BREAKING BENJAMIN/FALLING IN REVERSE

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2023-05-08

BREAKING BENJAMIN/FALLING IN REVERSE – THE BIG GIG

By Joe Perusse

The Big Gig at the DCU Center Worcester, MA featuring headliners Breaking Benjamin

Saturday I headed up to Boston to grab my son Jagger for the Big Gig in Worcester. Whenever Worcester has a show I like to get there early and head to Mezcal Tequila Cantina right outside the DCU Center. Usually I don’t comment on pre show meals but besides never having a bad meal there they have a guacamole flight on the appetizer menu where you can pick 3 different guans. This is part of my personal campaign to make this standard in restaurants everywhere.

This is year 2 of WWFX The Pike taking the reins from WAAF and the lineup did not disappoint. Breaking Benjamin was headlining with Falling in Reverse, The Pretty Reckless, Beartooth and Dorothy supporting.

Photos Holly Roy Photoghraphy

Dorothy opened the night getting things going right at 5:30. The arena was about half full at the start but by the end of the set the floor was full and the seats were packed. Lead singer Dorothy Martin had strong vocals throughout the 7 song set and the crowd was awakened by booming drums (Jake Hayden), and deep bass, (Eliot Lorango) starting off the night with “Down to the Bottom”. Sam “Bam” Kolton (Guitar) was stellar all night and had a sweet lead into “Flawless”.
Set List

Down to the Bottom
Hurricane
What’s Coming to Me
Black Sheep
Flawless
Rest in Peace
Gifts From the Holy Ghost

Beartooth took the stage next and the crowd turned up the energy along with lead singer Caleb Shomo. He was a ball of fire on stage and the crowd fed off his energy as the first circle pit of the night appeared during “Disease” and stayed alive for the rest of the set. Crowd surfers also appeared and were making the front stage security earn their nights pay. During “The Lines” Shomo had the whole crowd jumping along. Current hit “Riptide” brought out the phones, recording the moment. One thing I noticed about this night was that phones were not out constantly throughout the evening. People seemed to be living in the moment which I always enjoy when at a show. While Shomo plays all the instruments in the studio he leaves that to everyone else during the show, Oshie Bichar (Bass), Conner Denis (Drums), Zach Huston (Lead Guitar) and Will Deely (Rhythm Guitar) met Shomo’s energy to the crowds delight.
Set List

Devastation
Disease
Sunshine!
The Lines
You Never Know
In Between
Hated
Riptide
The Past Is Dead

Photos Holly Roy Photoghraphy

The Pretty Reckless led off with “Death by Rock and Roll” This is the third time I have seen them live and Taylor Momsen (Vocals) is getting better each time. She is in constant motion, giving both sides of the crowd equal attention. Mark Damon (Bass) was pounding out the beat on “Only Love Can Save Me Now”. Damon, Ben Phillips (Lead Guitar) and Jamie Perkins (Drums) played an extended jam at the end of “Heaven Knows” and Momsen strapped on the rhythm guitar closing with “Take Me Down”.
Set List

Death by Rock and Roll
Since You’re Gone
Only Love Can Save Me Now
Make Me Wanna Die
Going to Hell
Heaven Knows
Take Me Down

In my opinion the best performance of the night was turned in by Falling In Reverse. There was some worry the vocalist Ronnie Radke wouldn’t be able to perform as the band had cancelled 3 recent shows. Although he apologized about his voice at the end of their set, I thought it was an outstanding performance. One thing I quickly noticed was the volume level was way up from the first 3 acts. After a calmer floor for The Pretty Reckless, the circle pits and crowd surfers returned with a vengeance. Radke spent most of the night on a front riser that went the length of the stage. Max Georgiev (Lead Guitar) snuck up there quickly for a solo but otherwise it was Radke’s domain. The whole arena, floor and seats had their hands swaying for “Losing My Mind”. Before “Just Like You” Radke asked the crowd who is an asshole. After the crowd erupted in agreement that they were, he laughed saying, I knew, It’s Worcester. Christian Thompson (Rhythm Guitar), Tyler Burgess (Bass) and Luke Holland (Drums) round out the lineup.
Set List

Zombified
I’m Not a Vampire
Losing My Mind
Fuck You and All Your Friends
Fashionably Late
The Drug in Me Is You
Drugs
Just Like You
Watch the World Burn
Voices in My Head
Popular Monster

After this performance I was really looking forward to Breaking Benjamin taking it up a notch more. Alas, I am still waiting. It was off from the beginning. Jagger said he thought the low mix never got corrected. Lead singer and rhythm guitarist Benjamin Burnley was never in a spotlight the whole show. He even seemed to actively duck away. Another band member was spotlighted the whole show. Keith Wallen (Rhythm Guitar) takes over lead vocals on “Sooner or Later”, one of my favorite songs of the band. Aaron Bruch (Bass) takes his turn on “Simple Design”. Jasen Rauch(Lead Guitar) and Shaun Foist (Drums) complete the lineup. Burnley’s son Ben was on stage too. He followed his dad around at the beginning. Ben had a guitar but I don’t know if he was actually playing it or not. He walked off after “Angels Fall” and I thought it was cute having him out there. He then returned and was given a chair and sat on stage the whole show with his guitar. It kinda felt like Burnley couldn’t get a sitter and just said you’re coming to work with me.

Burnley commented after “I Will Not Bow” how there will be human fuck-ups during their shows because they don’t use any click tracks. It wasn’t the best performance I’ve seen by the band and I think a lot of the crowd agreed as by the end there were less people in the arena than when Dorothy started off the night. Everyone can have an off night sometimes. Like Burnley said we are human.
Set List