Shinedown’s recent concert at Cleveland’s Rocket Arena was a masterclass in musical versatility, bombast, and heartfelt connection! An elementary school music teacher once taught me that the instrument commonly referred to as the piano is derived from its full name, pianoforte, a term derived from the Italian words for “soft” and “loud.” Shinedown is a fine band name. However, they could more appropriately play under the moniker Pianoforte. Tonight’s show in Cleveland demonstrates that the multi-platinum-selling act can switch from hard-rocking arena-bangers to quiet, thought-provoking numbers, as well as (dare I say better?) than any act on today’s touring circuit.
The Brent Smith-fronted act made a dramatic—and sneaky—entrance, weaving through barriers on the ‘standing room only’ floor before emerging on the catwalk and extended stage. The moment they hit the stage, accompanied by blazing pyrotechnics, the packed arena erupted. Shinedown tore into tour namesake “Dance, Kid, Dance,” their latest single set to appear on the recently announced 2026 album. The main stage design was a marvel: a sprawling catwalk connected to a smaller secondary platform, with two additional branching runways—a configuration that kept fans on all sides in the middle of the action. The flames may have restricted our talented photographer @matt_shoots_shows to the edge of the barricade, but for the thrill-seekers, the spectacle was pure rock-and-roll adrenaline.
Trading brand new for old-school, Shinedown transitioned to “Fly From the Inside” from their 2003 debut album, ‘Leave a Whisper.’
Wait? What? 2003!? Damn… that makes this reviewer feel really old! Many fellow rockers in my section had not yet been born in 2003! I first caught Shinedown in concert that very year. They were the OPENING(!) act for Three Doors Down and Our Lady Peace at the now-closed Time Warner Cable Amphitheater at Tower City Center. Only Smith and drummer Barry Kerch have survived the 22-year duration. Touring on the strength of their lone single, “45” (noticeably absent from tonight’s setlist), this band was destined for great things from the get-go. During my first gig as a professional journalist, I interviewed Shinedown at Summerfest in Milwaukee in 2005, where I introduced them to a young lady named Lzzy Hale later that day. (No bullshit!) The band’s growth was evident, and has continued to grow leaps and bounds each time I have seen them.
Smith asked for noisy responses, first from fans attending their first Shinedown tour, then from repeat offenders, before explaining their tradition of having fans greet strangers who were rocking out in neighboring seats. “Look to your left….Now, look to your right,” he instructed. As fans exchanged high-fives and fist bumps, the band got in on the action by shaking hands with security guards inside the barricade that separated the fans from the stage.
A highlight of the evening came when the lights dimmed and Brent Smith delivered a moving speech about the enduring presence of the spirits of loved ones who have passed on. He asked everyone in the arena to close their eyes, picture someone no longer among us, and hold them close in their hearts. With thousands participating in silent reflection, the band began “Three Six Five,” making the moment one of collective catharsis and personal meaning. Other show stoppers included “Diamond Eyes,” “I Dare You,” “How Did You Love,” and a powerful cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” each reinforcing Shinedown’s musical and emotional breadth.
Smith’s charm and sincerity shone throughout the night. Periodically, he polled the audience, asking, “Do you want to go up? Or, do you want to go down?” The answer—determined by applause or setlist—prompted a blazing rendition of “Devil,” with flames leaping dangerously close to the band.
Guitarist Zach Meyers expressed gratitude, saying, “Thank you for trusting us with your kids’ ears. It means the world to us.” Meanwhile, Barry Kerch was seen handing out drumsticks and gear to excited young fans at the barricade—memories that will surely last a lifetime.
The familiar line farewell from the band, “It’s never goodbye; it’s just ‘til next time,” was exclaimed by Smith before the band concluded their encore-free show with “Sound of Madness” and fan favorite, “Second Chance,” finishing 75 seconds ahead of the venue’s 11:00 PM curfew.
Smith bid farewell with his trademark closer, “It’s never goodbye! It’s just ’til next time!” As for the thousands of fans pushing their way to the exits? Next time, it would be better to be sooner rather than later.
++Oh! For those curious about the 2005 interview (all zero of you). Here is the video footage that was shot on a handheld camera, imported onto a Dell Laptop with a 50gb hard drive as a .WMV file, edited in Windows Movie Maker, exported as a compressed file, and uploaded to YouTube, redownloaded, compressd even more, then reuploaded to YouTube. (That’s the long way of apologizing for the video’s quality.)
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