FloridaBeachGirl, this one is for you; look at what your boy can do!
Soon as the doors opened, ShinedownRkr86, Leesa, the ‘ol man and I skedaddled our butts into the venue and planted our carcasses on the front row rail, Jasin’s side of the stage. Lucky me, I got the spot next to two already drunk, bleach-blondes, man-made breasts overstuffed into demon-red lycra, rude cell phones bonded to their ears. Alter Bridge came out and rocked our sorry asses to the ground! They were in the zone for sure this night. The Bridge fired us up with burning guitar riffs and piercing vocals that left us snarling and snapping for more. Warm bodies milled about drinking and hooting while the stage was being set for the rock brothers. After a time, all eyes focused on the stage as the crew got ready to release the backdrop used by the Bridge and expose Shinedown’s logo. As the cloth slid its way down to reveal the logo, the crowd let out a monstrous howl for joy. A surprise it was for I was not expecting such a reaction to a mere logo, ‘twas bliss. Then the room got quiet and spooky and dark. Slowly out of the darkness came a sticky-sweet, ghostly voice, whispering, ‘You’re listening to a dream…to a dream…to a dream…’ We hear now the rumbling, familiar intro to Heroes and in an instant the stage, the floor, the balcony, the room, the building, the world comes alive. The Preacher takes over the stage with the fury of a hurricane and hurls reflective lyrics at us with category-five verve. As the fatality of Heroes is replaced by the magick of Dare You, the emotional psychosis of Shed Some Light and the stark reality of 45, Brent summons us to follow him into infinite possibilities, and submissive and contented, we obey. Stage right, the guitar general commands his melodious scepter to ignite in a whirlwind of altered conviction. There is in this combination, exalted energy, the swift initiative of all being. Stage left we hear the deep, thunderous timbre of Brad’s pulsating, defiant bass, each note passing through us, stealing the very breath from our essence, daring us to tread the dangerous pathway that leads to the pure realm of space. Rising from the cauldron, brutally, sadistically, passionately, our sweet and dangerous Earth child pounds the skins and calls us to unite in the ritual, to come forth under the stars and take our fill of love. Beauty and strength; leaping laughter and delicious languor, force and fire, are of us. By now, the demon blonde’s enhancements and warm beer are spilling out all over the place. Jasin appears to defy gravity as he impishly dances and spins, fingertips conjuring the strings to scream from the joy of the noise. Brad joins in the fray, dreads soaring and diving like electric dragonflies. Barry is no longer able to tolerate the feel of his chair and as he stands he slams his base drum with a mighty effort, the vibration of it sends our hair flying back off our astonished sweat-streaked faces. Brent glares out at the crowd as if searching for the soul-stealer, challenging him to seal his fate and pay Karma owed. The viper that is Shinedown strikes out at us with compassion and insight, provoking us to defy our belief of reality, to restore our faith in ourselves and to challenge us to make ourselves ever watchful and vigilant and awake. Wretchedly, wickedly, time, ever the enemy, sends us back from our altered state, and change imposing its will on us, joins us back now to the world of the living, and Shinedown leaves the stage.
'With Shinedown, you're never lost in the crowd.' -Brent Smith
