From the Crowd to the Camera
It’s crazy to think that my first ever show at the Mid-America Center was back in 2007.
At the time, I was simply another fan in the crowd watching Breaking Benjamin and Three Days Grace bring their tour through the area. I had no idea that nearly two decades later, I would return to that same venue for another Breaking Benjamin show, only this time, I would be on the other side of the barricade with a camera in my hand.
Even crazier, this show marked my very first media approval at the Mid-America Center.
That kind of full-circle moment isn’t missed by me. The kid who walked into the building in 2007 simply wanting to see one of his favorite bands eventually came back as a photographer and journalist, covering that same band professionally.
And what a show to have as my first.
Breaking Benjamin brought along an absolutely stacked lineup featuring Chevelle, Starset, and Kami Kehoe. From the opening note to the final song, the night delivered everything I could’ve hoped for, and then some.
A huge shoutout to Stephanie from the Mid-America Center for making the media process super smooth. For a first approval at the venue, I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
Words won’t be able to do justice to much of what happened that night.
But I’ll try my best.
Please consider Donating to Sponsor an article even $1 helps!
Kami Kehoe Starts Things Off
The responsibility of warming up the Mid-America Center fell to Kami Kehoe.
As an avid listener of Sirius XM Octane, I’d heard a few of Kami’s songs before and enjoyed what I’d heard. But listening to a handful of songs through a radio or streaming service and experiencing an artist live are two completely different things.
Kami came out with an immediate burst of energy, and her band matched that output from the first note.
Her gritty vocals gave every song a strong emotional drive. There was a rawness to the performance that made the lyrics hit harder, and it was clear very quickly that this wasn’t simply an opening set designed to get people into the building.
Kami belonged on this bill.
What surprised me most, though, was the musicianship.
It’s not unusual to see a lead singer who doesn’t consistently play an instrument pick up a guitar for a song or two during a set. Kami took that expectation and flipped it around by taking her place behind the drum kit while continuing to sing.
And honestly, it was impressive.
Watching a frontwoman handle both vocals and drums added another dimension to the performance and showed just how much she brought to the table as a musician.
By the end of her set, the crowd was more than warmed up.
They were ready.
What none of us knew was just how quickly the evening was about to escalate.
Starset Takes the Show Somewhere Else
Starset has been on my musical radar for years, once again thanks in large part to Sirius XM Octane.
But despite listening to them for years, I’d never seen them live.
I make a very intentional choice not to watch live videos of bands I haven’t seen before. I want that first experience to be completely genuine. I don’t want to know what the production looks like, what the band wears, or what surprises might be waiting for me.
That decision paid off spectacularly with Starset.
The band walked onto the stage dressed in futuristic, almost Tron-like outfits that somehow also carried an apocalyptic aesthetic. Considering the lore Starset has built around its music, it felt completely appropriate.
And then Dustin Bates appeared.
The band’s frontman came out in a full costume that looked like something straight out of Pan’s Labyrinth.
At that point, it was obvious this wasn’t going to be a normal set.
But the visual presentation was only part of what made Starset so impressive.
The music itself was out of this world. Pun absolutely intended.
The instrumentation was massive, featuring double keyboards, violin, cello, guitars, bass, drums, and everything else needed to create Starset’s cinematic sound.
Then came the production.
Huge video boards helped create an atmospheric backdrop to the story being told through the songs. Steam machines added another visual layer, and the entire stage felt like an extension of Starset’s musical universe.
This didn’t feel like the second band on a four-band bill.
It felt like the finale.
Songs like “Silos,” “Toksik,” and the 2014 banger “My Demons” kept the momentum rolling, and before I knew it, the set was over.
I wasn’t ready for it to end.
Then Dustin said something that somehow made the whole thing even more ridiculous.
“Just wait until we come back and show you what a headlining set looks like.” Excuse me?
After what I’d just witnessed, the idea of Starset putting together something even larger was almost impossible to comprehend.
But when that headlining tour is announced, you better believe I’ll be there.
The Enduring Power of Chevelle
The first half of the bill felt like a showcase of newer generations of rock before the second half brought out two bands that I grew up listening to.
Chevelle was up next.
The last time I saw Chevelle, I was on the opposite side of the barricade with a security guard telling me I couldn’t record the show and repeatedly telling me to put my phone away.
This time?
I was on the other side of that barricade with a professional camera in my hands.
That’s a pretty satisfying vindication.
Going from the spectacle that was Starset to Chevelle’s stripped-down three-piece setup was a noticeable change. But Chevelle didn’t need an elaborate production to keep the energy going.
They have three decades of experience proving that the songs can carry the show.
Brothers Pete and Sam Loeffler have been doing this for roughly 30 years, and their longevity is no accident.
Songs like “The Red,” “Vitamin R,” and “Mars Simula” demonstrated exactly why Chevelle has remained such an important name in alternative rock.
Pete also became the first performer of the night to actually utilize the catwalk, bringing himself closer to the crowd and creating some more intimate moments during the latter half of the set.
There was another moment that made me particularly happy.
At stadium and arena shows, people technically purchase a “seat”. But I’ve always been of the mindset that those seats are primarily for the time between sets.
When Pete called out the people who were still sitting down, I couldn’t help but smile.
That’s my kind of concert etiquette.
Then came another unexpected moment at the end of the set.
Pete handed his guitar to someone in the crowd, allowing the fan to play a couple chords. For a brief moment, my photographer brain turned into my collector brain.
An actual Chevelle guitar?
What an incredible souvenir.
Unfortunately for the fan, the tech eventually came back and reclaimed the instrument.
Still, it was an awesome moment and another example of the little things that can make a live performance memorable.
After seeing Chevelle for the sixth time, I can confidently say they were everything I expected them to be and more.
Breaking Benjamin Brings Back My Childhood
And then there was one.
The main event.
This band has been one of my top three favorite bands since 2002, when they released their debut album, Saturate.
From there came album after album of songs that became a soundtrack to different parts of my life.
Then came Dear Agony and the eventual breakup.
As a fan, I was heartbroken. I genuinely thought I’d never get the opportunity to see Breaking Benjamin live again.
Thankfully, that wasn’t the end of the story.
In 2015, following the band’s legal issues being rectified, Breaking Benjamin returned with Dark Before Dawn and continued moving forward stronger than ever.
Fast forward to this night at the Mid-America Center, and I was standing in front of one of my favorite bands with a professional camera in my hands.
And I completely lost my composure.
As a photographer, one of the hardest parts of shooting concerts is hearing songs you love while knowing you have a limited window to photograph them.
Normally, I contain myself.
Not tonight.
I sang every word of those first three songs, and I’m not sorry about it.
The show opened with a video board sequence that perfectly captured the nostalgia of the night. A Windows loading screen straight out of the ’90s transitioned into someone loading LimeWire, because if you know, you know, before eventually downloading “I Will Not Bow” and playing it through a Halo 2-skinned media player.
For someone who grew up in that era, it was nostalgia on crack.
And Breaking Benjamin continued that theme throughout the entire performance.
The band played at least one song from each of its six studio albums, along with its newest release, “Something Wicked”.
For a longtime fan, it was almost impossible not to get swept up in it.
There was only one major frustration from a photography perspective.
Ben Burnley was kept in extremely dark lighting for essentially the entire performance. That made photographing him incredibly difficult, and there were moments when seeing him clearly from the photo pit was nearly impossible.
I’m not sure what the reasoning behind the lighting decision was, but ultimately that’s their choice.
And honestly?
I’m just thankful I got to experience the show from that close in the first place.
This was my tenth time seeing Breaking Benjamin, and somehow they still managed to make it feel special.
Performance-wise, they never disappoint, and this show was no exception.
And I’m already looking forward to number eleven.
The One Thing That Was Missing
If I had to point to one missed opportunity from the entire evening, it would be something that almost feels too obvious.
Starset and Breaking Benjamin sharing the stage for “Waiting on the Sky to Change.”
That collaboration has been a fan and personal favorite, and after witnessing Starset absolutely dominate the stage earlier in the night, I couldn’t stop thinking about what that song could have looked like with both bands together.
Imagine that production.
Imagine the two bands sharing the stage.
Imagine the crowd reaction.
It could’ve been the perfect closing moment to an already incredible night.
But alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
And that’s okay.
The absence of that collaboration doesn’t diminish what happened throughout the rest of the evening.
Afterglow
When I walked into the Mid-America Center in 2007, I was just a fan.
Nearly 20 years later, I walked into the same building as a photographer and journalist covering the same band that helped make that first experience memorable.
That’s the part of this night that I think I’ll remember most.
The photos are important.
The review is important.
The bands are important.
But the journey from being in the crowd to standing in the photo pit is something that isn’t lost on me.
And then there’s the fact that the lineup itself was phenomenal.
Kami Kehoe brought the energy.
Starset brought the spectacle.
Chevelle brought the experience.
Breaking Benjamin brought the nostalgia.
Put all of that together and you have one heck of a night at the Mid-America Center.
I haven’t lost my voice at a show in a minute, but I absolutely wore out my vocal chords that night, pouring everything I had into songs I’ve grown up with.
If you have the opportunity to see this tour, go.
The production, musicianship, and performances are all worth experiencing.
As for me, I’m just grateful I got to photograph it, write about it, and experience it from the other side of the barricade.
And hopefully this isn’t the last time I get to see any of these artists live.
If any of them give me the chance. I’ll be there.
Please consider Donating to Sponsor an article even $1 helps!
