Tuesday, February 19, 2013. 1st Mariner Arena.
The crowd is anxiously waiting for the headlining band. After the disappoint performance of POD, the energizing performance of Three Days Grace with their new singer was welcomed, but the real excitement is yet to come.
Shinedown released their first album, Leave a Whisper, in 2003. Since then, they have evolved and exploded. They are not a typical rock band, writing songs about the expected sex, drugs and rock and roll. Their songs range in topics from drug addiction, suicide, love, to overcoming the ominous figure of “The Man” that tries to get everyone down. Every song has a important message that needs to be taken away from it. With this, the melodious voice of the lead singer Brent Smith, and the mix of acoustic and rock beats that get the crowd pumped, it is no surprise that the band has become so popular and influential. In their 10-year-and-counting career, they have released four albums and written songs for hit movies like The Expendables, and Tim Burton’s Alice and Wonderland.
The still waiting crowd starts to cheer when the lights in the arena dim, signaling that the band is about to make its way onto stage. As the beginning chords and drums of “Enemies” begin, the audience’s attention is drawn to the stage where the drummer appears. Confusion ensues until Brent Smith starts singing. It isn’t until then the crowd realizes that the rest of the band is on platforms near the tech booth in the middle of the arena. Almost everyone pulls out their phones of cameras in attempts to capture the band members that are so close to the audience.
The band’s appearance has changed significantly since their last tour, The Sound of Madness, titled after their previous album. The tour had a circus theme, and each of the band members were garbed in black and white striped circus themed attire and had long, scraggly hair. Now they all have a fresh new look. They’ve cleaned up their looks; gotten haircuts, hit the gym, and don suits and ties looking very Mad Men. Not only do they have a new look, but they sound much better than the last tour. They have a new energy to them which is transferred to the crowd. They make their way through the set list with their famous original songs, like Devour, Unity, The Crow, The Butterfly, 45. They also did a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” a medley of older songs like, “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” “Enter Sandman,” and “Stairway to Heaven,” which Brent Smith remarked that, “Anyone who is 15 and younger in this building is like what the hell is that.”
For their encore, the band performed a song titled “Bully”. The song addressed the increasing issue of bullying in schools and empowered others to stand up against it. The chorus sums up the song:
“We don’t have to take this, back against the wall
We don’t have to take this, we can end it all
All you’ll ever be is a fading memory of a bully
Make another joke while they hang another rope, so lonely
Push them to the dirt till the words don’t hurt
Can you hear me?
No one’s gonna cry on the very day you die
You’re a bully”
Before the song starts, a video shows up on the screen behind the stage saying “This is a true story. This is Amanda Michelle Todd.” As the opening chords to “Bully” start so does the video. Throughout the song, the video of Amanda tells her story. Amanda was bullied because of one mistake that she made. A picture of her topless was spread around her high school. She was blackmailed with the picture, and then eventually it was released. She began getting stalked, so she switched schools, but it followed. She hooked-up with a boy, but didn’t know that he had a girlfriend that he lied about, which just added fuel to the fire of her bullying. Eventually, the constant cyber bullying, and even physical bullying became too much and she attempted suicide by drinking bleach. She survived and made her video, but still was in deep trouble. Amanda died on October 10, 2012, only about a month away from her birthday. Here is the full video.
It was a very powerful moment, made more powerful by the band simply walking off stage after finishing the song. There was no discussion or cause – the video and song stood on their own. Shinedown’s message for “Bully” is simply this:
Join together, stand up, and stop bullying.