CONCERT REVIEW: NEEDTOBREATHE AT THE HANOVER THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS

On November 9, 2025, The Hanover Theatre for the Performing Arts in Worcester, MA, welcomed Needtobreathe. An American rock band from Seneca, South Carolina, the group is known as one of the most prolific and successful rock bands in America. It was an exceptional night of music.  

The show started at 8:00 p.m. with Bre Kennedy as the opener. A Nashville-based singer-songwriter, Kennedy is acclaimed for her introspective storytelling and evocative performances. Her work has been praised by Billboard, Paste, and Consequence, and featured on key Spotify playlists including New Music Friday and Today’s Singer-Songwriters.

Fashioning a signature style, at The Hanover Theater for the Performing Arts, Kennedy shared sharp storytelling with an energetic and infectious pop scope, transmitting raw emotion with a sense of universality, highlighting her lyrics and her melodies.

The audience was very receptive, and Kennedy’s performance was terrific. It was a combination of music that shared the private life of the artist. Kennedy was very emotional when she talked about her grandmother who is now receiving care to terminally ill patients in a hospice.

At 9:30 p.m. after a short break, Needtobreathe, as the headliner, came on stage. Formed in 2001, the band is composed of Bear Rinehart (lead vocals, guitar), Josh Lovelace (backing vocals, keys), Randall Harris (drums, percussion), and Tyler Burkum (guitar).

A very successful and well-acclaimed band, Needtobreathe has released ten studio albums: The Feature (2001), Daylight (2006), The Heat (2007), The Outsiders (2009), The Reckoning (2011), Rivers in the Wasteland (2014), Hard Love (2018), Out of Body (2020), Into the Mystery (2021), and Caves (2023).

Six of those albums have reached no 1 on the Christian Albums chart. The band has also charted with a number of singles, including “Washed by the Water” (2007), which reached no 1 on the Hot Christian Hot chart, the Grammy-nominated “Multiplied” (2014), “Brother” (2015), which charted on the Top 100 and reached no 1 on the Hot Christian Songs Chart, and “Who Am I” (2020) which reached no 1 on the Hot Alternative Songs Chart.

Alternative rock, Southern rock, Pop rock, Christian rock, Needtobreathe won many awards and nominations.

In 2009, with “Washed by the Water” Needtobreathe won rock/contemporary Recorded song of the Year and was nominated Group of the Year.  In 2010, with “Lay’ Em Down” and “The Outsiders” Needtobreathe won rock/contemporary songs of the Year and Group of the Year. In 2011, “Something Beautiful” was nominated Song of the Year. In 2012, Needtobreathe won the nomination Group of the Year with “Slumber” and “The Reckoning”. In 2013, with “Keep Your Eyes Open” the group won the nomination for rock/contemporary song of the Year. In 2016, “Brother” was nominated Song of the Year. In 2017, Needtobreathe won rock/contemporary song of the Year with “Hard Love.” In 2018, with “Walking on Water”, the band won rock/contemporary song of the Year. In 2019, with “Forever on your Side” featuring Johnny Swim, Needtobreathe won rock/contemporary acoustic album of the Year.

At The Hanover Theatre for the Performing arts in Worcester, Needtobreathe’s performance was exceptional, and the group has shown once again why during those years it is still one of the best and cherished bands in America.