Sunny Times for Shinedown: Hit Band Rocks Ground Zero this Friday

Feb. 9, 2005

Most up-and-coming rock bands are lucky to have one hit in their arsenal, but when Shinedown returns to Ground Zero in TC this Friday, it will be with three bombshell numbers from their new CD that are receiving heavy airplay across the country.
Currently on tour of the U.S. and Canada, Shinedown are soaring on the success of “Simple Man,” “Fly from the Inside” and “45” off their “Leave a Whisper” debut CD which is heading for platinum sales territory.
Shinedown has appeared at Streeters’ Ground Zero before, but as an opening act. This time they’re the headliner Friday, Feb. 11 with guests Theory of a Deadman and No Address opening the show.
Based in Jacksonville, Florida, Shinedown hopes to carry on the torch for another hometown legend; it was Lynyrd Skynyrd who first put J-ville on the map with a southern rock sound that’s heavy on guitar crunch and wry, tough tales of the road.
Shinedown has its own take on that tradition. On “Leave a Whisper,” vocalist Brent Smith, guitarist Jasin Todd, bassist Brad Stewart and drummer Barry Kerch echo the classic guitar-driven rock of Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin, adding a dash of soul in the style of Otis Redding with an upload of modrock attitude in the vein of Staind and Tool. Needless to say those influences are filtered through their own perspective of the ‘00s music scene. The result, as their bio notes, blends “bold, strident guitar power, blues-driven vocal fury, and cutting-edge metallic mayhem into a swirling cauldron of bubbling rock reactants. This is heavy music that stands head and shoulders above today’s field of cookie-cutter rock practitioners.”
Such songs as the powerful first single, “Fly From The Inside,” the emotive “No More Love,” and the overwhelming “Burning Bright” show that in the 24-year-old Smith, Shinedown sports one of the most talented singers and unconventional songwriters currently operating within a hard rock context.
“I’ve wanted to do this all my life,” says Smith. “Making music and being in a successful band is all I ever wanted to do, but it’s never been easy. Music was never a big deal in my family. My parents just didn’t understand what it was really all about. They were encouraging... to a point. But I always dreamed of being given the chance to stand up in front of people and try to move them with my music. I’m incredibly thankful every day that I’ve now been given that chance.”
Formed in early 2001, Shinedown hit the ground running, generating enough crowd appeal to catch the notice of a major CD company early on. In 2002, they signed with Atlantic Records and began recording in Los Angeles with producer Bob Marlette (known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne, Saliva, and Black Sabbath). Those early tracks led to “Leave a Whisper” and a string of hits that are still catching fire on rock airways.

Shinedown performs Friday, Feb. 11 at Streeters’ Ground Zero with No Address and Theory of a Deadman. Tickets for the 18-and-up show are $18 in advance. Other upcoming shows include Jackyl on Feb. 18 and Papa Roach on March 15.

REVIEW: “Grievous Angel” by Grievous Angel
Grievous Angel, also known as the bandmates who back up Detroit singer-songwriter Jill Jack, have placed their own musical ambitions on the line with their self-named first album of 11 original songs.
Based in metro Ann Arbor/Detroit, Grievous Angel have eschewed the garage rock sound that’s currently putting the Motor City on the map with the younger crowd in favor of music that harkens to the ears of a generation that’s a decade or two older. There’s more of an acoustic folk-rock or roots sound on “Grievous Angel,” and if you’re up for a game of “sounds like,” then some ‘70s-era icons come to mind, such as Pure Prairie League, Kris Kristopherson, The Eagles or the Doobie Brothers with a Midwestern twist.
But comparisons only go so far and it’s fair to say that Billy Brandt, Nolan Mendenhall, David Mosher and Ron Pangborn bring their own musical dreams to the CD for a style branded as immediately their own. Grievous Angel’s instrumentals are tight and turn on a dime while their harmonies buoy an upbeat blend of acoustic-driven melodies. The lyrics are plaintive at times and earnestly felt with songwriting that recalls a time when the message was as important as the music. -- by Robert Downes

Grievous Angel performs their new CD in a release party at City Park Grill in Petoskey this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 11-12.