The “Take Back Your Life” tour featuring Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin stopped in Tampa, FL on August 5th, 2023 MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre. This venue stands out from others with its spacious layout and free parking. The staff are very friendly, professional, and made the experience that much better ranging from the security and merch lines to the ushers. The tour has had its share of strange occurrences like the fire sprinklers turning on in Houston & a postponement due to a power outage in Raleigh after fans already started to filter into the venue. But in true form, the show must go on and Disturbed will not be stopped. The full photo gallery is listed at the bottom of the review!
Breaking Benjamin should be billed as a “co-headliner” rather than the “opening band”. Breaking Benjamin have released seven studio albums, all of which have been certified gold or platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The band has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. Ben and the boys kicked off their set with “Failure” which was the lead single off of their 2015 release “Dark Before Dawn” and it became quickly evident they had a lot of fans in attendance. Fans sang along with Ben often prompting them during the choruses in addition to the “rock on” devil horns in the air.
Breaking Benjamin has grown a massive fanbase since their debut on Hollywood Records back in 2002 with “Saturate”. With a bevy of albums since then, you can sometimes forget all of the hits! While the stage time was limited to an hour, they packed in fan favorites like “Breath”, “So Cold”, and “I Will Not Bow” and even snuck in a few deep cuts like “Simple Design” to keep old school fans happy. In addition to the summer tour, Breaking Benjamin are also working on new music. In an interview with SiriusXM, frontman Benjamin Burnley said that the band has been writing new songs and that they plan to release a new album in 2024.
After a short changeover and with the sun beginning to set over the amphitheater, it was time for Disturbed! The “Take Back Your Life” tour is in support of Divisive and will run through September. The band will be playing shows across North America, with Breaking Benjamin and other rotating bands filling in the first slot. It was also reported that Disturbed are also working on new music. In an interview with Metal Hammer, frontman David Draiman said that the band has been writing new songs and that they plan to release a new album in 2024.
Disturbed began playing “Hey You” behind the curtain, building anticipation in the crowd. When the curtain dropped, the crowd erupted into a deafening scream. The energy in the air was electric, and the excitement was palpable. The curtain drop revealed a stage that had incredible production from the lighting to the pyro. It was the most amount of insane pyro we’ve ever seen at a show and the fire seemed to come from every lighting rig on the stage. The band sounded as tight as ever and gave the crowd all the energy they needed as frontman David Drainman is known to do.
Disturbed played some of their massive hits, like “Ten Thousand Fists,” and featured newer songs like, “Bad Man,” which definitely kept the crowd on their toes. In addition, they performed their beautiful rendition of “The Sound of Silence” equipped with huge timpani drums and a 3 piece violin section. And of course, it isn’t a Disturbed show without hearing the classic hits “Stupify” and “Down with the Sickness”. It’s clear the band was focused on giving the crowd an experience unlike any other touring rock bands right now. And it goes without saying, the “Take Back Your Life” tour is a must-see when it’s in your area!
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BREAKING BENJAMIN PHOTOS:
DISTURBED PHOTOS:
