For years, it was trendy for rockers to address their fans one of two ways when taking a break between songs during their concerts:
1) Spew some political vitriol in an attempt to sway their ticket-buying faithful to think just like they do
2) Forego messages altogether by reminding fans they came to the show to forget the world’s issues, and their own, for a couple of hours in the name of entertainment
But what if musical artists entertained and made those spoken words count by eliciting inspiration and hope?
Welcome to Planet Zero. And welcome to the Revolutions Live tour.
Headlined by Shinedown, kicked in by Papa Roach and jumpstarted by Spiritbox, the Revolutions Live tour visited Freeman Coliseum this past Monday night and treated just under 5,000 fans to headbanging Rock N’ Roll, pyro displays that could’ve taken the hair off your arms several rows deep and yes, dialogue that intended to make a difference.
Shinedown isn’t exactly the first, and won’t be the last, band to emphasize the importance of mental-health awareness. For San Antonians in particular, think back to Disturbed’s concert in January 2019 at the Illusions Theater inside the Alamodome.
But as vocalist Brent Smith told the coliseum’s patrons, Shinedown has been talking about mental health “since before it was in the news.” To wit, a majority of the group’s songs more than shed light on the subject. That’s saying something given that not only is Shinedown touring in support of a bitchin’ album released July 2022 entitled Planet Zero that is heavily laden with slow and heavy mental-health tracks, but because this tour is also celebrating 20 years of the band’s debut effort Leave A Whisper.
Following a series of big-screen photos that showed what Shinedown likes to do behind the scenes and on the road, the band took to the stage that jutted out into the general-admission portion of the crowd by opening with “Diamond Eyes” (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom) — a 2010 non-album track (sans deluxe edition, that is) written for Sylvester Stallone film “The Expendables.”
For yours truly’s first time experiencing Shinedown live, the only appropriate way to open the show would’ve been to come out guns blazing with Planet Zero kickstarter “No Sleep Tonight.” Instead, it was a trip to Bummer City having to endure the entire night without hearing the 2 1/2-minute track that could give any top thrash song of 2023 a run for its money.
And while Planet Zero is arguably Shinedown’s best album (give it time, old-schoolers), mohawked vocalist Brent Smith, guitarist Zach Myers, bassist/pianist Eric Bass and drummer Barry Kerch did perform four new tracks, including “Dead Don’t Die” and “A Symptom of Being Human.”
It was Smith’s introduction to the latter that emphasized the theme of the evening. He gave a somewhat long, but more importantly moving, speech about mental-health awareness, suicide prevention and the importance for people to accept themselves for who they are. The group then performed its latest single with many in the coliseum belting out every word as if they had their own invitation to the lunatic ball.
But Shinedown’s 1-hour, 50-minute performance wasn’t limited to waxing poetic or urging fans to ask for help if they needed it. There was plenty of rock to be had too.
Shinedown delivered the goods with a mixture of songs from the old and the new and 2008 hit album The Sound of Madness.
The hits were there in “45,” “The Sound of Madness” and “Second Chance” — the latter preceded by an introduction from the late radio legend Casey Kasem on “America’s Top 40.”
So was somewhat surprising finale “Cut the Cord.” And of course there was the mandatory cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” (during which Smith had the crowd hold the first six instances of “Simplllllllllle kind of man”). There was even an unexpected cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “The Middle,” with Myers taking over lead vocal and acoustic guitar duties before Shinedown crew members received their moment in the sun by joining in on guitar and drums.
And the flying piano was not to be outdone.
Yes, out of the ceiling emanated a grand instrument illuminated in purple and white light that Bass played on “I’ll Follow You.” Myers stood on top of it for his guitar solo while Smith paraded around the stage and eventually sat next to Bass on the piano. Later in the Columbus Day evening, Myers told the crowd, “Give it up for the flying piano. We know everyone’s come through San Antonio. We know Elton John and Billy Joel have come through San Antonio. But none of those sons of bitches had a flying piano!”
Although professional video was not allowed — and thus, no evidence here of the piano’s ability to spread its wings — you can watch a sampling of Shinedown’s performance via ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “Devil,” “Unity” and “45.”
Papa Roach has fought for world hunger among its causes, and the Revolutions Live tour, in conjunction with latest album Ego Trip, enabled the band to get into the mental health awareness act.
Acknowledging “we never normally break it down like that,” vocalist Jacoby Shaddix and company did their own acoustic jam with “Leave A Light On.” The band accentuated the track by declaring it was donating proceeds from the gig to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
But of course, Papa Roach has had too much of a history with the Alamo City to let down its guard. Whether it’s been Siesta Fest in 2013, the River City Rockfest in 2017 or any gig prior or since, Papa Roach has built a cult following in San Antonio. On its latest visit, it also gave the fans what they wanted on “Getting Away With Murder,” and ATM’s Facebook Live footage of “Forever” and “Scars.”
During its longtime smash World Wrestling Entertainment “Monday Night Raw” theme song “. . . To Be Loved,” Shaddix made his way through the GA crowd and into sections 22-24 before emanating down the steps and coming face to face with Alamo True Metal (see photo gallery). Shaddix spoke with ATM in 2014, prior to the release of F.E.A.R., about the massive exposure that song received (listen here).
Spiritbox opened the show as the newcoming band to many in the audience. But fans may not have realized they’ve probably seen at least three quarters of the quartet by other means.
Vocalist Courtney LaPlante and guitarist Mike Stringer are not only married to one another, but they were both in now-defunct Vans Warped Tour metalcore act Iwrestledabearonce. Bassist Josh Gilbert, meanwhile, was in As I Lay Dying and that band’s spinoff group Wovenwar.
LaPlante was the only female on stage among these three artists — and the only one providing metalcore angst, which can be heard via ATM Facebook Live footage of closer “Holy Roller” from 2021 album Eternal Blue and on the band’s forthcoming EP The Fear of Fear on Nov. 3.
Although Shinedown’s preferred way to open the show wasn’t what this writer had in mind, yours truly entered the coliseum believing the only appropriate way to end it would be to hear Planet Zero finale “What You Wanted” performed live or blaring from the P.A. system as the lights came on. The latter is exactly what happened as the studio-version lyrics bellowed, “So long, we hope you enjoyed the ride. Did you get what you wanted? Is this what you wanted?”
For the most part, the answer was yes. All three groups made their performances — and non-singing words — matter. They demonstrated that in the name of entertainment and heavy metal, words and lyrics don’t have to preach to get the message across in useful fashion.
Maybe even useful enough to save a life. A life that matters to you.
