Photos and review by Jenna Stafford (Indysrockphotographer)
The L.I.F.E. Project
August 16, 2022 was a beautiful night for a concert under the stars in Noblesville, Indiana. We started the night off strong with The L.I.F.E. Project hitting the stage first! The very talented vocalist Casandra Carson got the crowd hyped as she started with "A World on Fire" followed by their newest single, "The Nothingness.” It seemed like the crowd really enjoyed their performance; their energy on stage set the tone for the high-energy sets the rest of the night. As they started to play their cover of “Caught In A Mosh" by Anthrax, everyone was caught in a daze by Josh Rand's seasoned guitar skills and Celestino Ramirez's amazing drumming. I also want to mention that only did Jaron Gulino kick ass on bass but his hair was definitely the star of the show. This was my first time seeing The L.I.F.E. Project live and I was very impressed.
The L.I.F.E. Project is a new metal band that made their debut in 2021 and was started by guitarist Josh Rand from Stone Sour and Paralandra singer/guitarist Cassandra Carson. I’ve really enjoyed hearing “The Nothingness” on Sirius XM Octane's Test Drive a few times, and hope to see more of this up-and-coming band.
Bush
As I tried to patiently wait for Bush to make their appearance, I chatted with a couple that seemed to be just as excited as I was. They drove two hours to see this show and were so excited to finally see Bush for the second time. They told me the last time they had seen Bush was a little over nine years ago at X103's Mayday concert.
When Bush came out, I thought, “Thank god for ear protection!” because the crowd literally roared as the band hit the stage. Lead singer Gavin Rossdale opened the set with “The Kingdom,” followed by “Machinehead.” He seemed to have a couple issues not hearing himself, but that seemed to be quickly resolved.
As they started to play “Flowers On The Grave,” Rossdale made his way through the pavilion out to the lawn, singing as he went. Overall I think Bush’s performance exceeded any expectations I had, and left the crowd feeling charged.
Breaking Benjamin
Tonight was the third time I’ve gotten to see Breaking Benjamin and they’ve always been amazing live. They started out with fan favorite “Blow Me Away,” followed by “Sooner or Later” and “Firefly.” Frontman Benjamin Burnley had a few issues with his guitar during “Sooner or Later,” but these were quickly resolved.
The crowd really enjoyed Breaking Benjamin’s set. They played the usual hits, but we were all surprised and excited when they started to play their cover of “Who Wants to Live Forever” by Queen. When you see Breaking Benjamin live it’s truly just a great show; they’re a band I tell everyone they need to see at least once because they’re always 110%.
They ended their set with “I Will Not Bow" and “Diary of Jane.” By the end of their set, I think everyone in that crowd was on a heavy metal high.
Alice In Chains
Alice In Chains took the stage at full force, leading with “Again,” followed by “Check My Brain” and “Grind.” Lead singer William Duvall kept the crowd’s energy going while he sang classic after classic. The mood shifted as soon as they started to play “Man In The Box,’” I think everyone at Ruoff was singing and jamming along.
This was my first time getting the chance to see Alice In Chains live and I was not disappointed. The acoustics and stage setup were great. The crowd stayed energized throughout the whole performance.
The American Tour 2022, which continues through October 8, 2022, definitely set the bar high for every metal tour hitting the road this summer. I think each fan in the crowd tonight would agree that this performance exceeded every expectation we had walking into Ruoff.
For more tour information, follow this link: http://tour.aliceinchains.com/
