Slipknot Pay Tribute to Joey Jordison + Paul Gray at Knotfest
Last week, Slipknot ended their headlining set at Knotfest Iowa 2021 with a tribute to Joey Jordison and Paul Gray, the founding Slipknot drummer and bass player, respectively, who died a decade apart.
On large video screens, the band visually honored the late musicians known as Slipknot's No. 1 and No. 2 members following a performance of "Surfacing," a song written by Gray, Jordison and Slipknot lead vocalist Corey Taylor from the masked metal act's self-titled debut album.
See fan-captured footage near the bottom of this post.
Jordison died in July at age 46. In a statement, his family said, "Joey's death has left us with empty hearts and feelings of indescribable sorrow. … Those that knew Joey understood his quick wit, his gentle personality, giant heart and his love for all things family and music."
Gray died at 38 in 2010. He and Slipknot percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan formed Slipknot (first known as The Pale Ones, then Meld) in 1995 in Des Moines, Iowa. Jordison, a musician they'd previously performed with in other rock groups around the area, joined soon after.
In an interview with rock journalist Jon Wiederhorn, Gray recalled how the band soon switched names to the moniker that, now over 25 years later, is recognizable to metal fans across the world.
"We had a show booked, and we had a song called 'Slipknot,'" Gray explained. "It was the first song we had written full-on, which became '(sic),' which was the first song we ever started working on even before Joey was in the band. We all thought the name Slipknot rolled off the tongue pretty easy."
September's Knotfest Iowa kicked off this fall's Knotfest Roadshow that features Slipknot along with Killswitch Engage, Fever 333 and Code Orange. The tour continues across the United States through early November. See the remaining dates on the trek below.
Slipknot, "Surfacing" (w/ Jordison + Gray Tribute, Live at Knotfest Iowa)
Knotfest Roadshow Fall 2021 U.S. Tour Dates
Oct. 1 – Noblesville, Ind. @ Ruoff Music Center
Oct. 2 – Clarkston, Mich. @ DTE Music Theatre
Oct. 3 – Darien Center, N.Y. @ Darien Lake Amphitheater
Oct. 5 – Syracuse, N.Y. @ St. Joseph's Health Amp.
Oct. 8 – Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center
Oct. 9 – Hartford, Conn. @ Xfinity Theatre
Oct. 10 – Holmdel, N.J. @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Oct. 12 – Camden, N.J. @ BB&T Pavilion
Oct. 13 – Bristow, Va. @ Jiffy Lube Live
Oct. 15 – Burgettstown, Penn. @ S&T Bank Music Park
Oct. 17 – Charlotte, N.C. @ PNC Music Pavilion
Oct. 19 – Tampa, Fla. @ MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amp.
Oct. 20 – West Palm Beach, Fla. @ iThink Financial Amp.
Oct. 22 – Raleigh, N.C. @ Coastal Credit Music Park
Oct. 23 – Alpharetta, Ga. @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Oct. 24 – Pelham, Ala. @ Oak Mountain Amphitheatre
Oct. 26 – Rogers, Ark. @ Walmart AMP
Oct. 28 – Del Valle, Texas @ Germania Insurance Amp.
Oct. 29 – Woodlands, Texas @ Woods Mitchell Pavilion
Oct. 30 – Dallas, Texas @ Dos Equis Pavilion
Nov. 1 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Isleta Amphitheater
Nov. 2 – Phoenix, Ariz. @ Ak-Chin Pavilion