Citizen Soldier at The Deluxe Theater at Old National Centre on August 11, 2025

llfoxphotos
7 days ago
2 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

The HeartSupport Tour

INDIANAPOLIS

Photos and review by Laura Fox (LLFoxphotos)

After an intense, upbeat set by Adelitas Way, and an even more intense, moody set from 10 Years, sh*t got real when Citizen Soldier took the stage at The Deluxe Theater in Indianapolis.

Fans, who ranged in age from elementary-school kids to "mature" adults, ecstatically greeted the Salt Lake City-based band as they strode onto the stage. Led by frontman and founding member Jake Segura, Citizen Soldier proceeded to provide a hefty dose of mental-health therapy disguised as a 16-song alt-metal set.

Citizen Soldier is known for their painfully honest lyrics about heavy topics, including suicide, and I can tell you their messages resonated with the crowd. The opening song, "Bulletproof," prompted one fan to shout out, "You saved my life!"

The band has an intriguing history: It all started after Segura penned the lyrics to "Let it Burn" as a teen-aged patient in a mental health facility:

Hey kid, can you hear me?

Don't you dare pull the trigger, throw it all away

You have every reason left to stay alive.

Segura first used his music to help heal himself, and later as a way of connecting with others struggling with issues such as addiction, suicidality, self-harm, depression, gender roles, anger, abuse, and other serious issues. He's now an accredited mental health counselor, in addition to leading Citizen Soldier.

The other members of Citizen Soldier include Matt Duffney and Kooper Hanosky on guitars, Wonitta on bass & keys, and Kyle Persell on drums. They stand united with Segura in the mission to help raise awareness and remove the stigma around mental illness.

Although there were some sound issues at the beginning of the set, the band was tight and intense. The pace of the music ebbed and flowed, but the energy was high throughout. In addition to deep and cathartic music, there were shared stories, tears, hugs, words of encouragement, laughter, honesty, openness, and above all, there was no shame. The sense of community among the fans was about as intense as I've ever experienced.

Citizen Soldier donated a dollar from the sale of each ticket at their Indianapolis gig to Heartsupport, a mental health community created by and for metal music performers and listeners. They also explained how the group works to bring people together to help them heal. You can learn more about it here:

Heartsupport.com - created by and for the metal music scene