When Creed got rid of Scott Stapp and took on a new name, Alter Bridge, and a new lead singer, Myles Kennedy, fans never missed a beat and embraced the new ensemble. This past weekend I had the opportunity to see Alter Bridge and I came to one conclusion…these fans are saints!

Now don’t get me wrong, the music was GREAT, it was just the “vocals”, and I use that word loosely. The guitar player in this band, Mark Tremonti, is amazing displaying loads of talent with each riff he squeezed out of his guitar, in fact, musically this band was spot on, good lyrics, good music. It is just the delivery that I had the problem with. The singer of this band screams more then a fat girl at a Good Charlotte show.

As the end of their set neared, a new band was in our grasp when Alter Bridge did the unthinkable, they killed Rock N Roll, metaphorically and literally. Let me explain, I had this band that use to play in my garage back in high school. They were really pretty good but a garage band nonetheless and they always did Led Zeppelin’s Rock N Roll, I would have paid to see that garage band 10 times over than to have to sit through Alter Bridge’s slaughter of one rock’s greatest songs. So what have we learned? Alter Bridge is no Zeppelin and Sunflower wasn’t a bad band after all.

Next up was Shinedown. Never consciously having listened to this band, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Believing myself of not being familiar with their music, I blown away when they opened with Fly from the Inside because I already knew and enjoyed that song, I just never realized it was their song.

After the band before them I was already hoping for the best but expecting the worst. But the singer Brent Smith has a great voice, an almost grunge sound to him, very reminiscent of Chris Cornell which is a huge plus right off the bat for me and after a very solid set with lots of crowd interaction I was pleased.

They have a new album out right now called Us and Them and I wish them the best with that. If you want to check them out you can tune into the Jimmy Kimmel show on 10/13 when Shinedown performs.

So all and all not a bad night even though we did only stay for these two bands. Many of you want to know about Three Doors Down, as they were the headliners, and I will just say this: Rock music is a genre that thrives on positive vibes and good fun, when people take their position too seriously and bum people around them out, they aren’t doing rock n’ roll any favors. While I poked fun at Alter Bridge’s version of Rock n’ Roll, at least their people kept the night fun and exciting.

Shinedown’s Set List
Fly From The Inside
Left Out
Stranger
In Memory
Burning Bright
Heroes
Simple Man
.45
Save Me

Alter Bridge’s Set List
One Day Remains
Find The Real
Broken Wings
Metalingius
Down to My Last
Rock & Roll (Led Zeppelin Cover)
Open Your Eyes