The sound of guitars and thousands of voices filled the air at Ruoff Music Center in Noblesville on September 16 as Breaking Benjamin brought their 2026 tour to Indiana. With Kami Kehoe, STARSET and Chevelle setting the stage, the night built steadily toward a headlining performance that gave longtime fans plenty of reasons to sing along.
Kami Kehoe opened the evening with an energetic eight-song set featuring “PSYCHO,” “SOMETHING IN THE WATER,” “FADE OUT,” “LOVE IS A WEAPON” and “DOPAMINE.” It was a brief introduction, but Kehoe made the most of her time on the Ruoff stage.
STARSET followed, bringing its cinematic style to the outdoor stage. Their 40-minute set moved from “p a r a d 0 x 1 c” and “Carnivore” through “Brave New World,” “Monster,” “SILOS” and “My Demons.” The combination of heavy guitars and STARSET’s larger-than-life presentation gave the evening a different feel before Chevelle took over.
Chevelle hit the stage with a heavier, more direct approach. Opening with “Family System,” the band powered through favorites including “Vitamin R (Leading Us Along),” “The Clincher,” “Send the Pain Below,” “Comfortable Liar” and “The Red.” “Mars Simula” closed their 12-song set, leaving the crowd warmed up for the headliner.
At 9:30 p.m., the lights went down and Breaking Benjamin took the stage. From the first notes of “I Will Not Bow,” it was obvious that the band’s devoted fans had been waiting for this moment. Voices could be heard throughout the venue as fans sang along to nearly every word.
The 18-song set moved through different parts of Breaking Benjamin’s catalog, balancing familiar favorites with songs from across the band’s career. “Until the End,” “Evil Angel,” “Crawl,” “Red Cold River” and “Blow Me Away” kept the energy high before the band moved into “Follow,” “Angels Fall,” “You” and “So Cold.”
The performance continued with “Polyamorous,” “Dear Agony,” “Something Wicked,” “Breath,” “Awaken” and “Failure.” Each song brought another wave of recognition from the crowd, with fans responding to the opening notes before the vocals even started.
The final stretch was especially strong. “Dance With the Devil” led into “The Diary of Jane,” giving the audience one last chance to raise their voices with the band. When thousands of people know every word to the closing song, there is little a band needs to do to create a memorable ending.
Breaking Benjamin’s Noblesville performance worked because it felt like a shared experience between the band and its audience. The fans weren’t simply watching from the crowd—they were singing, moving and carrying the songs right back toward the stage. After four acts and a full night of rock, “The Diary of Jane” provided the perfect final note to an evening built around loud guitars, familiar songs and a fan base that clearly still cares deeply about the music.
-Brian Cranfill