Metal, Hardcore, Indie, Rock
As the weather gets cooler outside, the outdoor concert season slowly comes to an end for Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville. That doesn’t mean it can’t go out with a bang, though, and Staind made sure to give us a show that was a great farewell to the waning season. They weren’t working alone to give the fans a great show, and they brought Hinder, Hoobastank, and Seether along with them to show us what a good night of live music is meant to sound like.
Hinder kicked off our night, taking us straight into the rock genre that’s so lovingly been called “divorced dad rock” over the years. The band plays it up, too, selling shirts with that saying on the back on their website. The band played up the crowd well, and I watched several picks get tossed out in a row right before the band performed “Without You,” and fans went diving after them as they hit the ground. Their setlist was full of hits, but of course nothing could quite top the energy of the entire venue singing along to “Lips Of An Angel.”
Hoobastank came along next, bringing out a ton of energy with them. Vocalist Doug Robb was all over the stage and the speakers in front of it. He stopped a few times to chat with the crowd, including a touching speech in which he asked if everyone was ready for a night of “the shit they listened to in high school,” and followed it up by talking about how the music you listen to in your formative years really does have a lasting impact on your life.
When Seether took the stage, it didn’t take long for the energy to get ramped up even more. The fans on the barricade were screaming along to the music and jumping up impressively high against the railing. The band had fun colored lighting and intricate designs displayed on large screens in the back, so even if you weren’t near the front, you were still going to get a good viewing experience. They played a varied setlist that seems to change each night of the tour, so if you happen to get a chance to see them more than once along the way, you’ll be in for a treat every night.
Finally, it was time for Staind. They built up the anticipation of the crowd easily, with a large 2-minute countdown projected on the giant screens. As the countdown ended, the band didn’t take the stage right away. Instead, we were greeted with a short mini-movie about the band, and then it was time to get the party started.
The band was obviously having a great time on stage, which is something I always love to see. Everyone was smiling, and vocalist Aaron Lewis stopped to comment about how special it was for there to be around 26,000 people in the venue that night and for so many of them to be so young. He also commented on how the tour is celebrating the 25th anniversary of their album “Break The Cycle,” and mentioned how it seemed like half of the crowd probably wasn’t even alive yet when it came out.
The stage set had great visuals to go along with the songs, alternating between spindly trees, cathedral windows, and clips from old shows and music videos. For “Something To Remind You,” the vibe shifted a bit, as the song was dedicated to friends that the band had lost over the years. The screens switched to showing photos of their friends who had passed, giving the crowd a moment to cheer in memory of each of them as it flipped through them.
Of course, there were other, happier moments throughout the set as well. “So Far Away” got the crowd hyped up again, and after calling it “a song that happened by accident a long time ago,” the fans clued in that Lewis was talking about “Outside,” and the energy continued to grow. Of course, the show ended with a great encore that everyone chanted for, with “It’s Been A While” and “Mudshovel” closing off our night.
Staind’s tour has hit a halfway point, but there’s still plenty of dates left to catch if you’re interested. Head over to their website to see which date is closest to you and grab your tickets now, and don’t be surprised if your date is already sold out.
