Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Rock legends Breaking Benjamin and Staind co-headlined the “Awaken The Fallen” tour with Wage War and Lakeview making a stop at Blossom Music Center just outside of Cleveland, Ohio.
The night began with Lakeview, opening for the crowd who were just starting to get settled into their seats as the sun was still shining. The energy this country-rock duo brought was intoxicating from the very start, and it got the whole crowd moving along to the beat from the very beginning. Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy were interactive with the crowd from the moment they first stepped foot on stage until their very last song echoed through the pavilion. It was fun to watch them engage with the crowd from start to finish! They call themselves “Blue Collar Country” and the crowd loved their catchy lyrics and energetic stage presence. They played some of their singles such as “Loser” and “Wrong Side of the Track” and also incorporated their new cover, “Lips of an Angel,” by Hinder. This got the crowd warmed up and ready to sing along and dance for the rest of the night!
Next up, Wage War took the stage starting their set with their new song, “NAIL5,” off their most recent album: STIGMA. They started the show off with some high-energy movement with Briton pacing back and forth near the front of the stage to get fans riled up and ready to rock; often waving for the crowd to scream along with a combination of bright neon yellow lights that set the tone for the remainder of their set, bringing high energy. Lead guitarist, songwriter and clean vocalist, Cody Quistad, had extremely crisp vocals. He played back-to-back, tricky and impressive riffs in nearly every song. His hands had to be tired, but you’d never know it from his stunning performance—never missing a beat! Quistad’s guitarwork is always immaculate. The band’s dynamic energy left the crowd feeling united and ready for the next song to play. Their music brings those nostalgic Warped Tour post-hardcore vibes that make you want to jump right out of your seat and into the mosh pit. Yet, they also bring a melodic flare within their songs as well. Each song Wage War played incorporated heavy breakdowns and riffs that amazed the crowd. Throughout their set, anytime you’d look around – you could spot audience members with their hands up pretending to play along to the band’s fast-paced guitar riffs.
Staind took the stage next and you could tell the crowd was buzzing with excitement. Aaron Lewis’ vocals were nothing short of emotional and filled with rasp, everything you’d expect and more from the band. Throughout the set you could feel his soulfulness and passion shine from one song to the next. Their bass player, Johnny April had a determined demeanor throughout; it was fun to watch his facial expressions and listen to all his grungy bass lines from start to finish. Throughout the set, you could feel the crowd in awe of Lewis’ classic and unmistaken vocals. Mid-way through the set, he brought out his American flag guitar and paused to thank the audience for “still showing up for their band all these years later” and wished everyone a safe and healthy upcoming holiday weekend. This concert was held at Blossom Music Center which always brings a unique vibe to any show, being that it’s smack dab in the middle of the woods. There was a peacefulness that came over the entire crowd as they played their classic song, “Outside,” that was blasting throughout the thick of the woods. You could hear thousands of fans singing along to every single word, echoing back into the pavilion and through the pine trees of the forest surrounding the stage and audience.
Last, but certainly not least, Breaking Benjamin took the stage with electric energy from the very beginning. After three solid acts before them, the audience was hyped up and ready to rock along with some of the best in the rock scene. They opened their set with their song “Failure” which got the audience amped and prepared for the next songs to come. You could tell the older fans were feeling nostalgic after hearing some of the classic Breaking Benjamin songs, but there were an equal amount of younger fans throughout the venue that were just as excited for the reminder of their set. While looking throughout the crowd, you could see a bunch of kids sitting on the shoulders of their parents out in the lawn section and both child and parent alike were singing along to every single word that Breaking Benjamin were singing. I noticed a lot of families in attendance of this show which was neat to see. You could tell parents were bonding with their children over their common love of music and some stellar rock music at that!
Overall, this magnetic line up of back-to-back talented rock groups was an incredible way to kick off Blossom Music Center’s summer of great music. It was an unbelievable line up of newer country-esque “Blue Collar Country” style music to metalcore songs that then later finished the night off with some of the powerhouse rockstars we’ve known and loved for the last twenty plus years. The energy these bands had was mesmerizing and you could tell how each musician in this lineup was passionate and ready to connect with the screaming fans throughout the night, leaving everyone with memories that will last a lifetime. It was an unimaginable way to kick off the concert venue’s summer of shows and got the Cleveland scene rocking throughout all four acts.