In the final days of the millennium, there were global concerns that computers would fail (the Y2K scare), and a peer-to-peer file-sharing service, Napster, was launched, changing the music industry forever. Meanwhile, Creed was on its way to becoming the biggest band in the world.
An ascension that was slow but steady, Creed had been around since 1994, when Vocalist Scott Stapp and Guitarist Mark Tremonti were classmates who soon realized they both had a passion for music. Forming a band, by April 1997, they self-released their debut album, My Own Prison, and were quickly signed to Wind-up Records, re-releasing it in August 1997 with broader exposure. An album that is legendary at this point, it was not an instant commercial hit, but anyone in high school at the time will recall that it was an underground favorite among Hard Rock fans. Then, seemingly overnight, in early 1998, it was certified platinum (thanks mainly to the success of singles like “My Own Prison,” “Torn,” “What’s This Life For,” and One”) and peaked in the Billboard 200 at number 22.
At this point, legitimate contenders at the top of the Hard Rock music food chain, to follow was a spot on The Faculty soundtrack in 1998 (where they covered Alice Cooper’s “I’m Eighteen”), began work on new music (using the earnings from the success of My Own Prison to do so), before having a big moment during their performance at Woodstock ’99 on July 25, 1999. Feeling like things could not get any better, little did Creed know this was only the beginning. As a matter of fact, just a few months later, in September 1999, their sophomore album Human Clay debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200 and went platinum shortly thereafter. Historically, Human Clay stands out even more as highly significant, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time in the United States and achieving Diamond status by 2001.
Extraordinary accomplishments, just as the volcano of Creed’s stardom was about to erupt, in the months immediately following Human Clay’s launch, they performed to crowds larger than ever before. To name a few instances, they were playing venues like the Alamodome and the Freeman Coliseum in San Antonio, Texas, each time to massive audiences. A magical time, it was one when the single “Higher” was at number 1 on all four Billboard Rock Radio Charts, all while Creed was set to play some 6,500 fans at the aforementioned Freeman Coliseum on November 4, 1999.
For fans, it seemed that Creed (Strapp, Tremonti, Bassist Brian Marshall, and Drummer Scott Phillips) was getting better with each performance, and the evening in Texas was one for the ages. A show directly in the middle of some heavy touring, it was kicked off with Oleander and Our Lady Peace as support, before Creed took the stage for thirteen songs no one would soon forget. Documented, as part of the 25th anniversary deluxe edition release of Human Clay in 2024, the never-before-released soundboard recordings were offered as a bonus. A great way to celebrate the album’s anniversary, in 2025, there is now a standalone limited-edition vinyl release titled Live in San Antonio.
A Record Store Day Black Friday 2025 exclusive through Craft Recordings, it arrives on November 28, 2025, in a limited-edition metallic-silver vinyl pressing that includes all 13 songs from the live set. The first time available on vinyl, the 2024 Human Clay 25th anniversary release offered it only as part of the 2CD set or in digital format, making this vinyl edition a must-have for record collectors. Dispersed across two LPs that look and sound fantastic, each is enclosed in a nice gatefold sleeve with a black-and-white live photo in the center.
Limited to 4,800 copies worldwide, it is an energized performance worth listening to time and time again, offering a flawless mix of songs from Creed’s first two records. That is why it is recommended to find a copy at your local record store before it is too late, with Cryptic Rock giving Creed’s Live in San Antonio 2LP set 5 out of 5 stars.
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