Breaking Benjamin • Chevelle • Starset • Kami Kehoe • September 30, 2026 • Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Reviewed and Photographed by Sam Howard
For most who grew up playing Halo on the Xbox, Breaking Benjamin is a legend in the rock and roll scene, and for nearly 30 years, they have curated a die-hard fanbase that filled the entire Utah First Credit Union Amphitheater. With a lineup of bands such as Starset and Chevelle, this show was about to be a perfect night for fans of this genre of music.
Kami Kehoe
Starting off the night was alternative rock artist Kami Kehoe. With a 3 piece band backing her up on stage, Kami filled the amphitheater nicely with their sound. The live mix was very well done, and the stage presence was very strong. Those in the crowd who were there for this set were splashed with heavy sounds and water that Kami threw around throughout the performance. At one point, she even played the drums while singing one of her songs. For those who are fans of bands such as PVRIS or even Daisy Grenade, Kami Kehoe is a perfect artist to add to your playlist. I would love to see her come back to play a venue like Soundwell for a headlining tour.
Starset
The next band taking the stage is one that brought a vibe that can only be described as Tron meets Lord of the Rings. With a sound that the band describes as “cinematic rock,” Starset is a band that brings electronic sounds to heavy guitars and drums all while wearing elaborate spaceman costumes. Standing up at the front of the crowd for this set, once Starset started playing, I could feel the bass in every molecule of my body, all while being able to physically see some of the sound waves from the speakers. Starset’s performance was so loud but still really well mixed, and it set the tone for the rest of the night to come.
There was a wide variety of instruments being played on stage, from traditional rock pieces such as a guitar and bass to a cello and violin being played to the sound of electronic synths. The drummer even had an electronic drum kit. The way the stage was set up was very cool, with the drummer and synth player hoisted on a high pedestal with screens below them. This entire performance that Starset put on was a cult-like cinematic experience.
The singer would go on to address the crowd, hinting at potentially going on a headlining tour in the future, saying stuff like “next time we headline in town, we hope to see you out,” and “We can’t wait to come back.” I would love to see Starset come back to Utah to play a show and The Complex or even the Depot, and if you want your mind blown with a visual and musical masterpiece of a concert, then be sure to catch Starset the next time they come to Utah.
Chevelle
Next up for the night was a band that was highly anticipated by the crowd in attendance. Chevelle is a rock and roll band based out of Illinois, and the amount of fans wearing Chevelle merch from previous tours would have made you think that they were headlining the show. As Chevelle took the stage, the entire amphitheater was loud with screams and cheers, singing back every lyric with their chest. With only 3 people playing in the band, the sound was very well-rounded with heavy guitars and high energy.
For the setlist, the band played a lot of their old stuff and mixed in a good amount of their newer sounds for this crowd, but no matter what they played, the crowd just kept singing as loud as they could. At this point of the night, the crowd in the pit started getting more rowdy, starting mosh pits and heavy headbanging. There was even a mosh pit going on in the lawn section of the amphitheater as well. Chevelle did not disappoint and was a perfect precursor to our headliner of the night. It was just an hour of non-stop rock and roll.
Nearing the end of their set, Chevelle would address the crowd, saying, “We should come here more often; I didn’t know we had so many friends.” The last time they played in Utah was on a co-headlining tour with Three Days Grace back in 2023. It would be so cool to see Chevelle headline a show in Utah again in the future, as I have full confidence that they would have no issues filling up any venue here in Salt Lake City.
Breaking Benjamin
Last up of the night was our headliner, Breaking Benjamin. Opening up their show with a retro Microsoft XP desktop screen as their backdrop, teasing what songs they would be playing in a file folder that was clicked through, it felt very nostalgic. Finally taking the stage, Breaking Benjamin went into their opening song, “I Will Not Bow.” It was an explosive start to the set, and it had the crowd in an instant mosh pit that wouldn’t disperse until the show ended. Between the stage setting, insane light show, and heavy rock sounds, the show was perfect for anyone who was a Breaking Benjamin fan. The setlist consisted of a perfect amount of classic Breaking Benjamin songs along with their newest single, “Something Wicked.”
Getting through their set, Breaking Benjamin would go on to play their song “Blow Me Away,” which was their song that was on the Halo 2 soundtrack. During this song, they had Halo 2 gameplay on the big screen. With each song they played, the crowd grew louder and louder, singing the lyrics back to the stage, especially for songs such as “Dear Agony” and “Breath.” The sound coming from the stage was heavy and very well-mixed. The bass guitarist’s screams were so powerful and had a way of itching my brain every time he did it.
Nearing the end of the set, the lead singer, Benjamin Burnley, would go on to talk about his history with Utah. He talked about a time when he went to a bar in Salt Lake City and his experience was with how different the liquor laws are here. Though his experience with our bars was unexpected for him, he would go on to say, “Every time we come here you guys are awesome,” addressing the Utah crowd with love.
At this point, they would go into their last song of the night, “The Diary of Jane.” With this, the crowd was deafening and absolutely wild, as this is their top-streamed song. It was a perfect way to end the night, and as they ended the song, they left the stage, leaving the crowd with a longing for more Breaking Benjamin. It was clear that they will be very welcome back to Utah the next time they go on tour.
