Brent Smith & Zach Myers in Kansas City, Missouri on December 16, 2017
Smith and Myers of Shinedown performed at The Truman in Kansas City, Missouri on December 16th, 2017.
The concert day had arrived and D and I were going strictly on faith as our approval for coverage had yet to be confirmed. But there was a special feeling in the air as we pulled up to the newest venue in Kansas City, The Truman. It holds about 1400 people with standing room only, reminiscent of another of our favorite venues, Cain’s Ballroom in Tulsa, OK.
We stepped into a nicely remodeled warehouse with several well-stocked bars, a great room with two huge industrial ceiling fans, and a VIP area with seating, upstairs. We make our way to the pit and I introduce myself to the friendly
front line staff and delightedly discover I am the sole photographer with exclusive coverage!
The lights go down and the opening band JB Moore starts a great folksy, country type set. Turns out that JB Moore is actually Zach Myers secondary band, who knew? This talented duo entertained the crowd with their great vocals,
harmonies, and stellar southern guitar sounds. Then Zach joined them on stage singing, playing keyboard and guitar that elevated the musical bar even higher. It was a great start to the night by this act from Memphis, TN.
TIME FOR THE MAIN EVENT!!
Smith & Myers enter the stage to a raucous welcome of deafening cheers. They knew they were at home in Kansas City.
Brent says a few words of hello and goes right into “Black Hole Sun” paying respect to the late, great, Chris Cornell. His powerful voice burned through like the sun itself, as he holds up a peace sign to the heavens. Chris would have been proud.
“I Dare You” and “How Did You Love” followed and everyone knew this was not going to be your typical acoustic show. Smith & Myers played through a few more before going into “45” and a personal favorite for D & me – “I’ll Follow You”. The crowd interaction, song explanation, and humorous banter they provided between songs made us all feel like personal friends, rather than just another audience.
Brent and Zach exchange good-natured teasing like they are sitting on the tour bus. They are having a great time and never stop smiling while explaining what KC has meant to them and their success and this enthusiastic crowd takes the cake.
They sling out one hit after another and even bring the JB Moore guys back out to play a few with them. Zach takes to the piano and Brent exits stage right as they break into a medley of respect songs for the great artists we have lost: Tom Petty’s “Breakdown/Prince Little Red Corvette/Last Dance with Mary Jane” and the Eagles’ “Take It Easy”. The crowd is in awe.
Brent returns and they launch into their now classic rendition of “Simple Man”, followed by a comical sing along that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.
The incredible surprise of the evening was their performance of “In the Air Tonight” by Phil Collins. The guitar playing and vocals were indescribable and it brought the crowd to their knees. Brent’s vocals were dead on as he hit every
note precisely.
2+ hours and 20 songs later, the show came to an end. As we’re walking to the car, I can’t help but think, “Out of over 50 shows covered in 2017, this one ranks in the top 2”. These guys are a real class act.
Note: A very special thank you goes out to Ms. Amy Laudicano at Atlantic Records who once again came through with credentials, even though she was sick.
Review by Michael Osborn.
Photos courtesy of Land of Oz Photos in Wichita, Kansas. ©2017.
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