As I got ready to head over to cover and enjoy this concert, I was filled with all sorts of emotions. I was happy to get to see Shinedown again, proud of them for still putting out great music and remaining as relevant as ever and excited to finally get to see Jelly Roll live. I saw Shinedown the very first time they played in Michigan and I was there to witness an incredible day very early in their career where I was one of only about forty people and some staff from local station WRIF to witness a private acoustic event in a recording studio in the metro Detroit area. I’ve seen them live around a dozen times over the last nineteen or twenty years and I can’t remember a single show from them that wasn’t incredible. As for Jelly Roll, I can thank an ex-girlfriend for turning me on to him about a year ago and I’m so glad that she did. I’m blown away at the talent and passion this guy has for not only music but for life, especially these last few years. I couldn’t wait for the show to start that night and it couldn’t come soon enough.
A friend volunteered to drive a few of us to the concert which was nice because I usually end up driving and it gets old sometimes. We packed into her car around 4:30 that day and headed off for another music filled evening, which we’ve had many of over the years as we both love music more than most people. Timing was a concern at first because there is so much construction happening in Metro Detroit this year. Combine that with the normal week-day rush hour traffic and you’ll understand. Missing part of the show wasn’t a concern but the deadline was tight for me to get to the venue at a certain time, grab my ticket and pass, and then meet Jelly Roll and his tour manager for a slotted interview time with a 15 minute cap on the interview. Luckily, we got there much quicker than expected, I got the interview done, and I still had enough time to head back out to the parking lot and hang with my friends a little while before the show started.
We heard the first band start and headed in to watch the show. It took us a few minutes to get into the venue, but we were still able to catch most of the set from opening act John Harvie. I didn’t know much about him other than being a Nashville based rock singer/songwriter that was opening the Shinedown tour this year. It wasn’t at all what I expected, and I was honestly surprised. While he did have some straight up rock songs and a few good slow jams, much of his set of originals had a Blink 182, Sum 41
feel. It was a great start to the evening and I personally love how all three bands on this tour have their own unique sound and each of them represented several genres of music. If you’d like to know more about John check out his website at johnharviemusic.com
Next up was Jelly Roll and I can’t begin to explain how much I was looking forward to seeing him live and to hearing so many of the songs that have come to mean so much to me. I was fortunate enough to have been approved to interview Jelly Roll a few hours prior and have to say I was blown away at what a humble, and genuine person he was. Just an incredible human being. The interview went great and I have to say thank you so much to both Jelly, and his tour manager Bobby, for being so awesome and accommodating the whole time. Link for the interview with Jelly Roll will be posted at the bottom of this article. Jelly Roll took the stage and the crowd just erupted as if this was the headliner for the night. Throughout the evening I couldn’t help but notice how many people had Jelly Roll shirts on and were blasting his music in the parking lot before the show, so it didn’t totally surprise me. It still was something I didn’t expect to see on such a large scale. Great set from the band as they went through and did all my favorite songs, a few select others and a really incredible medley featuring songs from Bob Seeger, Luke Combs, Rage Against the Machine and a few others. The crowd, and myself, were eating it up and singing along loudly to many of his tunes. I don’t think Jelly realized just how much he is appreciated and loved in the state of Michigan, but that night let him know without a doubt. The biggest highlight for me was hearing ‘Save Me’ played live. One of a few songs from him that really means something to me for several different reasons. It was both emotional and incredible at the same time. At the end of his set the first thing I thought was ‘Damn, I can’t wait to see him again’. Great first experience for me from anyone that I can remember over all my years of attending concerts. Well, maybe other than Iron Maiden.
We had enough of a break to head up, grab one last drink, chat with a few friends and made it back to our seats just in time for Shinedown to take the stage. To say that this sold out crowd was ready would be a huge understatement. Shinedown has always been popular in Michigan, going back to the very beginning, and all those in attendance went absolutely crazy when the lights dimmed, and the band came out to play. When you’ve been around as long as they have, you’re bound to have a few songs that don’t get played but I was impressed with the set list for the night. Not only all-time favorites of mine but others that I really liked as well as a few surprises including a cover of ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ by Oasis. The band played just over 2 hours and the energy never left the venue. Not with them
or with the fans. Sometimes you forget just how good a band is and how great they sound live, but Shinedown is not one of those bands. Not only a band that brings it every time but a singer that in my opinion is one of the best in rock and roll. After all these years you’d think Brent would start losing the power and the range but that’s not happening yet. He always gives it his all and still does an incredible job every time.
As the night went on the crowd just kept up the pace with singing the words to many songs, sometimes drowning out the band, as the hits kept flowing. Highlights for me were getting to hear ‘Daylight’ live for the first time, and Jelly Roll coming out to join the guys for a powerful version of ‘Simple Man’. It’s always a bonus to hear ‘Second Chance’, ‘45’, and ‘Sound of Madness’ as well. Several times during the show Brent had some encouraging words and great things to say, as he always does, but this time seemed more personal and heartfelt than normal. The world is such a different place these last few
years and some of the things he talked about were never more fitting and truer than they are today. I also loved his talk about the state of Michigan and how much we meant to him, the band, and their twenty-year run. You can tell when someone is just saying something to make a crowd cheer, but you could tell he meant every word that he said and truly appreciated the support and love all these years.
In closing this one out, I have to say what a great night it was from beginning to end. Top-notch performances from all three bands, an excellent experience interviewing Jelly Roll and getting to spend a
few minutes chatting with him after, and the usual bad ass, high energy show from Shinedown. Based on what I saw that night I think we still have many years to come of great songs and live shows from the band that started it all out 20 years ago in Jacksonville, FL. Thanks for another great live music experience. Until the next one. – Howie
Get Shinedown’s “Planet Zero” here: https://shinedown.lnk.to/planetzero
