Avenged Sevenfold, with support from Breaking Benjamin and Bullet For My Valentine brought the electrifying “The Stage World” Tour to an Evansville, Indiana, crowd of 9,000 fans.
Taking to the stage first, Bullet For My Valentine opened the show with “Your Betrayal,” which brought the crowd to its feet. Breaking Benjamin, who are no stranger to big tours, on this night it really showed! After a big set from Bullet For My Valentine, the guys in Breaking Benjamin exploded the Ford Center with ” So Cold” from their album We Are Not Alone. Breaking Benjamin also played their new hit single “Red Cold River.” Singer Ben Burnley brought a bit of nerdiness to the set, telling the crowd “once a nerd, always a nerd,” before lighting up a red lightsaber and twirling it around like a Jedi while the band performed their infamous mashup of covers including “Smells Like Teen Spirit” by Nirvana and “Walk” by Pantera. Breaking Benjamin closed their set by bringing fans up for an onstage performance of “Diary Of Jane.”
As the lights went out, a dense fog blew across the stage, the screen filled up with lightning and stars, followed by a death bat, the infamous logo of Avenged Sevenfold. Synyster Gates took center stage and began his solo opener for the first song “The Stage.” M. Shadows ran down the catwalk greeting fans the fans and pumping his fists in the air and singing with fury. Avenged Sevenfold gave delivered all the fan favorites and then some with a massive encore and a tribute to the band’s drummer Jimmy ‘The Rev’ Sullivan. They closed the night with “Unholy Confessions,” taking Evansville to bat country and back.
Crowd:

Bullet For My Valentine:

Breaking Benjamin:

Avenged Sevenfold:

 
(Photos and words by Brandon Hanks)