An amazing evening with junior at Costa Verde 21!

Another big one ticked off the bucket list and that in a big way, Korn on their second stop on the «Are You Ready» Latin America Tour 2026 that started in Bogota (Colombia) on the second of May. This is actually a band I have had on the to-do list for many years now, but I've never really had the chance to see them live. Until now, that is. That I got to see them live here in Lima makes it that much better since the genre Nu-Metal has a special status among the rock/metal audience. Things tend to go a bit crazy overboard at these types of events here in Lima. On top of everything, this was actually my very first concert in South America, and I have lived here for more than ten years.

Here is a fun detail. I was made aware of the concert back in (early) February and told my partner in crime to lock it in. I have a busy schedule and sometimes overlook details. As I did with Limp Bizkit back in December. You know, time flies, and two hours before the curtain drops at Costa Verde, she comes into my office with the message, Hurry up. I ask her, Hurry up for what? And she replies, Korn. At this point, I had less than two hours to take a shower, get ready, and finish what I was doing. At this point, I had no confidence that I would get to my seat on time. You know, huge lines into the arena and all. That was stressful.

Luckily, we got there in good time and even had 15 to 20 minutes to enjoy the atmosphere before the band entered the stage. I have to say, the somewhat tense mood is special. 18000 people talking, moving around, and waiting for the big moment. At the same time, I heard Jonathan Davis doing the final sound checks on stage. That's huge, but I had no idea what I had gotten myself into because this would go on to become one of the most intense live shows I have ever been on. Should have expected it. You know, South America and all. Didn't even need to look at your watch to know when the band was entering the stage, ready to blow our minds.

Seconds before the band takes the stage, the crowd falls silent, only to erupt into chaos as the song "Blind" starts and the entire stage begins flashing intensely. As the curtain is about to drop, we hear Jonathan Davis scream out the line ARE YOU READY!!! The reaction was so intense that even the grandstand was shaking badly under the pressure of the crowd jumping up and down. At one point, Mr. Davis had to tell the audience to be quiet (or, as he said, "shut the fuck up"), and this detail was totally lost on me. I didn't hear that from the stage at all, and that tells you how loud the crowd was. I had to listen to the recording to actually catch it.

When all is said and done, there were two songs that I had hoped to hear. Doubt it comes as a shocker that those two songs are 'Word Up' and 'Alone I Break'. Two classic Korn songs that should be played at all events related to the band, but what can you expect? 15 songs in 90 minutes. I got my favorite (Y'all want a single), and my son got his (Blind). On the way down to Costa Verde, it was the only thing he talked about: how much he hoped to hear this song, and they actually opened with it. Then again, it's the perfect song to start with. If you think about the opening line of the song ("Are you ready"), and that the tour is actually called that. It should have been a hint in itself.

I have published 3 songs on my YouTube channel. I apologize for the poor quality of the recordings. My phone didn't enjoy the amount of flashing light from the stage and the anti-recording laser shooting everywhere. These songs are Reward The Scars, Y'all want a single, and Twisted Transistor. Might upload a couple more, maybe. Here is the thing, prior to this event, Linkin Park back in 2008 was my absolute concert experience. Now, I am not so sure anymore. Linkin Park might need to share that space with Korn going forward. Fewer people, but a far more intense crowd. Now I have to wait and see which band will go off my bucket list next.

As a closure for this article, I have to say that despite the two missing songs, the playlist they showed up with was a numetal orgasm from start to finish. Starting with Blind, on to Here to Stay as song 3, Got the life as song 4, Did my time as song 6, coming undone as song 8, Twisted transistor as song 11, Somebody someone as song 13, and Y`all want a single as song 15. The main playlist, of course, and as an encore, you had Falling Away from You, and of course, Freak on a Leash. This band could have played for 180 minutes, and it still wouldn't have been enough. So, please come back to Lima Korn, and I promise to be better prepared this time around.