My love for the Deftones is widely known. They are the untouchables in my world. There isn’t anyone that I’d rather see play and there isn’t anyone I would ever compare to them. I do love other bands though. Like Chevelle, Tool, Thrice, Crosses, Incubus, Slipknot and…..Breaking Benjamin. Not only do I love Breaking Benjamin, they are currently Bailey’s favorite band. She loves every song and knows most of the words to the big ones.
Their most recent album, Dark Before Dawn, is full of positive and uplifting messages. Ben Burnley has been through quite a lot during his life and seems exploding out as a beacon of hope and positivity. While Breaking Benjamin formed in 1998, Ben Burnley remains the only original band member. He is, however, responsible for songwriting, singing and everything else that comes with being the bands namesake. The current lineup formed in 2014 and began work on Dark After Dawn, in which Ben seems to have really focused his lyrics on redemption, overcoming failure and, as the title suggests, finding the light at the end of the tunnel. Because of the meaning of the album, I have openly shared the lyrics with Bailey and encouraged her to enjoy the songs. And she has done just that. She knows what they are saying and we talk about our interpretations of what each song means to us. It’s been quite an interesting journey.
For Christmas, Alicia got 2 tickets to BB at The Tabernacle in Atlanta. Bailey was disappointed that she hadn’t been included so she decided to buy her own ticket with Christmas money. This set up our first family concert. Bailey loves music and shares my taste in rock. It’s how she was raised. I’d been debating on when the right time would be to take her to a live show. They are loud, there is a bit of sitting around waiting on setup, standing in lines for good seats, etc. Given the right circumstances, it can be too much for me and Alicia so we needed it to make sense for Bailey to go. First off, The Tabernacle was a no brainer for her first venue. It’s indoors, has raised seating levels to be above the ruckus on the ground and it’s perfect for music. After that, I knew her first concert would have to be Deftones, BB or Chevelle so we scored there too. It just made sense that now was the time.
After much anticipation, the week of the concert finally arrived. We made it to Thursday and struck out on our 2 day adventure to Atlanta. We laid some ground rules and expectations on the drive up to make sure she was prepared. We explained that we would first have to wait in line for up to 2 hours to ensure we got front row seats in the raised level. Then, we explained that there would be an opening act and we would likely be unfamiliar with their music but it would be in the same genre as the headliner so we likely would enjoy it. It also builds the anticipation for the headliner when music is being performed. We told her it would be crowded, it would be loud and we would be there a long time. She understood and was good with everything. She was ready.
We arrived at the venue around 5:00 with doors expected to open at 6:30. There was already a line forming so we got ourselves in place and started passing the time. Ted’s Montana Grill is across the street from The Tabernacle and luckily a bathroom was available for Bailey’s trips. While in line, our friends Heath and Molly Gilbert arrived and we all had a really good time talking and raising the anticipation. Before we knew it, it was 6:30 and the doors were opening. After passing through the security checkpoints, we successfully secured front row seats in the 3rd level, providing an unfettered view for all of us. Then, it was food and merch while we waited on the opening act, scheduled for 7:30.
While getting food, Alicia managed to successfully reject the attempts of a nefarious couple trying to sabotage our seats. Momma wasn’t having any of that and dispatched the duo with force and determination. Meanwhile, me and Bailey were busy running up and down 3 flights of stairs with drinks, chicken strips, hot dogs and pretzels. All of this happened in great timing as we all settled in for the opening act, Starset.
As expected, we were unfamiliar with Starset but they were very good and provided a nice visual element that engaged Bailey from the beginning. The band members, less the singer, came out in full spacesuits that lit up in different colors and they continued to play the entire set in them. They would change colors and fire off fog from turbo blowers on the rear of the costumes. Aside from that, the singer was very good and the drummer was extremely talented. Opening act was a success but we came to see Breaking Benjamin and we were controlling our excitement until they took the stage. After about 30 minutes of setup change, they were ready.
They hit the stage with one of their great intro songs, “So Cold”. This is one that Bailey and I could sing along to so it didn’t take long to get in the swing of things. For several songs, “Follow”, “Until the End”, “Angels Fall” and “Failure”, we were on our feet singing our lungs out. Around the time Ben took a vocal break by letting the two guitar players have a couple of leads, we were ready to sit down and recoup. Now, those songs were very good too but Bailey had her songs already picked out that she was going to jam too. As Ben introduced “Unknown Soldier”, he revealed his obvious passion for the armed forces and we gave standing ovations to the men and women who served our country. The song was very moving given the circumstances and the entire place was on their feet. I had chill bumps.
That led to the next song, Alicia’s favorite, “Ashes of Eden”. The song was flawless and engaged all of us as its one that is listened to often in my truck. Then, my favorite rolled around, “Breath”. I think it might be close to Bailey and Alicia’s favorite too but we all have our own. It was perfect!
Then came Bailey’s favorite song, “Give me a sign”. This was really the “wow” moment of the concert. During the final chorus of the song, Ben stopped vocals and only guitar remained as he began to speak to the crowd. He asked us all to take out our cell phones and turn on the flashlight feature. He then asked the venue staff to take the room completely dark. This concert was 80% over so we were accustomed to the lighting levels in the room by this point. When the lights went out and the cell phones came on, the room lit up like a living room with the overhead light on. It was really something I had never seen before. The photo from behind Ben is the heading photo on this post. Just unreal. He went on to explain the point of the exercise in what was the moment that solidified our decision to bring Bailey to see BB. Ben explained that we all had a light that shines within all of us, just like those phones. No matter how dark the world can be at times, if we will let our lights shine, we can light the world and the people around us. He said that we were the difference makers and our kindness could rise above the crap that is out there. He had a strong sincerity in the comments and you could feel the positivity flowing through the room. They finished the song amid more chill bumps from yours truly.
After a couple more songs, they exited the stage in preparation for the grand finale encore, which we had also previously explained to Bailey. It was a biggie. They returned to play the mega hit “The Diary of Jane”. Again, before going into the song, Ben took the time to ask the fans to be kind to one another and to take care of those around you. Then they nailed the song and took their bow. A wonderful concert had come to a close and we were left with adrenaline still pumping and ears still ringing. But, the night didn’t end there. It wouldn’t be a Tabernacle story if there wasn’t an awesome twist at the end.
Heath and Molly scored a guitar at the merch table which provided 6 wristbands to go backstage and meet the band at the conclusion of the concert. Not only had Bailey been able to come see her favorite band in person, but she was about to one up me and meet the entire band. First, I can’t thank Heath and Molly enough for including us in this adventure. They helped the great night become a dream night and I have to do some serious work to pay that one back. We got in a fairly short and exclusive line to meet the band and wait on them to come out and take their seats. After what felt like a long time, but was really about 30 minutes, they emerged and excitement reached a peak. We were able to get autographs, shake hands and take photos with the entire band. Ben took special care to get down on Bailey’s level (he’s 6’4) to shake her hand and to thank her for coming to see them. I was as proud of that as I was about meeting him myself. Bailey is still learning what is normal or expected and what is a unique event and I think she even gets the gravity of that meeting. She was half asleep and dragging but when that picture was taken, her smile was shining like the cell phone lights an hour before. She met Ben and he rose to the occasion of being a superstar in a young child’s eyes. He was every bit as genuine as he had portrayed during the concert and we left feeling on top of the world.
By the time we left, it was after 11 and it hit me that Bailey had been a trooper for over 6 hours at the venue. That’s no small feat for an 8 year old. I was very proud of the way she carried herself and the respect and happiness she showed to BB and Heath and Molly. Now, she would eventually get to sleep and sleep pretty late the next morning but she passed her first concert test with flying colors. And Breaking Benjamin eliminated any small skepticism I had about their positivity and meaningful songs by backing it up with their presence in the room and with us. This one will go down as one of the greatest concerts I’ve been too, after Deftones at The Tabernacle of course. But this one is going to sit with me and Alicia for a long time and with Bailey for a lifetime. My recommendation is to go see Breaking Benjamin the very next chance you get if you’ve never seen them. If you are a fan of the genre, you won’t regret seeing them. We’ll be back!
Joey