I just got back from Fargo. Two bands I wanted to see were playing. So, I convinced two of my friends to join me. We bought tickets, and booked a hotel. We hopped in my car, and made a weekend of it. It was a blast.
A band called Sleep Theory opened the show. I had never heard of them, but I did check out their two songs on streaming. I liked what I heard. Being an opening band is tough; your job is to get the crowd hyped for the bands after you. The crowd was pretty sparse, since a lot of people only show up to see the main act. Sleep Theory pulled off a great set, and I came away wanting more. The lead singer engaged with the crowd between songs. He leaned into the fact that the crowd probably had no idea who they were. This is their first tour, and they’ve only been around since January. Already, they have a #1 single on Octane. These guys are going to be big, and I was happy to see them perform a cover of Bye Bye Bye by N’Sync.
Saint Asonia was up next. Adam Gontier is the lead singer. I really like Adam’s voice. He used to be the singer for Three Days Grace. A few years back, they were co-headlining a concert in Fargo with Shinedown, and I bought tickets to see them. However, Adam left Three Days Grace a few months before the concert. Matt Waist, the lead singer for My Darkest Days, replaced Adam. I was a little bummed, because I was not a big fan of My Darkest Days. However, the show was great, and Matt brought the energy. I would see Three Days Grace again.
Back to Saint Asonia. They weren’t co-headlining, so their setlist was not long. The crowd started to fill out, but there was still plenty of room. They mainly played their hits. The crowd really loved it when they played a couple of old Three Days Grace songs, and even I Don’t Care which was a collaboration between Adam and Apocalyptica. The crowd was filled with Millennials and Gen-Xers, so of course they were into that. I loved it all.
Finally, the main act takes the stage. People filled in, and we were shoulder-to-shoulder in the audience. This was my third time seeing Shinedown, and they did not disappoint. Pyrotechnics, lights, and background videos played during the set. Brent Smith, the lead singer, reminds me of a southern preacher. Between songs, he spoke to the crowd. From his rock and roll pulpit, he preached the importance of taking care of your mental health, accepting others, and reminding every one that they are not alone.
Songs like Monsters, Enemies, and Devil are played alongside Unity, Daylight, and I’ll Follow You. In the middle of it, the band leaves the stage, and their guitarist, Zach Myers takes center stage. He says the band would like to try something different and play a cover (not Simple Man). He starts playing a acoustic version of The Middle by Jimmy Eat World. Again, an audience of Millennials and Gen-Xers ate it up. For some reason, their warm up musicians come out, and starts playing the full song. It was amazing. Their drummer was just running around the stage shaking a maraca. They had a lot of fun, and it was a lot of fun to watch.
Earlier that day, a police officer was killed, and two were in critical condition from a shooting in Fargo. Brent spoke of the importance of EMTs and firefighters, and paused before speaking about police officers. He reminded us that they put their lives on the line to protect us. He asked for a moment of silence for the officers involved in the shooting. I don’t know if it was the crowd, Shinedown, or something else, but the audience obliged. At another concert I went to, the band asked for a moment of silence for something terrible that had happened, and the audience never quieted. Seeing it here was moving.
The full concert was amazing. The body odor was bad. Periodically, the smell of pot would overtake the BO. We got sticky and sweaty. Half the time we couldn’t even see the bands. I don’t mind all of this, because I love the feeling of being a part of a crowd who likes the same thing. We were all in the audience to watch these bands. We were all belting out the lyrics to our favorite songs. We all threw up rockfists and devil horns. It’s a feeling of unity that is hard to explain and experience. I can’t wait for the next one.