The hard rock juggernaut that is Disturbed paid a visit to Charlotte Monday night on their Take Back Your Life Tour in front of 10,000 (ok, really closer to 19,000 but you see where I’m going here) fists in the air. The band has been selling out amphitheaters everywhere as legions of fans are turning out to see not only a legendary band, but also what will go down in rock and roll history as a legendary production.
Kicking off the evening’s festivities was the Ukrainian groove metal band Jinjer. Everyone was stoked to have Jinjer on this lineup. The band had no choice but to postpone a lot of tour dates last year due to the ongoing crisis in their home country. Needless to say, Jinjer hasn’t lost a step. Tearing onto the stage with speed and intensity, they put in a more than solid set led by frontwoman and lead vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk. After witnessing them completely crush it, I have no doubt that one-day Jinjer will headline this very venue on a world tour of their own.
Next up was crowd favorite Breaking Benjamin. You simply could not tune in to rock radio in the mid to late 2000s without getting absolutely blasted by Breaking Benjamin. They are quite the hitmaking machine and the fans were amped up to see the band live and sing along to all their favorites. Unfortunately, the early part of their set was plagued by technical difficulties. I’m not sure if the issue was with lead vocalist Benjamin Burnley’s vocal mic or his guitar, but it was clear there was a problem. He stopped briefly after the opening song “Failure,” and asked us all to “hold on a minute while I get my shit fixed.” As is the norm for Ben, he shies away from the spotlight during the performance, preferring the music to be the stand-out of the set and I can happily attest that it was. After everything was fixed, the band sounded amazing and the songs carried across the venue with everyone singing along.
Of course, there was a lot more music still to come as we all waited in anticipation for Disturbed to hit the stage. As the lights went down, a curtain covered the stage. When the music started, you could see the silhouettes of the band members as they went straight into “Hey You.” Boom, the curtain dropped revealing not only the band but also their huge stage set up which would serve as a focal point throughout the evening. If you’re a fan of flames and pyro, then this was a show for you as it was everywhere. Rows of flames at the rear of the stage at different levels with plumes of fire going up in unison to the music. At the centerpiece of this was a huge lighting rig that provided a place for even more flames to go off. This rig moved in a serpentine fashion taking different shapes with different tiers of fire throughout the night. It was hot both literally and figuratively. Add in all the lights and smoke and this was everything that a hard rock and metal fan could want.
The set included all the hits you would expect to hear with David Draiman putting in a superb vocal performance. It wasn’t only the stage that was on fire as the entire band was putting on a show both musically and visually. Everyone got a chance to shine with a guitar solo from Dan Donegan, a bass solo from John Moyer, and a requisite drum solo from Mike Wengren. All the solos had the bells and whistles, or in this case, all the lighting and fire. Dan and John were jumping all over the stage, pointing at the audience and flipping the bird while Mike was in another dimension behind his kit.
So far, so good, but there was something else going on at PNC Music Pavilion this Monday night. The power of music is a force of nature in and of itself but when shared by a community of fans, it truly is something amazing. There was a little healing magic in the air as David Draiman took several opportunities to address the crowd and talk about depression and addiction, grieving for friends lost, and assuring us all that we are not alone. This made for an exquisite performance of the Simon & Garfunkel classic “The Sound of Silence” complete with an arc of fire as everyone sang along as the top of the piano began to blaze. Another poignant moment occurred when Draiman brought out three fans that he met during the meet and greet earlier in the evening. He asked the fan to share his story about his battles with mental and physical issues as the fan shared his story about almost taking his life but somehow found the power to keep going. This was a tear-jerker session for sure and a beautiful way to introduce “The Light.”
Don’t worry this was still a rock show and we ended on an upbeat note as we all got “Down With the Sickness” amidst a wild array of what else but fire! This tour has it all- hit songs, beautiful moments, crazy amounts of fire, and the sense of belonging that one can experience only in this setting. There are still quite a few dates left, so don’t miss it!
Set List:
Hey You
Stupify
Ten Thousand Fists
Prayer
Are You Ready
Bad Man
A Reason to Fight
Guitar Solo
Land of Confusion (Genesis cover)
Just Stop (Tour debut, first time since 2009)
Drum Solo
The Game
The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
Bass Solo
Indestructible
The Light
Stricken
Encore:
Unstoppable
Down With the Sickness
Inside the Fire
We would like to thank Kim Shiver from Livenation for the credentials to review the show.
