Simpsonville, SC – This past Friday the 13th was anything but unlucky for the crowd gathered at Heritage Park CCNB Amphitheatre. A late spring rain fell lightly and briefly as venue gates opened to what would encompass a full evening of live music headlined by Breaking Benjamin with special guests Seether, Starset, and Lacey Sturm. The feeling of great enthusiasm and eagerness was circulating among the clusters of concertgoers ready to experience the feelings only live music can bring.
Singer-Songwriter Lacey Sturm took to the stage first accompanied by her husband, Josh Sturm, and kicked off the evening with an acoustic performance. Lacey delivered a brief but strong set highlighting her power and emotion, which was felt through her movement and heard through her vocals. They included fan favorites such as “Impossible”, “Awaken Love”, “Rot”, “Fully Alive” and “All Around Me”.
Blasting off next and taking the audience into orbit with them was Starset. Since forming in 2013, the band has continued to explore the outer reaches of the rock and metal musical galaxy as carried out through their 2014 debut album, Transmissions, followed by the 2017 album, Vessels, and 2019 album, Divisions, then finally their recent 2021 drop, Horizons. Tonight, Dustin Bates (vocals, guitar), Adam Gilbert (drums), Zuzana Engererova (cello), Siobhan Cronin (violin), Cory Juba (guitar, synth), Brock Richards (guitar), and Ron DeChant (bass) offered an alluring glimpse of science and technology embedded into a sci-fi, theatrical performance that held concepts of development and dystopia. The band can transport the experiencer into another world with their carefully designed sound and stage visuals, complete with fog, screens, costumes, flags and of course, widespread sensation.
STARSET SETLIST
- Carnivore
- TRIALS
- MANIFEST
- Monster
- INFECTED
- DEVOLUTION
- My Demons
With a dozen songs at the ready and plan to continue firing up the crowd, Seether would call for attention through the beginning drops of “Gasoline”. Garnering a loyal following since their origin in Pretoria, Gauteng, South Africa, it was effortless to spot individual after individual singing along to every word. The setlist included sentimental, chart hits and also represented a selection from the band’s eighth studio album, Si Vis Pacem, Para Bellum, which was released in 2020. The band has a wonderful way of connecting with the audience, either through hard-hitting rallies or softer, more visceral moments. Singer, guitarist and longest serving member of the band, Shaun Morgan, even took a moment to celebrate one audience member’s first hard rock concert.
SEETHER SETLIST
- Gasoline
- Fine Again
- Broken
- Country Song
- Rise Above This
- Bruised and Bloodied
- Wasteland
- I’m So Sick
- Let You Down
- Dangerous
- Fake It
- Remedy
Closing out the night and chasing away the rain clouds was headliner, Breaking Benjamin. Over 20 years since the original formation, the band’s current lineup consists of Benjamin Burnley (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, founding member), Jasen Rauch (lead guitar), Keith Wallen (rhythm guitar), Aaron Bruch (bass), and Shaun Foist (drums). Delivering an immediately recognizable sound, each seemed to play their hearts out while celebrating an incredible night filled with adoring fans.
BREAKING BENJAMIN SETLIST
- Blow Me Away
- Follow
- Angels Fall
- Firefly
- So Cold
- Failure
- Until the End
- Breath
- Dance With the Devil
- Drum Solo
- Break My Fall
- Polyamorous
- Give Me a Sign
- Evil Angel
- I Will Not Bow
- The Diary of Jane
Encore:
Rain
Breaking Benjamin is scheduled to touch down at the Upheaval Festival (Grand Rapids, MI) and Inkcarceration Festival (Mansfield, OH) in July, then will setting out for a co-headlining tour with Alice In Chains and special guests Bush, kicking off in August 2022 in Burgettstown, PA.
Show Date: May 13, 2022
