ROCK N ROLL EXPERIENCE - Shinedown / Halestorm 4/2/09

Irony is what it is...it's ironic & weird! I know, that's probably the oddest line to ever start a review off with, but it really fits this review because initially, I wasn't sure if I would get into this show, it was sold out for quite some time, I ran into an issue with my press contact for the show & I went to the show under the assumption that I'm well known in the Maryland area, I'm recognized for what I do, who i am, & could gain my access into this show regardless of having the proper press credentials or not....I'll admit that I had my doubts at one point, because you never know how things will work out, BUT, as you can tell by the fact that you are reading this article, everything worked out well, I proved my point that I have a solid reputation in this region amongst the bands, the workers, the venue staff, etc., & extra special thanks goes out to Barry from Shinedown for being the coolest dude ever! Ok, so with that out of the way, let's start my run down for the night!

Initially, I was supposed to attend the Lady Gaga show in Washington, DC on April 2, 2009, BUT, what happened was, Lady Gaga cancelled this performance the day prior to the show, yet, somehow she was able to perform on American Idol, even though she was sick, hmmmm, lol, but anyways, when Lady Gaga cancelled, it gave me immediate access to cover the Shinedown / Halestorm show @ Ram's Head in downtown Baltimore the same night! I have to admit, the weather for this particular evening was quite nice...it wasn't hot, it wasn't cold...it was great Spring time weather, the days were beginning to get noticeably longer, & there was a line that snaked outside the venue awaiting to get into this sold out concert!

The interesting thing about the Shinedown audience is that you have a very diverse crowd...there's the rockers who come decked out in their denim & concert shirts, you have the average people who like to rock but don't necessarily wear it as a badge of honor, you have the parents with their kids, & so on & so on...Shinedown is a very radio friendly band & their crowd is a good reflection of who's listening to the radio! Halestorm were the first band to take the stage & I was really amazed with the crowd reaction for this Pennsylvania based band!

Lzzy came out solo to start the show with her trademark vocal intro that's one part Janis Joplin, two parts Steven Tyler....honestly, Lzzy is very distinctive onstage, there's no one out there like her on a vocal level...her voice could seriously go in a very pop oriented style, yet she takes it in a hard rock style that's very blues based at times & it really works well whether she's on a large stage or a small club the size of your living room! I was impressed with Lzzy's stage attire for the night, shredded nylons & a short skirt with a top that was totally original...it was a bit more goth than I'd ever seen her before & it kinda reminded me of something Marilyn Manson might wear...it was definitely an outfit that was meant for a girl though! Joe & the boys in the band held things together quite nicely & the Halestorm set that consisted of primarily newer songs rocked hard & brought the crowd this crowd to their knees!

10 Years played after Halestorm, but their set bored me so I decided to skip their set & save my energy for the nights headliners...Shinedown!

Shinedown took the stage under the cover of darkness & opened with an instrumental number that started their set off right! I'll admit that seeing them with Zach Myers as the only guitarist was weird...I'd seen the current Shinedown tour 2 times previously with Nick as the bands lead guitarist & I have no idea why, perhaps it was just this particular night, but Zach's guitar seemed to be too low at times & in the past I'd always noted how full Shinedown's guitar tones were, but this particular night the guitar parts sounded weak...I'm not saying that as a dig to Zach or the band, but there was a hollowness to the bands sound at this show. Lead singer Brent Smith was the center of all attention...I noticed immediately that the bands drum set was placed on stage left & there was nothing but a backdrop behind Brent therefore making him the center of ALL attention on that stage & to be quite honest with you, Barry is a killer drummer & should have been directly behind Brent in the center of the stage!

Shinedown ripped through hit after hit, ".45", "I Dare You", "Save Me" & the nights closer "Devour" were all played as the audience absorbed every moment of every note the band performed! "Second Chance" was the song that clearly got the biggest crowd reaction & I even saw the workers of the venue paying attention to that particular song & clapping when it was finished..."Second Chance" is one of those songs that honestly strikes a never in most people..it's about faith, hope, & trying to make things right & I think it's a song that clearly, most people can relate to!

Brent's between song rants got a little long winded at times, but that's par for the course & it gave the boys in the band a breather in between songs & it was a great opportunity to grab another beer from the bar when those moments occurred. To be quite honest with you, I've witnessed Shinedown grow & blossom as a band from their first cd & this is clearly the bands high point, they are at their peak, this is a band in their prime, & when you catch Shinedown on stage, you are seeing 4 guys do what they were put on this earth to do....entertain, perform & rock!