Live: Bad Seed Rising and Eyes to Kill in Indianapolis

It’s been said that rock and roll is a man’s world, but don’t even both trying to tell that to the bands on the Break Into Action tour- this female-dominated tour will more than prove you wrong! After starting the night off with local openers, Nashville-based alt-rockers The Nearly Deads got things rolling. Although the crowd was still small at this point in the night, vocalist Theresa Jeane was quick to connect with the crowd and managed to get everyone packed in down front and engaged in the show. Having seen The Nearly Deads open for The Used and Chevelle a little over a year ago, it was a treat to catch them again and get a chance to see their evolution and growth. Although they certainly made an impression when I first saw them, it seems the extra year of touring has given the band far more confidence- the comfort level everyone in the group exuded was easily sensed, and allowed for an even greater connection with the crowd. The highlight of their set came as they launched into their new single “Diamond In The Rough” off their forthcoming EP Revenge! Of the Nearly Deads set to release May 26th. After a brief set change Bad Seed Rising took to the stage. It’s impossible to be prepared for the chaos that is kicked off as soon as the band starts playing. Bassist Louey Peraza spends the entirety of the set flailing across the stage, and the contrast of vocalist Francheska Pastor’s gorgeous clean vocals and brutal growls is hard to believe, even when you experience it live. Pastor’s range is truly impressive, and she managed to hit every note flawlessly, which is no small feat as she transitions between the clean and dirty vocals. When watching Bad Seed Rising it’s easy to forget just how young the band members are (the band members are still in their teens and were the youngest band to ever sign with Roadrunner records) especially when you consider their impressive touring history. The one area where the age does seem to peek through, though, is in crowd interaction. Of the three bands on the tour Bad Seed Rising definitely seemed to be the most reserved when it came to interacting with the crowd (although they certainly weren’t reserved in regards to energy!) but it’s easy to see how that comfort with interacting with audiences will develop over time and only become stronger as they grow. At long last, headliners Eyes Set To Kill hit the stage and made for an explosive end to the night. A lot of changes have gone on in the Eyes Set To Kill camp, so it was interesting to see how everything translated live. The group has endured numerous lineup changes over the years, but sisters Alexia and Anissa Rodriguez always formed the foundation of the band. Anissa was recently replaced with Tiaday Ball on bass, though, which could have made for a rocky transition, but thus far the band seems to be thriving. Touring guitarist AJ Bartholomew was also recently made an official member of the group, rounding out the lineup. Eyes Set To Kill came bearing new songs along with their new lineup, and judging by the crowd’s reaction fans won’t have any problem warming up to this new version of the group. When they kicked off their set with their new single “Break” the response from the crowd was overwhelmingly positive. The track had been released a little over a month prior to the Indianapolis date, which seemed to be the perfect amount of time for fans to know the song by heart, but also still have the excitement of it feeling so new. It would be daunting to be given the task of replacing half of a sister duo in a band, but the chemistry between Alexia Rodriguez and Tiaday Ball is clear, and Ball brings a whole new level of intensity to the group that really pushes everything over the edge. As the group closed out their set Rodriguez introduced Ball by handing over the mic, and Ball took total ownership of the stage for the last half of the song. Showing absolutely no hint of hesitation Ball leaned into the crowd, screaming into the mic with her head pressed against audience members, making for a pretty memorable introduction! As the band left the stage the crowd stood in place, seemingly needing a moment to recover from such a gloriously brutal ending to the set, but before the house lights had a chance to come on calls for an encore were made and the band re-emerged to play another two songs before officially calling it a night. Given the current social and political atmosphere it’s hard to think of a better time to have such a powerful display of female-fronted groups in the rock scene. Theresa Jean, Francheska Pastor, and Alexia Rodriguez are front-women who can easily hold their own in this male-dominated industry, and they seem proud to stand on the shoulders of those who came before them while simultaneously paving a pathway for those who will follow in their footsteps. All three bands are still quite young and early in their careers, so it’s exciting to realize we’ve only seen a small glimpse of the potential they hold. The Break Into Action tour continues until May 25th, where they’ll make their final stop at Nashville’s Rocketown, although if you’re hoping to catch the full lineup you’ll want to check out a show before May 19th, which marks Bad Seed Rising’s last date on the tour. -Ashley Adcox For more photos of the show, click here!