A sold-out pavilion and packed lawn on August 20, 2019, indicated that rock & roll is not dead in Indiana! Fans turned out in droves to see KoRn, Alice in Chains, Underoath, and FEVER 333 at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. The lineup was an interesting combination of relatively different styles of rock with somewhat different fan bases, but it all worked well together. Rapcore openers FEVER 333 started the evening with a dramatic and incredibly high energy performance. Le

Christian rockers Skillet are known for their high-energy, passionate live performances, and their fans are known for their fierce loyalty. Last weekend I got to experience a Skillet concert for the first time, and I completely understand what the hype is all about. Their show was a first-rate production, complete with pyro, smoke, cannons, vivid graphics, and, of course, great music. Here are the highlights of their 14-song, powerful set: Lead singer John Cooper had a gr

Atlanta-based Sevendust, who is currently on the road with Skillet on their Victorious War tour, put on a fantastic show for an enthusiastic crowd last weekend in Indianapolis. It was my first time seeing Sevendust live, despite the fact that they’ve been making music and touring for the past 20 years. I have to say these guys were awesome, and I kinda wish I had seen them sooner! They were fun to watch, and lead singer Lajon Witherspoon connected with the audience in a hea

I have a confession to make before I start this review: I’ve been a huge Pop Evil fan for years, and they were the first band I ever photographed from the photo pit. They’re also (mostly) from Michigan, my home state, so I definitely have a soft spot for them. That being said, I don’t think I’m being biased when I say they absolutely slayed last weekend at their show in support of Skillet and Sevendust. Pop Evil opened with the fast-paced, kick-ass hit, Boss’s Daughter. Dru

Behemoth brought there extreme metal cargo onto the Ruoff Home Mortgage Stage Friday evening. Dazzling a frantic crowd with European black metal. The night just started as two more European bands were set to take the stage following Behemoth. Gojira and Volbeat were next in line. Then of course Slipknot closed the evening. This was a great opportunity to catch a few live acts that don't often make it onto major American stages. And they were highlighted with great efficiency

Best to describe a Slipknot concert as a visual extravaganza! There is no lone star at this event. There a multiple talents traversing the stage. Highlighting an overwhelming sensory experience. Without a doubt I enjoy watching Mick Thomson work the stage or shall I say command the stage. He's uses his guitar wizardry to entrance the audience. Maybe it's the fact that I met #7 at NAMM a couple years back and as far as I could tell he ruled the room with merely his presence. C

If you grew up in the 60s/70s, you were a fan of The Doobie Brothers. I mean, everybody loved The Doobies. The harmonies, the hooks, and the rich sounds made them immensely popular among country, rock and pop fans. As much as I loved The Doobie Brothers myself, I never had a chance to see them live until Friday night when they opened for Santana at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. They opened their set with the 1972 hit, Rockin’ Down the Highway, which got the crowd cheeri

I’ve always loved live music, and I’ve been to a fair number of concerts, especially in the past couple of years. I can honestly say Friday’s Santana show at the Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center was one of the best shows I have ever been to. The musicianship, the lights, the energy, the camaraderie among the band, and the incredible music all combined to make an absolutely amazing experience. After a stellar set by The Doobie Brothers, Santana opened with Soul Sacrifice, a s

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Hyro the Hero opened the Rockstar Energy DISRUPT Festival at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center with a high-powered, kick-ass show that definitely woke up the audience. I’m not sure how he mustered so much energy so early in the day, but it was one of the most intense, athletic performances I’ve ever seen. I’m not talking about a few jumps and some dancing, either – he lunged, twirled, and stomped across the stage, scrambled up the lighting stands, and leaped over the heads of

MC Hammer’s House Party crashed​ ​its way through Ruoff Home Mortgage Center in Noblesville, Indiana filling nearly 7,500 seats on their summer tour. It has been twenty-eight years since MC Hammer - or ​Hammer a​s he would later rebrand himself in an effort to stay relevant with the increasing influence of Gangsta Rap upon 90’s culture - embarked on a “major” U.S. tour.​ ​Not since the 1991 tour for his third album (​Too Legit To Quit)​ and follow-up to the phenomenon that b

I thought I knew what to expect from Breaking Benjamin, having covered them last summer when they toured with Five Finger Death Punch. But I actually didn’t. Lead singer Ben Burnley has stepped up his game, and I was impressed. Burnley, who had seemed almost aloof last year (and in years past), was everything a good frontman should be: enthusiastic, confident, and, most importantly, engaging. He seemed happier and less angst-y than before, joking around and telling little sto

If I had to summarize Chevelle’s set in one sentence, I would say, “They make a hell of a lot of noise for just three guys.” The Chicago-based band have a sound that’s amazingly distinct, due largely to frontman Pete Loeffler’s growly vocals and grungy guitar riffs. But Dean Bernardini’s bass was growling right along with him, while drummer Sam Loeffler pounded the skins relentlessly throughout the set. Although Chevelle’s music wasn’t as fast-paced as Three Days Grace’s, the

Next up was Three Days Grace, the Canadian four-piece that’s been rocking out since 1997. Although I had seen them live a several years ago, seeing them from the photo pit with vocalist Matt Walst, who joined the band in 2013, was an entirely different experience. Walst one of the best frontmen I’ve seen in terms of interacting with the audience and getting them involved. He had a little something to say before every song, including a message about it never being too late to

If you weren’t at the packed Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center Tuesday night, you missed one helluva show! It was a night of solid, intense, hard rock with lots of attitude, killer riffs, exceptional musicianship, and some pyro thrown in for good measure. Diamante, the 22-year-old vocalist from Boston, was the first act of the night. She strode onto the stage wearing wickedly studded sunglasses and hat, her sapphire hair glowing in the stage lights. Opening with Bite My Kiss,

From shooting a new music video with a live audience, playing their brand-new song, and crowd surfing on a giant inflatable unicorn, Sleeping with Sirens put on quite the show at the DISRUPT Festival at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Although the sun was beating down on the crowd, they still were jumping to every song. Their set had a great mix of old and new music ranging from “If You Can’t Hang” off their second album to their newest release, “Leave It All Behind.” The u

Ska music has gotten kind of a bad rap for the past several years, but The Interrupters are turning that around. When they took the stage at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center for ALT 103.3’s Birthday Bash, The Interrupters’ fusion of ska and punk embraced the dynamism, simplicity, and straightforwardness of both genres in a way that was highly palatable. Somehow, even the angriest of their songs was fun and danceable. In addition, their interaction with the crowd endeared them

Although my musical horizons have been expanding recently, I had honestly never heard of surf pop or cosmic indie surf before I heard Bikini Trill in support of 311 and Dirty Heads at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. You know what, though? I like it! A lot! Bikini Trill’s sound is kind of hard to describe, but cosmic indie surf is actually pretty accurate. And I’m 100% sure that it’s related to the reason the gates for this show opened at 4:20 PM. Bikini Trill’s lead singer

Alt-rockers 311 brought plenty of loud, infectious energy to Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center for Alt 103.3’s Birthday Bash, and the crowd ate it up. Currently on a co-headlining tour with Dirty Heads, 311 have been together for 29 years, and they know how to entertain. They came out rocking with 1994’s Homebrew, a strong rock tune, and kept the audience on their feet through the entire 15-song setlist. Along with classics such as Beautiful Disaster and All Shook Up, 311 play

Dreamers, an LA-based trio, was the second act to take the stage at ALT 103.3’s Birthday Bash Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center. Currently on tour in support of 311 and Dirty Heads, Dreamers fused together indie, rock, pop, psychedelic, and techno sounds artfully, and threw in a little dash of pop punk for fun. The synergy between vocalist Nick Wold, guitarist Jacob Wick, and bassist Marc Nelson was evident throughout Dreamers’ enthusiastic, well-rehearsed set, making for an e