Breaking Benjamin with special guest Bush, rounded out their spring tour with a stop in Knoxville, TN.
Bush kicked off the night with an explosive amount of energy that sent the crowd on a nostalgic trip back to the 90s. The British post-grunge band was originally formed in 1992 and is fronted by Gavin Rossdale, with Chris Traynor on lead guitar and backing vocals, Corey Britz on bass and backing vocals, and Nik Hughes rounding out the fourpiece on drums.
They opened their set with “Identity” from their most recent album The Art of Survival and the crowd went rampant, screaming along to every word. Their love for performing shined and spread like fire through the audience. Fans could be spotted hugging one another and holding up hearts through the entirety of their set. Just shy of 20 minutes into their performance Rossdale shocked fans by jumping off stage and making his way through the arena all while playing guitar and singing “Flowers on a Grave“. He made several stops to high-five and take photos with adoring fans, making it an unforgettable night for many. Though they started off strong their energy never faltered and proved after nearly 30 years of touring they’re still a force to be reckoned with.
Surprisingly for someone who listened to “Diary of Jane” religiously in high school, this was my first time seeing Breaking Benjamin live. The Pennsylvania native rock group consists of vocalist Benjamin Burnley, Jasen Rauch on lead guitar, Keith Wallen on rhythm guitar and backing vocals, Aaron Bruch on bass and backing vocals, and Shaun Foist on drums. BB was originally formed in 1999 and has been a staple for many rockers for over two decades. As the lights dim and each band member enters the stage to the intro of Blow Me Away, my mind races down memory lane.
For such a large show this was one of the most intimate ones I have seen to date. BB treated their VIP concertgoers to onstage access for the entirety of the show and Burnley even brought a tiny fan from the audience on stage for a better view of the show. And while Ben admitted to feeling under the weather he powered through their entire set like a true professional. Wallen and Burch even stepped up and absolutely crushed leading vocals on Sooner or Later and Breakdown to give Brunley a much-deserved break. Foist even got a moment to shine with a nearly 5-minute drum solo that was percussion perfection. The band’s energy as a whole was captivating and left you hanging on their every move. They even managed to sprinkle in some finely crafted inspirational speeches and thank you’s to their new and long-time fans. But it wouldn’t be a Breaking Benjamin show without hearing the fan favorite and my personal favorite track Diary of Jane which they finished their set strong with.
Though this tour has since concluded, I encourage you to run, don’t walk to scoop up tickets to see Bush and Breaking Benjamin live. Both bands gave it their all on stage and undoubtedly gave their fans a remarkable performance they will be talking about for years to come.
