Darkhorse Tour
May 25th, 2010
Nickelback, Breaking Benjamin, Shinedown, Sick Puppies
Century Link Center
Omaha, Nebraska
With four bands playing the tour, the show started with the band from Down Under; Sick Puppies. As the lights went down on Nickelback’s main video screen, the album-cover from Tri-Polar came across. During their performance, Sick Puppies mentioned their love for Omaha, and how KIWR, 89.7 The River, were the first place to really play them on the radio. The set consisted of 3 songs off of the new album, and two off their first American release; War, Pitiful, All the Same, Odd One, and You’re Going Down. With the short amount of time for a set, it’s hard to pick songs to please everyone so they stuck with their radio singles.
Shinedown got the same treatment with the video screen, with the logo from their new cd for a back drop. Brent came out in a black and white suit with the band matching minus the jacket. Having seen the band numerous times, this was by far one of the worst times. Playing way too much from the new cd and not even playing their first single ever, Fly From the Inside. It seems to me the band is forgetting about the fans that were there from the start. My first time seeing Shinedown was when the band opened for 3 Doors Down several years ago. During their cover of Simple Man, Brent dedicated the song to the late great Paul Gray of Slipknot. Being a fan of Slipknot, I got goose bumps and it brought a tear to my eye to have Shinedown recognize Gray’s loss. The band closed their set with Second Chance. Shinedown may call this going out with a bang, but I don’t agree. Please go back to your roots and rock out. 4 of the 6 songs in their set were monster ballads.
Shinedown’s setlist;
Her Name Is Alice (Intro)
Sound of Madness
Devour
Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide
If You Only Knew
The Crow & The Butterfly
Save Me
Simple Man
Second Chance
Next up were Breaking Benjamin. With Vocalist Ben Burnley at center stage, Breaking Benjamin had a white screen behind them. A projector played various videos during their set, following along with their music’s themes. The best was the Halo scene for their performance of Blow Me Away. Their other videos were similar to what the band used while on tour with Three Days Grace. As always, the band put on an amazing set.
Breaking Benjamin setlist;
I Will Not Bow
Until the End
Blow Me Away
So Cold
Polyamorous
Give Me a Sign
Breath
The Diary of Jane
And last but certainly not least, Nickelback.
21 video monitors in all shapes and sizes lined the entire length of the stage’s back. The band brought more fire power for pyrotechnics than a small army. Sparks rained down during their performance and flames burst from across the stage. But Nickelback shows are getting predictable. The past 5 times I’ve seen them live, their 3rd song has been Photograph. Halfway through their set, the band took it out into the crowd, on a small stage at the end of the catwalk. Starting with This Afternoon and finishing with Rockstar, before taking their show back to the main stage. Before Animals, the band brought out t-shirt cannons and shot them into the crowd and passed out free booze to the crowd. Always doing their best to put on a blistering performance, this band went all out for their Dark Horse Tour.
Nickelback’s setlist;
Photograph
Hollywood
Savin’ Me
Shakin’ Hands
Far Away
Something in Your Mouth
This Afternoon
Friends in Low Places (cover)
If Today Was Your Last Day
Don’t Stop Believin’ (cover)
Rockstar
Sad but True (cover)
Animals
Drum Solo
How You Remind Me
Too Bad
Encore;
Gotta Be Somebody
Wanted Dead or Alive (cover)
Someday
Figured You Out
Review by Nathan Pickering
