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07/24/2016 Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, Alter Bridge, Saint Asonia (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
By Eric | July 25, 2016 10:08 am
As this was going to be my only “big” show of the summer, I splurged for what ended up being 2nd row behind the GA pit. Nice and close. I rolled into Darien, and for a little bit of deja-vu, I actually parked at the Cherry Hill campground, as Bob and Michelle were camping there for the weekend. For $5 I got to be their guest and park there instead, missing all the “fun” in the regular lot. One $10 cab ride (literally) across the street, we were in the venue. I hung out on the lawn right up until show time, when I found my seat and eagerly anticipated Saint Asonia.
It dawned on me as they walked out that I’d been watching all four band members for the past 18 years! I’d seen Mike Mushok with Staind as early as 1998, and twice before Dysfunction came out; I’d seen Rich Beddoe in Finger Eleven starting in 2001, and saw Corey Lowery with Stereomud later that same year; and I got to see Adam Gontier with Three Days Grace in 2003 right before their first album was released. So needless to say, I was a big fan of all their previous bands, and I really enjoy the Saint Asonia record as well. There seemed to be more than a couple people that were familiar with the tunes, but the majority of the crowd didn’t really get on board until the two 3DG covers, and once the first notes of I Hate Everything About You hit, the place went nuts. Gontier even threw a little shade by saying that they want to play songs from their previous bands so people could hear them “the way they should be heard”. They did sound fantastic, Corey was bouncing around giving 110% as usual, and Adam’s voice sounded pretty good (I’ve been down on his vocals on prior 3DG shows). They were a perfect opener for a show like this.
Saint Asonia
————
Fairy Tale
King of Nothing
Dying Slowly
Just Like You (Three Days Grace cover)
I Hate Everything About You (Three Days Grace cover)
Better Place
Let Me Live My Life
So one set break later, Alter Bridge was up, and talk about a quintessential hard rock band. Mark Tremonti came out shredding, and Myles Kennedy’s voice was spot-on for the whole set. They made the most of their 7 songs too, playing all bangers (Come To Life, Ties That Bind, Metallingus, Addicted to Pain, etc), nothing slow whatsoever (they’d been playing Blackbird at most shows). There’s not a whole lot more to say other than the set was too short, and they sounded amazing. Super solid.
Metalingus (turn your head sideways)
Rise Today
Alter Bridge
————
Come to Life
Farther Than the Sun
Ties That Bind
Isolation
Metallingus
Addicted to Pain
Rise Today
After finding Phill and Frank directly in front of me in the pit (Phill *won* tickets, lucky!) and yapping with them, it was Breaking Benjamin time. It had been 9 years since I saw them last (2007 at the Agri-center), so I guess I was due. Part of that was due to the long hiatus from 2010 to 2014, and the complete turnover of the band behind Ben Burnley. So it was Ben with a whole bunch of new dudes. And sonically, it was almost impossible to tell the difference. What was sort of interesting though, was that Ben gave up lead vocal duties on a couple of the songs in favor of other band members. If I remember correctly, he didn’t sing Sooner or Later, Believe, or Until The End. That was a little weird, but beyond that, they put on a great show. They did a cool little medley in the middle of The Imperial March (with Ben wielding a red lightsaber!), Tool’s Schism, Nirvana’s Teen Spirit, and Pantera’s Walk. My personal favorite, Blow Me Away, is still in rotation, and Believe was a nice surprise. While I really like the albums and the band, I’m consistently amazed at the rabid, feverish support this band gets. The true fans are dedicated in a way I don’t see from most other fanbases of bands of this ilk. But no matter, they too were a worthy opener for what was to come next.
Blow Me Away
Imperial March
Polyamorous
I Will Not Bow
Breaking Benjamin
—————–
So Cold
Angels Fall
Sooner or Later
Blow Me Away
The Imperial March / Schism / Smells Like Teen Spirit / Walk
Polyamorous
Ashes of Eden
Believe
Breath
Failure
Until the End
I Will Not Bow
The Diary of Jane
After the set, I wandered back up onto the now-crowded lawn to hang with Bob & Michelle and crew, and got roped into a beer run so they wouldn’t lose their spots. Which was fine, except a 2-drink per person limit means having to visit two different stands! But we managed, and I got back to my seat right as Disturbed started, only missing about a quarter of the first song.
This being the seventh time seeing Disturbed, I’ve never seen them put on a bad show, and this one was no different. They kicked it off on the right foot with Ten Thousand Fists into The Game. They had a rather minimalist stage setup, with some cool pyro here and there, and just let the music do the entertaining. David Draiman’s voice was in fine form, especially for The Sound Of Silence, for which Dan Donegan traded his guitar for a piano, and the sea of cell phone lights (oh lighters, where have you gone?) made for a really cool effect. We also got the live debut of Who Taught You How To Hate, so that was a nice surprise. Highlights for me included Stupify (which is still super fun 15 years later), the aforementioned Sound of Silence, and then the last two songs of the night, Voices and Down With The Sickness, which again, still hold up and whip up the crowd after all this time. Solid was the theme of the night, and Disturbed capped it off. All four bands put on a fantastic show, and this concert-goer had little to complain about (save for the half-hour wait for a cab back to the campground) and a lot to like!
Who Taught You How To Hate
Stupify
The Sound of Silence
Down With The Sickness
Disturbed
———
Ten Thousand Fists
The Game
The Vengeful One
Prayer
Liberate
Who Taught You How To Hate (live debut)
Stupify
The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
Inside the Fire
The Light
Stricken
Indestructible
Voices
Down With the Sickness
Topics: Concerts | Tags: 2016, Alter Bridge, Breaking Benjamin, Darien, Darien Lake PAC, Disturbed, Saint Asonia | Comments Off on 07/24/2016 Disturbed, Breaking Benjamin, Alter Bridge, Saint Asonia (Darien, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center)
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