SHINEDOWN
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Sovereign Center, Reading, PA

Photos by Marcy J Royce
Review by Marcy J Royce

A grand opportunity was given to me to photograph one of my ultimate and favorite bands. I wanted to venture to a new venue for me, the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA to see how this SHINEDOWN show would be. Well, no matter what venue you see these guys in, it’s a stellar show. No fan left this show disappointed. The amount of vigor displayed by the crowd was immense. But wait just a minute, I’m getting ahead of myself again by the excitement of the night. Time to rewind…

The day before the show I was preparing myself to make sure I captured every moment I could. I’m weird like that. I look for patterns, lighting, and distinct moments I don’t want to miss. I did some online research and found a surprise. The surprise was great for the fans but a little less great for us photogs going into the pit. We would only be able to capture 2-1/2 songs instead of our normal 3 songs. So I knew I had to make my time count since approximately 3 minutes was going to be shaved off my time. The night was to be kicked off at FOH with the song Enemies from the 2012 Amaryllis cd release. What a great idea! The fans towards the middle and the back of the Sovereign Center were given a nice little treat. They went crazy seeing Brent, Eric and Zach closer than they thought they would. Halfway through the song, the music hesitated as the guys made their way up the side barricade and back onto the stage. Once they started on stage we were released to enter the pit and get to shooting. My adrenaline was pumping. It was amazing to see the huge show production at stage left and  back towards back stage (that is where we were instructed to wait until they released us). Being married to a lighting director for another band had me evaluating all that equipment that I usually only see in his lighting magazine.

I felt like I was shot from a gun once I began shooting in the pit. And then the pryo onstage pleasantly surprised me. The last part of Enemies was amazing. The intense energy only made me feel like I was levitating. It’s one of the reasons I love shooting live performances. The intense, raw energy make me feel like I’m on top of the world. SHINEDOWN was about to kick my ass those first three songs as a photographer first, and second as a fan. Next up in the set was Devour and Unity. Devour is one of those pumping songs with such great guitar leads, riffs, bass and drums. It’s one of the reasons I use this song for my ab workouts. I was all over the place trying to capture all the guys. However, I do know that Brent is such a powerful and deliberate frontman that his place is solid on his center stage box. I got some great shots! Check them here: SHINEDOWN PHOTOS from February 17, 2013 in Reading, PA

Unity was the next song to kick me in the ass. The entire Amaryllis cd  is killer, it continues to be one of my favorite SHINEDOWN releases. As the intro began, the crowd became like a rabid dog. Pure energy started exploding from every direction. I could just feel the intensity of it all. Loving every second. Holy balls, it was intense. If any fan didn’t become swept up into the wave you shouldn’t have been there. I could see immediately how tight the band was with each other and the crowd. These guys certainly know how to make each fan feel like they are there performing just for them. Good interaction and eye contact everywhere, all night.

As I took my place in the back of the GA section behind FOH, I really began to take in the phenomenal light show paired with the awesome sound mix. Stellar and impressive. Great talent in the crew. For the rest of the show I stayed firmly planted in my floor spot. Each and every song I evaluated and dissected. SHINEDOWN’s drive, determination, and raging desire to be the best they can be surely showed in this performance. Brent’s vocals were dead on, strongly delivered, and he never waivered the entire night. He is one of the best when it comes to vocals of a frontman. Barry pounded those drums with fever, delivering heart pounding beats from beginning to end with a huge smile constantly. Eric was a monster on the bass. And Zach was steller. Both Eric and Zach were like energizer bunnies, running around that stage without any indication that batteries were running low. I’m sure many of you attending concerts have had some disappointment with how the songs sound live compared to a cd. Well, that was not the case with SHINEDOWN.

One thing that has continued to be evident to me about Brent Smith: I could see just how much he has continued his physical regime. It shows. I follow him on Twitter. Looks better, feels better, and the tons of swooning women were delighted. His delivery, his power, his intensity… he may not move like Mick Jagger but man o’ man, is he a powerful singer. I could watch him belt it out days on end. I often compare other vocalists to him in my own mind. Someday I’d love to have an one-on-one, in-person interview with him. So many questions, so little time… HA HA! He has come so far as a singer-songwriter in these past years. Oh, but just to dream is enough.

As I left the Sovereign Center, I was feverishly reviewing in my head  the show that memories are made from. I kept playing it over and over again in my head. I did capture a video of Amaryllis on my smartphone from where I was standing most of the show. See it below:

All the above means you must just go see them for yourself. I promise you, 100%, that you will not regret spending your hard earned cash to see one of the premier bands of this time. True musicians doing what they love. And excelling at it.

To say the least, SHINEDOWN is one of my go-to bands for many reasons. Live show is priceless. Songs are crafted and meaningful. Energy is high and unrelenting. And many of their songs I use for motivation and for life experiences. Now go check out SHINEDOWN’s website, www.shinedown.com, for information on music, videos, photos, bio and also where their next tour date is near you. Because you MUST GO! You will be disappointed if you don’t see them. I know I would have been.

Setlist for this night:
Enemies (Amaryllis)
Devour (Sound Of Madness)
Unity (Amaryllis)
The Crow & Butterfly (Sound Of Madness)
Save Me (Us & Them)
I’ll Follow You (Amaryllis)
Diamond Eyes (single)
If You Only Knew (Sound Of Madness)
Amaryllis (Amaryllis)
45 (Leave A Whisper)
Encore:
Sound Of Madness (Sound Of Madness)
Second Chance (Sound Of Madness)
Medley of Covers including:
She Talks To Angels, Over The Hills & Far Away, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Enter Sandman, Stairway to Heaven, Wanted Dead or Alive
Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Bully (Amaryllis)

I want to give a big shout out to Kelly McWilliam for making this opportunity happen for me and the Away-Team. You rock, my dear. Always a pleasure to work with you.