Concert review: Shinedown with Papa Roach and Spiritbox | 09.03.23, Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (with photo gallery)

Photo of Shinedown by Erica Vining

“Opening Day” and “Holiday” are synonymous in St. Louis, but baseball took a backseat to an even better type of opening day for me as Shinedown chose St. Louis to debut their Revolutions Live Tour over the Labor Day holiday weekend. Few modern rock bands have achieved the level of success that follows Brent Smith, and with Papa Roach and Spiritbox as openers this tour is set up to be a sellout. Spiritbox opened the night with a live debut of their newest single, “Jaded,” which was well received by a boisterous crowd. Singer Courtney LaPlante used all sides of her elevated stage to get the crowd ready for Papa Roach’s set, weaving back and forth through her fellow band members and engaging concertgoers with her infectious personality.

Spiritbox live at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Photo by Erica Vining.

Papa Roach followed Spiritbox and this band never disappoints, with hit after hit accented by a glaring laser show and Jacoby Shaddix’ wild antics. The band opened with “Between Angels and Insects” and worked their way through “Kill the Noise” and “Getting Away with Murder” before Shaddix hopped into the crowd for “…To Be Loved.” The set was accented by covers of 2Pac (“California Love”) and the Prodigy (“Firestarter”), wrapping up the night with the ever-popular “Last Resort.” Papa Roach has amassed an impressive roster of singles since their debut in 1993, and continue to produce quality music that survives the changes of time.

Papa Roach live at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Photo by Erica Vining.

The stage underwent a complete transition between Papa Roach and Shinedown’s entrance, with walls sliding apart to reveal the fogged silhouettes of the foursome. Familiar notes of “Diamond Eyes” preceded an explosion of fireworks—and my brain—with my shutter struggling to keep up with the rapid pace I was shooting to catch the light show in front of me. Let me tell you, this set was an experience from start to finish. There were fireworks, acoustic sets, Brent Smith covering Jimmy Eats World’s “The Middle”—the show had everything you could ask for. “Daylight” is one of the most uplifting songs of this decade thus far, and hearing it live was ethereal. Smith has staked claim on “Simple Man” with a cover as recognizable as the Lynyrd Skynyrd original, and despite having heard this rendition live a few times, it was an ever-welcome addition to the set. Shinedown closed their set with “Monsters” off their 2018 album Attention Attention. I appreciated their use of fireworks and sparklers through the set, a change from the standard pyro and fog cannons. Shinedown continues to show us why they remain chart toppers over two decades after they formed. The tour continues through October, heading Northeast before continuing through the states finishing up in Colorado on the 20^th. | Erica Vining