This past Saturday critically acclaimed rock band Shinedown put on a killer performance at Glens Falls Civic Center and Q103 had front row seats to catch all the action and get some great shots of them along with co-headliners Three Days Grace and openers P.O.D. Read all about the show after the jump.

After fans stood in line in the freezing cold and slushy snow for what seemed like hours they flooded the center and quickly filled it almost to capacity. As they warmed their bones with booze and other treats the lights went out and P.O.D. took the stage at 7 pm. They played for less than an hour but proved to be big crowd pleasers as they performed some of their biggest hits, including "Youth of the Nation" and "Lost In Forever." They also performed some new songs in support of their 2012 eighth studio album Murdered Love.

Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
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I think everyone was on the edge of their seats so to speak (since half the concert-goers were in general standing room) as they waited for Three Days Grace to come on. The band recently parted ways with longtime vocalist Adam Gontier and for the time being replaced him with My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst. It was the Capital Region's first viewing of the temporary line-up and I have to say that Matt did the band justice. With only about a month to learn the material and rehearse with the rest of TDG he pretty much killed it. His voice blended in well and his natural stage presence and comfortability made it seem like he had been the front man all along. No disrespect to Gontier, because he is great as well but I think Walst should be a permanent fixture in Three Days Grace.

The band performed for about an hour or so and Walst never missed a beat or seemed to get fatigued in the least. He physically reminded me of Jared Leto and often marched too and fro to the rhythm of the music. He rarely stood still and worked all aspects of the large stage, making sure to satisfy every last hardcore TDG fan, as he had a lot to live up to. They had extensive stage affects, complete with colorful, maze-like lights, pyrotechnics and a mind-numbing drum solo by Neil Sanderson, that, when paired with touring member Dani Rosenoer's keyboard talents, made for quite the mix of mysterious, fantastical rock that gained much positive attention from the crowd. Their extended set list included a harmonized mix of old and new (including a few from late 2012's Transit of Venus, the band's fourth studio album): "The Good Life," "Pain," "Home," "Chalk Outline," "I Hate Everything About You," "Animal I have Become," "Riot," "The High Road" and "Never Too Late." The band also included a cover of Limp Bizkit's hit single "Break Stuff." Overall, I'd say given the current circumstances the band faces, they brought all they had to the musical table and put on a very memorable performance. A ten out of ten in my book.

Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
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After staring at a huge black and white Shinedown banner for far too long, drummer Barry Kerch took his seat on stage. As the crowd waited for Brent, Eric and Zach, they heard the song "Enemies" (from the March 2012 fourth studio album Amaryllis) but didn't know where it was coming from, as Barry was still solo on stage. Eventually the attention drew to the middle of the floor where the other members were. I had never seen a group start out this way so it was pretty cool. After the majority of the song they made their way up to the stage to join Barry and went right into "Devour." Vocalist Brent Smith is iconic (at least to me) for his inspirational spirit and motivational words and he started the night out how he usually tends to. He tells everyone in the arena to look to their left and to their right and even though they may

Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
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not know each other he tells them to shake hands and high five and say hello, because we are all one family and are here for the very same reason- music.

Brent was very good about working the stage, as were Eric and Zach. They were all dressed to the nines at first and eventually worked their way down to t-shirts and more leisurely articles of clothing, and then back to fancy again toward the end. High upon them, behind Barry was a large circular screen that displayed pictures and video of random people and things. A few times the band would take a brief break and there would be a voice narrating what the screen was showing, such as the planet earth and the faces of all four band members. It was a nice touch and provided a sense of transition as the night went on.

The set list was as follows:

  • "Enemies"
  • "Devour"
  • "Unity"
  • "The Crow & the Butterfly"
  • "Save Me"
  • "I'll Follow You"
  • "Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay)"
  • "If You Only Knew"
  • "Amaryllis"
  • "45"
  • "Sound of Madness"
  • "Second Chance"
  • "Simple Man"
  • Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
    Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
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    Several times throughout their 90-minute set there would be large blasts of sound- the "boom-lay" and "sound of madness" perhaps, that would catch the crowd off guard but added just that little something to the song and set as a whole. I have seen Shinedown about four or five times now and they never disappoint and always manage to change my life during the duration of their performance and in such a phenomenal way. I completely absorb the emotions they exude and take everything Brent says to complete heart and try to live everyday through his enlightening dialogue, remembering his life messages and words of wisdom.

    "Rock N' Roll, that's a way of life" - Brent Smith

    Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
    Jennifer Beaudoin, Q103
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