Let your light Shinedown: 'We want to bring the big show to Spokane,' hard rock vocalist Brent Smith says

Apr. 1—Paul McCartney isn't the only recording artist kicking off his tour in April at Spokane Arena — Shinedown is doing the same Friday night.

"There must be something in the water," vocalist Brent Smith said while calling from Jacksonville, Florida. "When we looked at where we should start our tour, Spokane is the best place for our band. It made so much sense. It's the perfect place to start this tour.

"Spokane has always been a great market for us. They love their rock music there, so we want to bring the big show to Spokane."

That's no April Fools' joke. The hard rock act will preview songs from its latest album, "Planet Zero," which is set to drop April 22.

What does "Planet Zero" sound like? "The record is the result of the last two or three years," Smith said. "People think the internet is undefeated, but that's not true. This album is a reminder that Mother Nature is undefeated. Don't mess with Mother Nature!"

"Planet Zero" is a heavy album that was inspired by life during the pandemic, a divided country, the dark underbelly of social media and cancel culture.

"We've always been a direct, honest band," Smith said. "We wrote about what we were experiencing, and it just wasn't getting better. We pulled the curtain back on a time in which things were getting bad. We hope these songs inspire change. We're coming out with a message and some songs that hopefully connect with people."

The "Planet Zero" show isn't just about the sonics. The Shinedown tour is full of arresting visuals. "There's a lot going on with this show," Smith said. "The staging is unlike anything we've ever done. It's very interactive. Our stage goes out into the audience. There are a lot of motors on it. The stage feels alive.

"The cool thing is that those in Spokane will be the first to see what this tour is about since they're our opening night. But we will have surprises for each individual city. But it's not going to be like a show from Tool, where they change everything up, or Pearl Jam, where Eddie Vedder makes the most random setlists.

"There is a lot of choreography. The bottom line is that the audience is our boss, and we are about giving everyone their money's worth."

Fan should expect the hits, and there are many, such as "Cut the Cord," "Monsters" and "Devil." Shinedown has the most chart-toppers on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Songs chart with 17 No. 1s in the chart's 40-year history, now including "Planet Zero."

"It's cool to have songs that people know and want to hear," Smith said. "We have no problem playing the favorites."

But Shinedown, which also includes bassist Eric Bass, guitarist Zach Meyers and drummer Barry Kerch, will also deliver a number of deep cuts spanning each of their prior six albums.

"We're looking at playing some songs that we've never played live before," Smith said. "We're taking stock of everything. We're looking at songs that fans have never heard live before. It would be fun to play those songs. We'll have some surprises for you."

After recording seven albums over a 22-year period, Smith and his bandmates have heard that rock is dead throughout its career. "But the people who say that are wrong," Smith said. "Rock and roll isn't going to die because it isn't a genre. Rock and roll is a way of life that will never be replaced. That dynamic, that human connection will never go away.

"There's nothing like drums, bass, guitar and a great vocal. There's something about that which triggers something so positive. When you have it hitting on all cylinders, rock and roll makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. That's what we aspire to do with the music we make and our live performance.

Shinedown's aspirations have always been high since they've accomplished a great deal. The band's first six albums have sold more than 10 million copies around the world. Each has gone gold.

"We've been very fortunate," Smith said. "But we've worked very hard for this, and we still have so much more to accomplish."