Papa Roach Brings The Heat
The temperature on the bank thermometers around the Canterbury complex were reading near 100 all day, and were still stuck in the 90s as the sun set on Fort Wayne. That didn’t matter to the Papa Roach frontman, who asked the crowd during the middle of their set if it were hot enough in the club, because he wanted more heat from the crowd. The energetic house responded with what it could produce from their souls as the band continued through its set list of sing alongs from a catalog of hits going back over a decade in the making.
Papa Roach, the California based rock band that has been together in some form for nearly 20 years, are on the road again doing what they do best. Shaddix addressed the crowd the music is what he lives for and the energy from the fans drives him, shortly before climbing into the crowd to do a singalong of ‘Lifeline’.
Papa Roach opened its 15-song set with ‘Getting Away With Murder’ before plowing into hits ‘To Be Loved’ and ‘Burn’, one of the new singles from the album “Time For Annihilation” released last year. Also among the setlist were the ultra-catchy ‘Forever’ and ‘Scars’, which seemed to pique the interest of the ladies in the crowd, as well as the agro-male favorites like ‘Dead Cell’ and ‘Between Angels and Insects’. The multi-platinum selling band closed its 90-minute set with its biggest hit ‘Last Resort’, which has been a staple of the band since it blew up on radio in 2000.
Shaddix, who has made his name for his in-your-face attitude and I-don’t-care style, cleverly played to the fans all night, even borrowing someone’s cell phone to record part of a song from his perspective while on stage. During the back half of the set, the band paused for a moment to pose with the fans for a photo, which is posted on the band’s Facebook page for fans to tag. Papa Roach has over 3.2 million fans on its page from all over the world.
On tour with Papa Roach and on display Thursday night were In This Moment, who warmed up the already drenched crowd with a 45-minute set that included radio hits ‘Beautiful Tragedy’ and ‘Gun Show’. Lead singer Maria Brink wasted no time making a statement, taking the stage in an outfit mirroring the curiosity of a Lady Gaga, including six-inch Stilettos and an arrangement of hats that seemed to cover her mood.
In This Moment, a quintet of metalcore rockers from Los Angeles, finally won the crowd over by ‘Gun Show’ but brought the heat through its series of heavy riffs and Brink’s balance of growls and soft whispers. In This Moment have released three major label albums and are anticipating its next release, “Blood”, in August.
Opening the night were Mindset Evolution, a Peoria, Ill., rock product that whipped through a 30-minute set to get the crowd going. Mindset Evolution won a nationwide contest in the Rockstar Uproar Best Buy Music Gear Battle of the Bands, which included over 5,300 bands in competition.