Breaking Benjamin Leads the Pack at Target Center

Fans got their money’s worth on Wednesday night at Target Center when four bands rocked one stage for the Awaken the Fallen Tour.

Co-headliners Breaking Benjamin and Staind rolled into Minneapolis with two supporting acts, and while I felt this stop on the North American tour had plenty of highs, there were unfortunately a couple of lows as well.

Ben Burnley engages the crowd. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

I realized before the show kicked off that I’d forgotten to bring my “just in case the sound is bonkers” earplugs. Luckily, my sister was the photographer assigned to this show, and she found a loose plug rattling around in the bottom of her camera bag. Grateful for the gift, I broke it in two and jammed the bits into my ears. The protection was appreciated because, while the sound at Target Center was mainly fantastic, all four bands were very, very loud (and not just because I’ve gotten old…I don’t think).

Luke Healy of Lakeview. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

The event started with Lakeview, a country-rock band led by Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy, who hail from New York and Pittsburgh, respectively.

Lakeview plays country rock. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Though the two have been playing together for more than 10 years and have released several singles and EPs, they only signed with Nashville-based label Gravel Road last June, and dropped their self-titled debut album three months later.

They had the unenviable task of performing their self-proclaimed “Blue Collar Country Music” for a half-empty arena. And although they tried their best to get the earlybird fans to elicit some energy, they got mostly tepid results.

I can’t say I enjoyed their music, which sounded like a blend of country, alt-rock, and metalcore. Regardless of my personal taste, however, I admit that combining metal and country is a unique idea, and that a lot of people will like it.

But music aside, I felt the duo are suffering from a bit of an identity crisis. Specifically, I was distracted and confused by Denaro and Healy’s macho posturing. Donning the traditional “bro-country” attire of old-school-mechanic-style shirts, baseball hats, and jeans, they did a lot of extended-arm waving, chest thumping, and jumping in unison. These movements seemed rehearsed and felt ungenuine.

Jesse Denaro of Lakeview sings. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Maybe with time and more large-venue performances under their belts, they’ll ease up on the dramatics and relax into their natural talents.

By the time Wage War took the stage Target Center was filled to almost half capacity. For those not familiar with metalcore, this was a decent introduction. I thought the Ocala, Florida–based foursome was a bright spot of the night, as they gave fans the heaviness we expected with just enough melody to keep us nodding our heads to the driving beat.

Briton Bond of Wage War. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Vocalists Briton Bond and Cody Quistad switched between clean and screaming vocals to keep us interested, while lead guitarist Seth Blake, bassist Chris Gaylord, and drummer Stephen Kluesener fleshed out the songs and kept the anticipation building for what was to come.

Cody Quistad of Wage War. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

The songs each sounded fairly unique rather than a carbon copy of one another (I’m side-eyeing you, Lakeview). Bond and Quistad were both talented singers who were not getting by on screaming and growling alone. Sure, they did plenty of that—and to great effect—but they didn’t rely solely on it.

I’ll keep my eye on Wage War. They had a similar sound to Breaking Benjamin, and perhaps one day the two will tour together with the former opening for the latter.

Briton screams for Wage War. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

With the openers’ jobs complete, the stage was set for Staind. Since this band has been around since the early 1990s, you likely don’t need an introduction.

Aaron Lewis sings. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

But for those wanting a refresher, the band was formed in Massachusetts and is made up of lead vocalist/rhythm guitarist Aaron Lewis, lead guitarist Mike Mushok, and bassist Johnny April. Sal Giancarelli, who began working as Staind’s drum tech in 1999, replaced the original drummer, Jon Wysocki, in 2011.

Mike Mushok plays lead guitar. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Mid-2010s me would have been extremely excited to see Staind. I was a big fan and owned several of their early albums, all of which got regular spins in my CD player.

But in the past decade or so, Lewis began spouting his right-wing, ultra-conservative rhetoric on social media and cable news appearances, and I stopped listening.

Johnny April plays bass, from Staind. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

The crowd on this night, however, mostly appeared to be transported back to the band’s early days. Either Staind’s songs have aged well, or fans have simply gotten older and more nostalgic.

Lewis smoked throughout the set, and both the cigarettes and time seem to have affected his once-distinctive voice. He sounded nasally and even pitchy on occasion. I popped out half an earplug to make sure it wasn’t affecting my perception, but the foamy nugget wasn’t to blame.

Aaron Lewis growls for Staind. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

At one pause between songs, the vocalist began rambling about “censorship,” but he eventually trailed off and switched gears to thank the night’s two openers. Maybe he realized mid-rant that he was currently performing in a blue state and wasn’t getting the reaction he was hoping for?

Whatever the case, at the end of Staind’s time Lewis thanked the audience and wrapped up with the statement, “God bless America.”

Cool.

Johnny April of Staind. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

After that, it was finally time for Breaking Benjamin, the band I was most interested in seeing. (In case you’re wondering, the earplugs were at this point cast aside.)

Ben Burnley and Aaron Bruch sing, for Breaking Benjamin. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Since the rock band from Pennsylvania formed in 1999 it has gone through an almost complete lineup change—which makes its name ironically accurate. Lead vocalist Benjamin Burnley is the only original member, and these days he gets backing-vocal assistance from guitarist Keith Wallen and bassist Aaron Bruch, while Jasen Rauch is on lead guitar and Shaun Foist sits behind the drum kit.

Drummer Shaun Foist of Breaking Benjamin. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

But although the players have changed, Breaking Benjamin’s blend of conventional hard rock, angsty themes, crunchy guitars, and expansive choruses has endured.

Aaron Bruch sings for Breaking Benjamin. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

Burnley’s voice is still as powerful as ever, and seemed to completely fill the massive arena. When the quintet opened with “Failure,” they immediately had us all in the palm of their hands.

The setlist combined the hits everyone expected, and was peppered with a few deeper cuts and newer material. After performing a more recent song, Burnley addressed the crowd.

“Thank you thank you thank you so much, Minnesota. It means a lot to us that we’re still able to make new music like that after 20-something years of doing this. We’re very grateful,” he gushed. “[Your] support keeps us going every single f–king day. So thank you for that gift; thank you for allowing us to continue making music. It’s something we never ever take for granted. We love you.”

Jasen Rauch of Breaking Benjamin. Photo by Wendy Nielsen

The set continued with the same rocking energy and natural, unforced performance the band had displayed thus far.

I was at the Grandstand when Breaking Benjamin played the Minnesota State Fair in 2022, so I knew “I Will Not Bow” and “Until the End” would be remarkable (and they were). But the real highlight for me was “Breath.” When Burnley hit the high notes and the entire crowd sang along, it was one of those goosebump-filled moments that reminds a concert-goer why they make the effort to see bands play live.