Creed brought its sold-out Weathered tour to the Compaq Center Monday night, and the performance lived up to the hype generated by the new album, which has been No. 1 on the Billboard Charts for eight weeks in a row.Lead singer Scott Stapp delivered a powerful, emotional performance that captured the essence of Creed and left fans yelling for more all the way to the parking lot.The show featured the usual glitz associated with a big concert (pyrotechnics and fireworks), but Stapp also exhibited moments of what seemed to be sincere appreciation and humility.”The money and the famenone of that really matters,” Stapp told an audience that was practically hanging on his every word. “The only thing that matters to us is the special bond we get to share when we come out on tour and play for you guys We love you all.”As for the performance, the two-hour set featured a heavy dose of songs from the Weathered album, including concert-closer “My Sacrifice,” which generated the biggest ovation of the evening and was one of the cleanest sounding songs of the night. Not forgetting about the first two records, the band ripped through all the major hits including “One,” “What’s This Life For,” “Torn,” “Higher” and “With Arms Wide Open,” which Stapp said had grown from being just about the birth of his son to a song about how to treat everyone in the world. (In October 2000, Stapp founded the With Arms Wide Open Foundation, which provides money and assistance to help families and children dealing with difficulties such as poverty and domestic violence.)The highlight of the show for this reporter was the performance of “My Own Prison,” which was accompanied by a chilling montage of prison footage and featured the crowd singing, which Stapp called “beautiful.” This was also the best sounding song for guitarist Mark Tremonti, who was solid the entire concert.The Christian symbolism (besides the lyrics) that has generated both criticism and praise was also part of the show, including a video display of a cross during a set-break. The stage featured an arched walkway behind the band and a coliseum-style background complete with columns that would have made the sternest Roman centurion proud. Virgos and Tantric opened the concert, which was the best rock show I’ve seen since the last time Creed was in town. Creed seems to have a unique bond with their fans, which was no doubt strengthened by the performance they gave Monday night.