Noblesville, Indiana
Photos and review by Laura Fox (LLFoxphotos)
Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, was the second stop for the Halestorm/I Prevail co-headlining tour with support from Hollywood Undead and Fit for a King. While I was standing in the photo pit waiting to photograph I Prevail, I started chatting with a trio of fans from Grand Rapids, Michigan, who were up against the barrier. They said they hadn't seen I Prevail live yet, and they were super excited for the show. As a veteran of several I Prevail concerts, I was able to confidently tell them they were in for a killer show. And you know what? I was right.
The set started out with "The Fear of Letting Go," a banger from I Prevail's latest LP, True Power. The crowd responded with cheers, devil horns, and fists in the air.
I listened closely to clean vocalist Brian Burkheiser. It was only his second live gig after having multiple surgeries for a rare disease called Eagle Syndrome, and I wondered if his voice would still be strong. I was actually just thrilled that he was able to sing at all, but inquiring minds want to know, right? I didn't need to worry at all; Burkheiser sang his heart out the whole set. I noticed that he relied more than usual on rhythm guitarist/backup vocalist Dylan Bowman and harsh vocalist Eric Vanlerberghe, but that wasn't a bad thing.
I Prevail's setlist consisted of 14 songs and included some of my favorites such as "Bad Things," "Hurricane," "Deep End," and their first-ever hit, their metal cover of Taylor Swift's "Blank Space." They ended the set on a high note with the super energentic tunes "Bow Down" and "Gasoline."
Some of the other songs may have been a little too heavy for a Thursday night in Noblesville; despite the band's best efforts to get people up and moshing, only a couple of people out in the lawn had enough energy to attempt it. I didn't see much surfing, either, which kind of surprised me given how much there was at I Prevail's headlining show at the Egyptian Room in Indianapolis a couple of years ago.
Despite the lack of surfing or moshing, though, there was no shortage of energy from either the band or the fans. Burkheiser, Vanlerberghe, and Bowman, along with lead guitarist Steve Menoian, drummer Gabe Helguera, and bassist Jon Eberhard gave 100 percent the entire show. The crowd cheered, head-banged and sang along in response.
When I went back into the photo pit for Halestorm's set, I asked my new friends from Grand Rapids what they thought about I Prevail, and their response was every bit as enthusiastic as I expected. Something tells me I might see them at another I Prevail show sometime!
The Halestorm/I Prevail co-headlining tour continues through August 18, 2024. After that the band will be heading to the land down under through the end of September. For more info, click here:
I couldn't decide whether to include this video or the one for the collaboration with Halestorm they just released, so here are both!
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