Grammy Award-nominated metal band Disturbed brought the ‘Take Back Your Life’ tour to Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky on Monday night, February 19, 2024. Although the temperatures outside the arena were mild, the energy and pyrotechnics throughout the show heated up the interior of the arena. Supporting acts on this tour were Plush and Falling In Reverse.
Plush, an all-female group, started things off and set the tone for the evening. Their seven-song set was full of energy and included a rousing Heart cover of “Barracuda”. Lead singer Moriah Formica exhibited her vocal range and frequently interacted with lead guitarist Bella Perron and bassist Ashley Suppa. Drummer Faith Powell brought a lot of energy was engaged with the crowd and provided several significant hair flips.
In addition to the cover of “Barracuda”, Plush also included other songs from their latest EP, Find the Beautiful, released on 01/19/2024 which included “Run”, “Hope it Hurts”, and “Left Behind”. This group clearly has a lot of fun together and on stage and was a perfect opener for this tour; this is a talented band.
Band:
Moriah Formica – Vocals/Guitar
Bella Perron – Lead Guitar
Ashley Suppa – Bass
Faith Powell – Drums
Setlist:
1.Athena
2. Champion
3. Run
4. Barracuda (Heart cover)
5. Hate
6. Hope It Hurts
7. Left Behind
Falling In Reverse raised the energy level as soon as they took the stage; they didn’t hold anything back and invigorated the crowd. Lead vocalist Ronnie Radke had the undivided attention of the crowd with his high-energy presence and constant movement back and forth on his stage-wide riser. The intensity from the band paired with the production elements made for a mesmerizing performance that had the crowd fully engaged; jumping, hands in the air, and singing along with every song.
The other band members also provided constant energy and this was a home state show for guitarist Christian Thompson, who was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Performance elements consisted of dramatic lighting, lasers, and pyrotechnics.
Having a significant library of songs to pull from, the setlist included hits “Losing My Mind” and “Popular Monster” and concluded with “Watch the World Burn”. The music, enthusiasm, and production quality raised the energy level perfectly to set the stage for the headliner.
Band:
Ronnie Radke – Lead Vocals / Keyboards
Max Georgiev – Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals
Christian Thompson – Rhythm Guitar/ Backing Vocals
Tyler Burgess – Bass/Backing Vocals
Luke Holland – Drums, Percussion
Setlist:
1.Zombified
2. I’m Not a Vampire
3. Losing My Mind
4. F**k You and All Your Friends
5. The Drug in Me Is You
6. Just Like You
7. Popular Monster
8. Voices in My Head
9. Watch the World Burn
After a brief intermission, the house lights darkened revealing a full-stage curtain featuring silhouettes of lead vocalist David Draiman, guitarist Dan Donegan, and bassist John Moyer. As the huge curtain dropped, the stage lit up and fans were greeted with the hit song “Hey You”; the crowd erupted and stayed energetic throughout the entire set, enjoying what could only be described as a “metal experience”. The diverse and large crowd included fans of all ages. Although they have been touring the world since 1994, Disturbed still brings an immense amount of energy and personality and haven’t lost a beat over the years.
The setlist drew from their vast collection of songs and mixed classic chart-toppers such as “Stupify” with newer songs including the song “Bad Man”. Using a perfect blend of songs provided a mixture of intensity and calmer moments and displayed Disturbed’s diversity.
Disturbed has always provided an experience for the eyes and ears during their live shows and this tour is no exception; dramatic lighting effects including moving lighting rigs, various pyrotechnics, and great sound engineering took the crowd on quite a ride as the night unfolded. Although the pyrotechnics were limited at this particular venue as compared to other tour stops on this run, the pyrotechnic aspect of this show was still impressive and comprehensive enough to light up Lexington and heat up the arena.
Draiman drew the crowd in with his voice and engaging talks between songs. Taking time to speak to the crowd, and speaking from the heart on several different topics, made the experience personal and relatable for those in attendance. Further personalizing the experience was guitarist Dan Donegan. Donegan came out wearing a University of Kentucky basketball jersey at one point during the set. Donegan’s daughter attends the University of Kentucky so he has a personal connection to Lexington and Rupp Arena, which is where the University of Kentucky basketball team plays.
Other memorable moments included a guitar solo by Dan Donegan, a drum solo by Mike Wengren, and a bass solo by John Moyer. During the song “Don’t Tell Me”, Draiman was joined by Plush’s frontwoman, Moriah Formica, which made for a captivating rendition.
As the show concluded, fans were left with a memorable experience and a Monday night in Lexington, Kentucky that won’t be forgotten. The ‘Take Back Your Life’ tour confirms yet again that Disturbed remains one of the metal genre’s most captivating live acts.
Band:
Dan Donegan – Guitars/Keyboards/Programming / Backing Vocals
Mike Wengren – Drums/Percussion/Programming/Backing Vocals
David Draiman – Lead Vocals
John Moyer – Bass/Backing Vocals
Setlist:
1.Hey You
2. Stupify
3. Ten Thousand Fists
4. Prayer
5. Are You Ready
6. Bad Man
7. A Reason to Fight
8. Guitar Solo
9. Land of Confusion (Genesis cover)
10. The Vengeful One
11. Drum Solo
12. The Game
13. The Sound of Silence (Simon & Garfunkel cover)
14. Bass Solo
15. Indestructible
16. Don’t Tell Me (with Moriah Formica)
17. The Light
18. Stricken
Encore:
19. Unstoppable
20. Down With the Sickness
21. Inside the Fire
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Andrew Fore is a professional photographer with over 20 years experience shooting music, nature/wildlife, and commercially. His work has been published internationally in both print and digital media, album artwork, tour artwork, , artist promos, etc. He was fortunate to have one of his music artist images produced on Mountain Dew cans nationwide. His various photography projects have taken him all over North America and several other countries. In addition to his photography career, Andrew operates a pest control business with his wife and is active in his community.
