Concert Reviews

SHINEDOWN: DANCE,KID,DANCE TOUR:PITTSBURGH REVIEW

Published

1 year ago

July 28, 2025

As the summer concert season winds down in these final days of July, a few major tours are still delivering powerhouse performances. Among them is Shinedown’s “Dance Kid Dance Tour,” which is showing no signs of slowing down, thanks in no small part to the formidable support from Morgan Wade and Bush.

Kicking off the night was Morgan Wade, the rising artist from Floyd, Virginia. Since her acclaimed 2021 debut, Reckless, she has built an impressive catalog. Her set was a compelling mix of her own fan favorites like “Roses” and “The Night,” punctuated by a stunning cover of Radiohead’s “Creep.” The Pittsburgh date on July 22nd was marked by the sad news of Ozzy Osbourne’s passing. Wade honored the “Prince of Darkness” by weaving a guitar solo into her closing song, “Wider Days,” and wearing a tribute shirt. For those unfamiliar with her work, Morgan Wade is an artist well worth discovering.

I’ll admit it might be an unpopular opinion, but Bush had never been a band I sought out on my own. That changed completely after this performance. They played a set of blistering classics, including my personal favorites “Machinehead,” “The Land of Milk and Honey,” and the inevitable, crowd-thrilling “Glycerine.” The spectacle reached its peak when frontman Gavin Rossdale went rogue, vaulting the barricade and moving through the entire floor crowd to reach the first-tier balcony—a moment you truly had to see to believe. On a special note, drummer Robin Goodridge brought an incredible, infectious energy that was written all over his face. The band also paid their respects to Ozzy, closing their set with a tribute performance of “Flying High” and “You Can’t Kill Rock and Roll.”

Then, the headliners took over. Shinedown opened with a brilliantly theatrical bit: stagehands brought out a figure with a television for a head, flipping through channels before the screen cut to static. From there, frontman Brent Smith emerged at the front of the stage to launch into the tour’s titular anthem, “Dance Kid Dance.” What followed was a masterclass in arena rock, spanning their entire career with hits like “Cut the Cord,” “The Crow and the Butterfly,” and “Monsters.” The night featured a tour debut for “Dead Don’t Die” and a poignant cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” during which bassist Zach Myers seamlessly incorporated a snippet of Ozzy Osbourne’s “Mama, I’m Coming Home.” As a photographer, I must also applaud their use of pyrotechnics, which kept the crowd’s energy at a fever pitch. Any time Shinedown is in town, I’ll be first in line for a ticket.

To close, on behalf of both myself and my Empire Extreme family, I extend our deepest condolences to the Osbourne family. We wish them peace and comfort, and I, for one, will never stop playing Ozzy’s music loud and proud.

About Author

Shelby Tyce

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Concert Reviews

BRISTOW VIRGINIA TOOK A TRIP ON THE WILD SIDE… SHOUTED AT THE DEVIL. AND ENJOYED THE GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS.

Published

3 weeks ago

August 7, 2026

Ron

MOTLEY CRUE CAME BACK INTO TOWN BRINGING WITH THEM TESLA AND EXTREME FOR THE RETURN OF CARNIVAL SINS TOUR.

Extreme opened up, and not only did they kick ass, but they also took some names, too. Gary sounded amazing on vocals, and of course, Nuno not only rocked the guitar; he gave all the ladies out there heart problems. We got to hear “More Than Words,” “Get the Funk Out,” and “Hole Hearted”.

Tesla was next, and the band always puts on an amazing show. It’s just a good ole rock and roll fun time. We got to hear “Modern Day Cowboy,” “Mama’s Fool,” and “Little Suzi.”

Motley Crue put up the circus tent, and fans were ready for the big top to drop. I was excited because this was the first time getting to see Crue with John 5 on guitar. The stage looked crazy and had things you could look at everywhere, from girls to cages and beyond. Nikki and Tommy looked amazing, and Neil looked healthier than in the past years; he sounded great, and you could see that he was having fun.

I have seen Motley Crue a few times now, but this time I was so close to the stage it was insane. Doing this press gig does come with some perks, and we get to see great bands and get tickets, but this was next level with how close to the stage my tickets were. It gave me such a great experience, not only just being that close and jamming out to songs that I grew up to, but also being with all the Crue fans and just seeing everyone getting excited and rocking out. They were all there for a good time and some kick-ass rock n’ roll.

Motley played a fantastic set too, with some bangers and killer songs from albums up to Generation Swine. Songs like “Wild Side,” “Shout at the Devil,” “Looks that Kill,” “Home Sweet Home,” “Smoking in the Boys’ Room,” “Live Wire,” “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and, of course “Dr. Feelgood” and “Kickstart My Heart.” The show was amazing, and the place was packed and having a great time. This is only the first leg of the tour, so if they come your way, go and see this tour and let yourself go and enjoy live music and rock ‘n’ roll.

About Author

Ron

Ron has keen eye for new talent, a love for the underground, and a tremendous passion for music of any genera. You’ll probably bump into him at a horror convention or some seedy club checking out the next need-to-know band.

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Concert Reviews

THIS IS WHERE IT FALLS APART… STABBING WESTWARD CELEBRATES 30 YEARS OF WITHER, BLISTER, BURN AND PEEL IN BALTIMORE

Published

1 month ago

July 25, 2026

Ron

It has been nine years since Stabbing Westward played in Baltimore, and I was thrilled to see them return to perform my favorite album. They brought along Acumen Nation and Priest as supporting acts. Both Acumen Nation and Priest put on an incredible show, and I loved how they energized the crowd. It’s fantastic to have a band like Acumen Nation, which has been around since 1988, alongside Priest, a newer band, and the fans truly enjoyed both sets.

Stabbing Westward is one of those bands that really resonated with me at a pivotal time in my life. This album was released during my junior year and fit my experiences perfectly. It’s one of those albums I would listen to from start to finish, and then I would just start it over again. I’m excited that the band is releasing a new version of this album, reflecting how they would have approached it if they had the freedom to mix it and create without outside interference.

What we got to hear was amazing. I loved the fresh sound to it but still keeping the core of what that album meant to them and to the fans. Coming out on stage with my 3 favorite songs on the album, “I Don’t Believe,” “What Do I Have To Do,” and “Falls Apart.” But hearing some of the other tracks on that album brought back so many memories of the past, like “Shame,” “So Wrong,” and even hearing the cure cover “Burn” and “Dawn” from the Escape From LA Soundtrack.

The concert was amazing. We were supposed to have an interview with Chris, but because of the Canadian fires, he was saving his voice for the show and meet ‘n greets, but we will have that interview soon for you.

About Author

Ron

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Concert Reviews

THE EX-FACES ROCKED THE REVERB STAGE

Published

1 month ago

July 22, 2026

Ron

I’ve been incredibly excited about the Ex-Faces show since it was first announced. I’m a huge Mushroomhead fan and love that the members of this group have come together to enjoy the music.

It was incredible to see J-Man, Waylon, Stitch, and Lil Dan together again. Adding Gravy and Mr. Murdernickel to the mix—especially since I never got to see him play live despite being a Mushroomhead fan near Cleveland since ’96—made it even better. I love that the guys genuinely looked like they were enjoying being on stage together, celebrating their time in this band and their experiences with Mushroomhead.

Hearing classic songs like “Bwomp,” “These Filthy Hands,” and “Sun Doesn’t Rise” was fantastic, but getting to experience deep cuts like “Eternal,” “1200,” and even the cover of “Crazy” was incredible. The Ex-Faces played 16 songs and could have kept going; the crowd definitely wouldn’t have minded.

I know this band and project are more than likely temporary, but I’m fully down for a few more tours and maybe even some more ex-members joining the trek. Even though I was sad that our stop didn’t have Pig Benis, I was super stoked that we had his OG brother Murdernickel. Go out and see this tour while you can, and let’s all get a little crazy and never let it go.