Breaking Benjamin beat the heat and come to Noblesville – report of the show

Despite being dubbed the tour for “Divorced Dads and Cigarette Moms,” Breaking Benjamin’s summer tour brought fans of all ages out to Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, on September 16th. Fans braved the summer heat to get a good spot on the lawn, while luckier fans meandered to their already reserved seats in the shade. It was a night of intense music and high energy that everyone seemed to enjoy.

The genre-bending rock band Starset set the bar high for what we were to expect that night, with large screens and full-scale costumes for every member of the band. The screens flashed through imagery that matched each song on their 8-track setlist, ending on their greatest hit “My Demons.” At the end of the set, vocalist Dustin Bates announced that we were all a part of the band’s space cult now, which seems like the best way to explain their visually intriguing set.

Chevelle took the stage next after a short cinematic movie intro led us into “Family System.” They kept the energy going, with all band members who weren’t confined to a drum set rocking all over the stage. People from the front of the house all the way to the back of the lawn were dancing, a sure sign that everyone in the venue was loving the set.

Breaking Benjamin gave us a blast from the past, kicking off their set with a Windows XP load-up sequence. The ‘user’ then went on to Limewire to download some Breaking Benjamin songs, namely “I Will Not Bow.” Of course, just like what always happened in real life, the file was corrupted, but don’t worry, the band came out at that moment to save the day and play the song live for us.

Their set was visually intriguing, with flashing lights and huge screens covering the entire stage to give us aesthetic additions to each song. The guitarists climbed the tiered stage, taking turns being up high and down on the main stage. Not to mention, the energy and vocals were both great, which got the crowd going. Some fans on the lawn had even managed to sneak in a beach ball, which made its way around as soon as it was inflated.

Fans weren’t only receiving a high-energy show; they got a packed setlist. With crowd favorites like “Angels Fall” and “You” mixed into the set, there was never a dull moment. Plus, the band ended on everyone’s all-time favorite “The Diary of Jane” after a packed 18-song setlist.

The tour is just now kicking off, and the bands still have a month left to go before it’s over. Consider heading over to Breaking Benjamin’s website to see if a date is stopping near you. It’s a show you definitely won’t want to miss.

Setlist:

1. I Will Not Bow
2. Until the End
3. Evil Angel
4. Crawl
5. Red Cold River
6. Blow Me Away
7. Follow
8. Angels Fall
9. You
10. So Cold
11. Polyamorous
12. Dear Agony
13. Something Wicked
14. Breath
15. Awaken
16. Failure
17. Dance With the Devil
18. The Diary of Jane