Getting even bigger

By CHRIS PAGE, Californian staff writer
e-mail: cpage@bakersfield.com

Sunday November 10, 2002, 12:00:00 AM

Suzanne Plunkett / AP Korn has received widespread critical recognition for its work including two MTV Video Music Awards in 1999 for "Freak on a Leash."

The music industry works in such a way that bands usually don't pull a considerable profit until their third albums, because it costs so much to record the music, make videos and get songs onto the radio. Most bands, in fact, aren't remotely as successful as their MTV counterparts, and often aren't able to pay back their record labels before getting dropped from them.

But Korn's music was definitely catching on with its young audience. By the mid-'90s, grunge was stale and Korn offered an even bleaker, harder way to release aggression.

The band fired its management and instead opted for Jeff Kwatinetz's The Firm, a young upstart run by a brash entertainment lawyer with as much ambition as the band.

Kwatinetz, 37, is a Harvard Law School graduate who had big plans with the entertainment management field when he opened The Firm in 1997. Korn turned to him to help find ways to promote the band's third album, "Follow the Leader." Kwatinetz, direct manager Peter Katsis and the band came up with a stronger Internet presence with www.KornTV.com, a Web site that broadcast "After-School Specials" with the band beginning in February 1998.

The band hadn't left the Internet untapped before then, though, and in fact had found new ways for bands to communicate directly with fans. It had broadcast live on its Web site to promote "Life is Peachy" in 1996. And its one-on-one contact with fans worldwide through e-mail and message boards encouraged the grass-roots support that helped fuel early success.

Two years later, the band had amassed 55 fan-written sites on the Web, according to the band's publicist.

"Follow the Leader," released in '98, turned out to be a multiplatinum success, earning even more fans for the band that's regarded as musical catharsis for frustrated youth. So far, it's been the band's biggest seller at 5 million copies, based on singles like "Got the Life" and "Freak on a Leash."

"Korn's music has given them hope," Rick Davis said of the band's fans. "It's like, suddenly, they're not out there alone."

Around the time of that album's release, the band hit a publicity coup d'etat when a high school student in Zeeland, Mich., was suspended for wearing a Korn T-shirt. The school's assistant principal said the shirt was offensive simply because the band's music was offensive. Korn offered to send a lawyer to defend the student, then handed out free Korn T-shirts outside of the school.

As the band's fan base grew, Korn's musicians got their first big taste of what wealth could be like: Arvizu Jr. bought his father a Ford SUV for his birthday. Other members went on to buy homes for their parents and siblings.

Welch, though, was initially uncomfortable with success.

"For the longest time, he wouldn't even buy silverware," Arvizu Sr. said. "The band actually bought him a set of silverware. He was afraid of being poor again."

Following Korn's massive success, The Firm has since gone on to be one of the heaviest hitters in the entertainment business, representing Limp Bizkit, the Dixie Chicks, actor Vin Diesel and others, plus owning the Pony clothing company.

In April 1999, the band played to a packed arena at Bakersfield's Centennial Garden. For those in attendance, it wasn't about seeing a hometown band. It was about witnessing a rock band at the height of its popularity.

That year, the band turned once again to its fans -- which they lovingly, if not condescendingly, refer to as "Korn Kids" -- in hopes of drumming up support for a new album. It asked the more artistic of music fans to illustrate the cover of the next album, "Issues." The winner was Alfredo Carlos, who won $10,000 for an illustration of a worn-out rag doll with its stuffing billowing out of a rip in its torso.

The album's first single, "Falling Away From Me," debuted on an episode of the raunchy animated show "South Park." The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, selling 575,000 copies in its first week.

Trouble surfaced in the middle of a 2000 tour when drummer Silveria suffered a wrist injury that forced the band to hire another drummer, Mike Bordin of Faith No More, for the remaining dates.

While Silveria recuperated, some members of Korn considered new options without him.

According to Arvizu Sr., his son openly pondered whether the band should get rid of Silveria permanently in favor of someone like Bordin. At issue wasn't Silveria's playing; it was his image. Silveria is the only one of the group to remain somewhat clean-cut while the rest have grown dreadlocks and carry themselves on TV and in photos as tough guys. ("It's funny to see them make mean faces," said Jake Chavez, "because if you did like that [makes a fake-punching motion], Brian would flinch.")

Silveria irritated the rest of the band when he took a gig modeling for a skateboard clothing company.

But Arvizu Sr. told his son that Silveria brought in fans that a tougher-looking person would alienate. In the end, Arvizu Jr. conceded and Silveria stayed with the group.

Click here to continue to " 'Got the Life' "