Breaking Benjamin, 10 Years, Starset – Poughkeepsie NY

It was a solid night of ROCK! when Breaking Benjamin, 10 Years and Starset performed at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie NY. Each band brought their unique style to the stage, giving the fans 110%!

First up was the sci-fi themed based band, Starset! From specially designed futuristic looking space suits with built-in lights to the gas cannon backpacks rockets – you could image what it would be like to rock in outer space. I can’t help but wonder if this is what Disaster Area would look like (Hitchhiker Guide to The Galaxy) if they were able to play instruments on a stage… in front of a crowd. 🙂 Starset’s story goes further than just cool costumes on stage. Not only are the lyrics revolve around the space theme, Starset has a whole back story and premise. They are part of The Starset Society– which you can find out in more detail by reading their novel.

Live, Starset is not only visually entertaining, but musically they put out a grand sound that could truly be made into a Sci-Fi movie soundtrack. Their live show definitely gets two thumbs up and worth checking out next time they are in your town.

Next was 10 Years! While the last few times seeing 10 Years, vocalist Jesse Hasek has taken the stage in some outrageous outfits (including “Herpe” ); it’s part of the fun as you never know how he will take the stage. This time around, it appeared that his outfit was more about making a statement with the message on his t-shirt, black arms/face paint and “superstarved” sunglasses. All silliness aside, Jesse and 10 Years really come out strong, relentless with heavy hitting hooks and riffs that had the crowd’s fist in the air, singing along.

The band stacked it setlist as full as possible for the time slot – of course playing those 10 Year classics songs like “Fix Me” “Beautiful” and “Wasteland” but also mixed in newer songs, including their title track of their latest album “From Birth to Burial” before closing out with “Shoot It Out.” This is one of those bands that doesn’t seem like they quite get the recognition that they deserve. Keep an eye out for this band as you won’t want to miss them!

Headlining the night was Breaking Benjamin. It’s great to see this band back in action – stronger, more powerful than ever and spot on, while proving that they can rock as hard as ever. With a new line-up, founder and vocalist Benjamin Burnley has teamed up with an amazing group of musicians to re-invent Breaking Benjamin. While Benjamin is still on vocals, new members are former RED guitarist – Jasen Rauch, former ADELITAS WAY guitarist – Keith Wallen, bassist Aaron Bruch and PICTURE ME BROKEN’s drummer Shaun Foist. Together, the breath new life and bring back all the traditional sense of what it is to put on a kickin’ rock show!

From playing all the hits that we know and love – “So Cold,”Blow Me Away,””Believe,” “I Will Not Bow” – to name a few but they also added in a medley of instrumental rock songs including Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit, covers of Tool’s “Ænema” and Queens song “Who Wants to Live Forever.” It really was just a fun night of rock. The show was on Sept 11 – and Breaking Benjamin did a really nice dedication to the US Military, as they went into “Unknown Soldier” Really an emotional moment. Overall, Ben’s vocals were stronger than ever – And the band was spot on. They sound just like the albums, if not better (if that’s possible).

All three bands give it their all every night and it pays off. This is one tour that you won’t want to miss if they are coming to a town near you.

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