On Saturday night, Nickelback brought together an almost sold-out Wells Fargo Arena for a night of pyrotechnics with a side of rock music. Alongside the headliner were Default and Trapt, two similar-sounding bands.

Default began the night slowly and without enthusiasm. They finally got the attention of the crowd during their third song, when they began to seem interested in and excited about their own music.

The level of excitement also rose when the technicians finally turned on the speakers facing my section of the crowd, causing hordes of cheers and even getting a few brave souls to stand up. Default, however, didn’t find it necessary to let fans know who they were until before the last song, causing one outgoing concert-goer to yell, “Who are you? Trapt?”

The low point of Default’s performance was feeling disconnected from what was happening on stage, and the band members feeling disconnected as well.

The highlight of its performance was when bassist Dave Benedict hopped off the stage and ran around in front of the young teens on the floor.

Audience satisfaction was earned by Trapt, which was the best act of the night.

The band came on stage with excitement, with lead singer Chris Brown jumping all around, even jumping into the crowd during the band’s last song. Brown spoke more often, making sure to say “Des Moines” between each song.

Trapt’s performance of its hit single “Stand Up” was not quite good enough to bring the whole audience to its feet, but when the lights came on after their last song, “Headstrong,” almost everyone was on their feet and singing every word to the song at the top of their lungs.

The low point for Trapt was its lesser-known songs, most of which caused the audience’s attention to wane. Highlights included Brown’s enthusiasm and the energy of fans in the audience, including an elderly man who was kicked out of the show after trying to make sure everyone was standing for Trapt.

For the fans, the two opening bands were mediocre appetizers, teasing hungry fans and setting the stage for Nickelback.

The band took the stage with a bang at 9:30 p.m., making its entrance to the sound of a cannon and beginning its set with “Animals” from its newest album, “All the Right Reasons.” The band had the audience captivated by the third song, its recent single “Photograph.”

The scene in the arena was proof of how times have changed, with cell phones replacing lighters, waving to-and-fro. The group continued to rock with older songs, and shot free Nickelback gear out into the audience.

The band showed a metal side during its performance of “Side of a Bullet,” a song written for the late metal star Dimebag Darrell. Its best performances could be found in the second half of the show with “How You Remind Me” and “Too Bad,” both crowd favorites. It finished the set with “Figured You Out” and a jam session on the guitars after saying, “This is how Nickelback says good night.”

The real winners of the night were Trapt, yet most of the crowd didn’t seem to care about the presence or talent of the bands on stage.

The pre-teens on the floor seemed happy just to be close to the rock stars they worshipped and the older fans, stuck in the cramped Wells Fargo Arena seats, seemed content as long as they had a $6 beer in their hands.

Throughout the show, Nickelback relied more on loud noises, fireworks and flames to entertain instead of their music. Overall, the show left this reviewer feeling out of place and under-entertained.