Pop Evil conquer the pandemic with versatile set in Fort Wayne

Just when concert announcements couldn’t get any better, Pop Evil announced they were hitting the road with Zero 9:36 and BRKN LOVE and they were coming to Fort Wayne’s Piere’s Entertainement Center- a venue that’s become another home for them over the years. They’ve played Piere’s with so many bands, including their own headline tours and the Indiana fans have always been good to Pop Evil so it made sense that they bring their Versatile tour to the venue that’s always a party. This time, though, it wasn’t just a party- it was a celebration. After Zero and BRKN LOVE finished up, Pop Evil took over and it didn’t take long before the crowd erupted and things got crazy. The band opened with “Deal With the Devil” before launching into “Let the Chaos Reign” from their latest record- Versatile and things instantly ramped up in the crowd. You could tell that a year-and-a-half of pent up aggression, frustration, pain and depression was quickly escaping the fans and the band together in unison and it was a beautiful experience. The band didn’t just play new songs, either. In fact, they pulled out “Hero” from their debut record and even threw in songs from all five albums, which not many bands do. The songs from Versatile that they selected was a perfect choice and included “Work,” “Breathe Again” and “Survivor,” which you knew was going to go straight to no. 1 on the charts. At one point they were even joined onstage by members of Zero 9:36, BRKN LOVE and Devour The Day (singer Blake Allison has been on tour behind the scenes with Pop Evil). Not to mention new addition on bass- Joey Walser of Devour The Day filling in for the recently-departed Matt DiRito- and brought a whole new level of excitement, energy and adrenaline to the Pop Evil stage, though he has big shoes to fill. The band took time to talk in between songs about how the pandemic affected them and how rock and roll kept them alive and going and also how good it felt to be back at Piere’s, leading singer Leigh Kakaty to reminisce about some of the band’s favorite memories throughout the building over the years, which was met with a deafening response from the fans. They finished the night by playing “Monster You Made” a cappella while letting the crowd sing the chorus for them- an experience that gave you goosebumps and was just as emotional as anything before they wrapped things up with “Waking Lions.” In the end, rock and roll was alive and well in Fort Wayne and Pop Evil made sure to cement themselves as one of the best live bands that will ever play Piere’s. -Reggie Edwards Click here for photos of Zero 9:36 Click here for photos of Pop Evil