On a crisp, cool spring evening in Bonner Springs, Bush returned to the same stage they conquered nearly three decades ago at Azura Amphitheater — back when the venue was still Sandstone and alternative rock ruled the airwaves. In 1997, Bush played here with Veruca Salt opening the show, riding the massive success of Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase. Somehow, nearly 30 years later, frontman Gavin Rossdale looked and moved across the stage as if time had barely touched him at all.
Rossdale remains one of rock’s most magnetic frontmen, and from the opening moments of the set, his energy was relentless. Sprinting across the stage, climbing risers, leaning into the crowd and delivering vocals with the same gritty intensity that made Bush a staple of 90s rock radio, Rossdale proved why the band continues to thrive long after many of their peers have faded into nostalgia-act territory.
And while the night certainly celebrated Bush’s iconic 90s catalog, this wasn’t merely a greatest hits package. Songs from the band’s 2025 album I Beat Loneliness fit seamlessly into the setlist, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with classics from Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase. In fact, Bush have quietly become something of an anomaly in modern touring rock — a band whose post-2020 material arguably represents some of the strongest songwriting of their entire career.
“I’m fortunate and appreciative and really into making new music,” Rossdale told me during a 2023 interview on the On the Road to Rock podcast. “It’s sort of an interesting Benjamin Button style of making music.”
That quote feels more accurate now than ever. For Rossdale, the last two decades have been about rebuilding the Bush brand following the band’s early-2000s hiatus, and the results speak for themselves. Bush have evolved into one of the most respected and dependable touring acts to emerge from the 90s alternative explosion — a band unafraid to honor its past while continuing to push creatively forward.
Musically, the performance was airtight. The band sounded massive, with impeccable production and crystal-clear sound permeating throughout Azura Amphitheater much like it did during their late-90s peak. Every guitar riff hit with precision, every rhythm section groove landed with force, and the newer material carried the same urgency and emotional weight as the classics.
As strong as the full set was, the encore delivered the knockout blow. It’s hard to imagine a more powerful one-two punch than “Machinehead” followed by “Comedown.” The moment those opening riffs hit, the crowd erupted into nostalgic hysteria, singing every word back at the stage as Rossdale soaked in the atmosphere one final time.
Nearly 30 years after first taking this stage, Bush proved they are far more than a relic of alternative rock’s golden era. On this cool spring night in Bonner Springs, they sounded every bit as vital, explosive and relevant as ever.
Bush live in Bonner Springs, KS 5/8 (images- Clint Switzer)
