FEVER 333 drummer Aric Improta played his first show with KORN Friday night (October 15) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. He is filling in for regular KORN drummer Ray Luzier, who is sitting out three of the band’s concerts after testing positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
Improta will play with KORN again tonight (Saturday, October 16) at Save Mart Center in Fresno, California and again on Monday (October 18) at Oakland Arena in Oakland, California before Luzier‘s anticipated return on October 22 at the Banc Of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Luzier is the third member of KORN to miss shows on the band’s current tour after being diagnosed with COVID-19. Last month, guitarist James “Munky” Shaffer sat out several dates and was temporarily replaced by J.R. Bareis, who is also in the band LOVE AND DEATH with KORN guitarist Brian “Head” Welch. Bareis previously stepped in for Shaffer in August 2019 when Munky was forced to miss several KORN shows due to the impending birth of his child. In early August, singer Jonathan Davis contracted the virus, forcing the postponement of six dates and cancelation of two on KORN‘s U.S. tour.
At some of KORN‘s shows, Davis had been taking a seat on a custom throne near the drum riser due to lingering effects of his bout with COVID-19. In video footage of KORN‘s August 27 concert in Tinley Park, Illinois — his first gig back after revealing his positive diagnosis — Davis could be seen walking slowly around the stage, coughing and appearing to take a minute to catch his breath. According to TMZ, Davis also took occasional hits from an oxygen tank set up near this throne.
Bareis was not the only session musician to play with KORN on the current tour. Bassist Roberto “Ra” Díaz (SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) is filling in for Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu after Fieldy announced in June that he would sit out the trek in order to “heal” after “falling back” on some of his “bad habits.”
