System of a Down embarked on their “Wake Up the Souls” Tour earlier this month to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. To cap off the excursion, the band, made up entirely of Armenian-American musicians, performed their very first concert ever in Armenia.
SOAD put on a free show in Yerevan’s Republic Square, where they played for nearly two-and-a-half hours and delivered some 37 songs. “In Armenia, our status is unparalleled,” frontman Serj Tankian said in an interview with Rolling Stone. “I don’t want to use any monikers like the Beatles or anything, but it’s a unique kind of thing. So we want to go there and play for the people, which we’ve never done as System of a Down.”
More than just remembering and asking for reparations for the 1.5 million Armenia deaths in 1915 at the hands of the Ottoman Empire, Tankian said the tour was about ending all genocide. “Part of it is bringing attention to the fact that genocides are still happening, whether you use the word ‘genocide,’ ‘holocaust,’ or ‘humanitarian catastrophe. None of that is changing. We want to be part of that change. We want the recognition of the first genocide of the 20th century to be a renewal of confidence that humanity can stop killing itself.”
Replay the entire show below. The full setlist follows
System of a Down – Live in Armenia Setlist:
01. Holy Mountains
02. Jet Pilot
03. Suite-Pee (Incomplete)
04. Prison Song
05. U-Fig
06. Aerials
07. Soldier Side – Intro
08. B.Y.O.B.
09. I-E-A-I-A-I-O
10. Radio/Video
11. Bubbles
12. CUBErt
13. Hypnotize
14. Dreaming (Incomplete, middle breakdown only)
15. Needles
16. Deer Dance
17. P.L.U.C.K.
18. Sartarabad ([traditional] cover)
19. Psycho (with “Start Me Up” by The Rolling Stones intro)
20. Chop Suey!
21. Lonely Day
22. Question!
23. Bounce
24. Kill Rock ‘n Roll
25. Marmalade
26. Lost in Hollywood
27. Spiders
28. Mr. Jack (with “Hezze” during guitar solo)
29. Science
30. Chic ‘N’ Stu
31. ATWA
32. War?
33. Arto
34. Cigaro
35. Roulette
36. Toxicity
37. Sugar
