As featured previously on Amps & Green Screens.
BETHLEHEM, PA (AUGUST 5, 2016) – Whenever BREAKING BENJAMIN plays a show in Pennsylvania, one can easily expect the band to have a little extra pep in their step. The band originally from the Wilkes-Barre, PA region rocked the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Friday, August 5th to an almost full house – if it wasn’t full it was a 99.99% sell-out!
The hard-rock/metal band took the stage promptly at 9:00PM and began their almost one and a half-hour spectacle with “So Cold” off the sophomore album ‘We Are Not Alone’. The crowd raucously welcomed BREAKING BENJAMIN and company with open arms and a standing ovation.
Following up the momentous opener with another track from their second album, BREAKING BENJAMIN slammed right into “Simple Design” & “Sooner or Later” With new guitarist/backing vocalist Keith Wallen (formerly of Adelitas Way) taking the lead on “Sooner or Later”, lead singer Benjamin Burnley gave up the spotlight and let Keith showcase his set of pipes.
Next, the band launched into recent ‘Dark Before Dawn’ single “Angels Fall”. With the crowd dutifully singing along to the radio friendly single, it truly showcased how much impact this band has had in the area. Being away for a number of years, BREAKING BENJAMIN burst back onto the scene in 2014 with a new lineup and quickly rose back to the top of the charts.
Granting the sold-out crowd a mere moment to collect themselves from having their faces rocked off through the first gathering of songs, “Ashes of Eden” presented a nice change of pace. The song was recently featured in a new music video released just last month and is a beautiful composition from this typically hard-rocking group. A direct comparison would have to be with ‘We Are Not Alone’ track, “Rain”.
A short time later, lead vocalist Benjamin Burnley wielded a light saber and dedicated a four song medley to lord Darth Vader and the First Order. The medley featuring “The Imperial March” theme song, Tool’s “Schism”, Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and Pantera’s “Walk” – was a great crowd pleaser. Everyone singing along to BREAKING BENJAMIN tearing through the hits of years past was another special moment for all involved. Where else can you and over 2,500 of your closest friends jam out all night and echo every word sang?
Throughout the rest of the set, BREAKING BENJAMIN sprinkled in hits such as “Polyamorous”, “Bury Me Alive”, “Breath”, among others which the Bethlehem crowd sang along to every word. Ending the main set with the powerful “I Will Not Bow” was a great way to send the crowd home happy. Until the band came back on stage, led by Burnley.
The last words spoken for the night before launching into fan-friendly “Diary of Jane” are those of lead vocalist and band namesake, Benjamin Burnley. “These are your accomplishments too,” Burnley said. “Thank you for sticking with us all these years”. I would like to say thank YOU Ben for sticking with it and following your dream for all these years. Shows such as this really show what kind of people make up the production, band, and crew to put on a tremendous production like this night after night. Thank you BREAKING BENJAMIN and crew.
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