Skillet has one of the most electric live shows out there, and the show they brought to the Indiana State Fair‘s Free Hoosier Lottery Stage on August 13, 2023 was no different. They seem to have boundless energy from the moment they walk onto the stage to the moment they leave. It is not just driven by the obviously engaging front man, John Cooper but from every member; Korey Cooper who is arguably the most captivating guitarist, to Seth Morrison who always manages to play with such passion and precision, and finally Jen Ledger who not only sings backup vocals but is an well accomplished drummer.
They came out swinging with an setlist spanning multiple albums, from their most recent deluxe edition of Dominion, all the way back to their 2006 release Comatose. They started out with “Invincible” which was guaranteed to get the crowd on their feet, which the crowd stayed that way the entire night. The then brought back into the setlist a song that they haven’t sang in a while, “Rise,” which the crowd seemed very responsive to.
Hit after hit kept coming with songs like “Surviving the Game” off their most recent release, Dominion, which brought out the cryo-gloves, and John Cooper blasted the crowd with fog. This had the crowd roaring their approval. Not stopping there, but “Legendary” brought out the pyrotechnics which is always a fan favorite. Always in the set are favorites from their Comatose and Awake albums with “Hero”, “Not Gonna Die,” and “Whispers in the Dark.” “Hero” is always a special moment in the show because John speaks to those who might be dealing with self-harm, depression, loneliness, and other mental health struggles and tries to speak hope into them.
“Anchor” slowed things down for a little bit which is a crowd favorite ballad, about having and holding on to hope. The crowd never stopped singing along loudly with every song from the fastest, most energetic, to the loudest. They finished the set with two crowd favorites, “Monster” and “Rebirthing.” Which are some of the hardest hitting and most popular songs.
Of course, the crowd screamed for more after Skillet left the stage, and they did not disappoint with their encore. “The Resistance” has been their encore song going on several years now, and the crowd is engaged every time. It’s always a favorite way to end the show, and Skillet never disappoints in their message, showmanship, and passion.
Skillet:
John Cooper: Lead Vocals, Bass
Korey Cooper: Guitar, Keyboard, Background Vocals
Seth Morrison: Lead Guitar, Background Vocals
Jen Ledger: Drums, Background Vocals
Setlist:
1.) Invincible
2.) Rise
3.) Surviving the Game
4.) Legendary
5.) Awake & Alive
6.) Back From the Dead
7.) Hero
8.) Not Gonna Die
9.) Whispers in the Dark
10.) Psycho in My Head
11.) Anchor
12.) Comatose
13.) Finish Line
14.) Monster
15.) Rebirthing
Encore:
16.) The Resistance
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Music and the appreciation of coverts and live music was introduced to me at an early age. I love the shared experience of live music. Christian Rock was a mainstay in my from early in my childhood to present day. My parents introduced me to the pioneers of Christian Rock, like Petra and White Heart. This only progressed me in my love of music and concerts. My musical preferences are a wide range of genres and artists.
While in college, I received my bachelor’s in communication. While in college, I had my own Christian Rock show on the college radio station. I also interned with two different radio stations. I always have had a passion for sharing music and musicians’ passion and artistry. That has since progressed into some concert photography and being able to capture that passion from bands on stage. I have be able to photograph many artists across the Midwest region.
