Evanescence, COLD, Cauterize, Revis
Nintendo Fusion Tour 2003
August 26, 2003
Bob Devaney Sports Center
Nebraska State Fair
By late August 2003, Evanescence had become one of the biggest breakout stories in rock. Fallen was everywhere, “Bring Me to Life” had dominated radio and MTV, and “Going Under” had just been released as the album’s next single. Yet despite Evanescence being the advertised headliner of Nintendo’s inaugural Fusion Tour, the evening at the Nebraska State Fair felt far more like a co-headlining show with Cold.
Fresh off the release of Year of the Spider, Cold had reached their own commercial peak, and Scooter Ward’s emotional vocals paired perfectly with the dark atmosphere that Evanescence brought to the stage. It was one of those tours that, in hindsight, featured two bands standing at very different crossroads while unknowingly shaping each other’s futures.
Nobody in the Bob Devaney Sports Center that night could have known they were witnessing the beginning of a relationship that would eventually alter Evanescence forever. The second leg of the Nintendo Fusion Tour marked Amy Lee’s introduction to Cold guitarist Terry Balsamo. Just two months later, after Ben Moody’s departure from the band, Balsamo would step into the role of guitarist and become Amy Lee’s primary musical collaborator throughout The Open Door era.
In August 2003, however, that future remained hidden beneath the surface.
Even though Fallen was exploding commercially, rumors had already begun circulating among fans and in music circles that tensions between Amy Lee and Ben Moody were growing. Looking back, there were subtle signs. Amy appeared increasingly committed to emphasizing the heavier side of Evanescence, while Moody’s songwriting sensibilities often leaned more toward radio-friendly melodies. Those differences had not yet become public, but the cracks were beginning to form.
The set itself reflected that heavier direction. Songs like “Going Under,” “Haunted,” “Whisper,” and “Tourniquet” carried the evening, delivering the gothic metal edge that had first attracted longtime fans before mainstream success arrived.
Interestingly, this was also a snapshot of Evanescence in a transitional period. “My Immortal” had not yet become the massive single the world would soon embrace and become obsessed with, and it wasn’t even a regular part of their live set. At the time, the song existed primarily in its original piano-ballad form, lacking the full-band arrangement and dramatic ending that would later be added for the single version. Amy herself reportedly preferred keeping the live show focused on the heavier material rather than slowing things down with too many ballads.
That made the show feel different from what Evanescence would become only a few months later.
Cold, meanwhile, delivered a performance worthy of headliner status. Songs from Year of the Spider blended seamlessly with favorites from 13 Ways to Bleed on Stage, and Scooter Ward’s heartfelt delivery connected deeply with the crowd. Their chemistry with Evanescence made the evening feel less like opener and headliner and more like two kindred bands sharing the same stage.
Looking back more than two decades later, August 26, 2003 stands as one of those fascinating moments frozen in time. Ben Moody was still in the band. Terry Balsamo was still playing guitar for Cold. “My Immortal” had not yet become a worldwide phenomenon. The creative divide within Evanescence had not yet erupted into public view.
And somewhere backstage in Lincoln, Nebraska, a friendship and musical partnership was beginning, one that would help define the next decade of Evanescence. For one night at the Nebraska State Fair, the future remained unwritten, and that uncertainty gave the show a special kind of magic that only hindsight can fully appreciate.
Evanescence setlist.
COLD setlist.
Words and Photos by Adam Tibbott
Photos scanned and digitized from original negatives, then digitally edited.
A Note About These Photos.
I’ve gone back and forth about sharing these images for years, even after editing and re-editing countless times. These photos were captured with a basic point-and-shoot film camera, which, in hindsight, was far from ideal for an indoor concert. Low light, slow shutter speeds, and the limitations of film resulted in plenty of motion blur and imperfections. Add in the effects of age and digital decay from early scans, and many of the images are far from technically perfect.
I’ve spent a lot of time manually restoring and editing these photographs, trying to preserve what was actually there rather than reinventing the moment. Flaws remain, and honestly, they probably always will. But I’ve come to appreciate that these imperfections are part of the story.
Photography is a journey, and these images represent a chapter when I was still learning. Looking back more than twenty years later, I see them not as failures, but as evidence of growth. Every blurry frame, every missed focus, and every grainy negative taught me something that helped shape the photographer I would eventually become.
So while these photographs may never win awards for technical perfection, they capture something just as important, a moment in time when Evanescence and Cold shared a stage, before careers changed, before friendships formed, and before any of us knew where the road ahead would lead.
Sometimes memories are imperfect. And that’s okay.
