895-3900.

Opening bands: Sevendust, 12 Stones, Cinder.

Personnel: Scott Stapp (vocals), Mark Tremonti (guitar), Scott Phillips (drums).

Additional musician: Brett Hestla (bass).

Latest release: "Weathered" (2001, Wind-Up).

Album feedback: " 'Weathered' is rock of unusual focus and arrest, a beautifully distressed dance of sustained style and unapologetic emotion." (Rolling Stone, *** 1/2); "R.E.M. and U2 may have had the weight of the world on their shoulders during the first Bush era, but they lightened up occasionally. Creed never does. Their hearts are in the right place ... but the earnestness in their approach is magnified by their resolutely unimaginitive neo-grunge." (All Music Guide, **).

Tour feedback: "Creed's musicality may not transcend the abilities of its contemporaries, and the group's propensity for over-the-top moments often seemed forced. But the truth is that this Florida band is at the top of its game. For now, Creed's arena rock act is second to none." (Billboard.com).

What to expect: The band has regularly been performing nine of the 11 tracks on its latest album, along with a handful of cuts from 1997 debut "My Own Prison" and its follow-up, 1999's "Human Clay."

Recent setlist: From Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Va., Aug. 22: "Bullets," "Freedom Fighter," "What If," "Say I," "Torn," "Who's Got My Back?" "One Last Breath," "Hide," "Stand Here With Me," "My Own Prison," "With Arms Wide Open," "One," "What's This Life For." Encore: "Don't Stop Dancing," "Lullaby," "Higher," "My Sacrifice."

Previous Las Vegas appearances: June 18, 1998 (The Joint); March 2, 2000 (Thomas & Mack Center).

Says Stapp: "We are not a Christian band. A Christian band has an agenda to lead others to believe in their specific religious beliefs. We have no agenda. Those (Christian) references were made at a time in my life when I was questioning how I was raised, and searching for where I stood concerning those issues. This is not to say I have abandoned those beliefs, just searching for where they fit into my life" (from Creed.com official website).