As I drive up to the venue I can already see the cars backed up to the highway waiting to get in. Any other day that may have been slightly horrifying to see, but for my first show back at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre and the first big metal show here since the pandemic, it was a welcoming sight. When I make my way through the gate I am visually greeted by a sea of Korn and Staind shirts as far as the eye can see. But what I think says a lot about the musical legacy of both bands is that their music has jumped over to a whole new generation of fans. I had seen a guy wearing a Family Values tour shirt as he walked with his son who had probably just picked up his first Staind shirt and possibly his first show. Walking up to the soundboard my own excitement started to grow as I put eyes on the stage and took in the large crowd of music hungry fans. Luckily for myself and all those in attendance, we wouldn’t have to wait long.
As the sounds of a nightmarish soundtrack begin to haunt our ears the five staggered projection panels around the stage flicker with mechanical images and flowing liquids. The audio and visual cues from the stage send the late arriving fans sprinting to their seats behind a backdrop of cheers from those already in position. Shortly after the bands intro sequence begins a body shoots up behind the drum riser setting off a huge response from the crowd. Those who were far away might not have realized it, but Staind had a surprise in store for the fans on this tour. With no official announcement made, it was very obvious that this was not drummer Sal Giancarelli but in fact long-time Breaking Benjamin and Black Label Society member Chad Szeliga behind the kit.
Chad wastes no time as his hits on an open high hat that would light the fuse and bring out bassist Johnny April to stage front as he chugged away on the opening bass line for “Eyes Wide Open” off the bands self titled 2011 release. The applause had no time to die down as guitarist Mike Mushok and Aaron Lewis showed their faces to the crowd, lifting the cheers to a defining roar. The fuse that had started with Chad had now exploded with Mushok‘s crushing guitar riff triggering devil horns, mosh pits and head banging throughout the entire building. The only thing that was more explosive than that opening was Aaron Lewis‘ thunderous and powerful vocals that did everything but blow the canopy off of MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre.
At the song’s conclusion Aaron Lewis grabbed his beer and walked to the end of the stage to take in the view of the thousands in attendance and their ovation only grew louder the longer he gazed. He raised his cup in the air with a smile on his face and greeted the fans with a mild “Good evening”. Soon Mushok would serve up our first taste of the bands acclaimed 2001 record Break the Cycle with the phaser induced opening track “Open Your Eyes”. This song is one of the many in Staind‘s arsenal that have the perfect blend of heavy guitar, moving harmonies and impactful lyrics. As Aaron left the mic stand to walk the stage he was making eye contact with those up front as he sang and those lucky few could actually say that Aaron Lewis sang right to them.
Following three fan favorites which included “Not Again, “Fade” and “Raw”, an acoustic guitar on a stand was ushered out in front of Mike Mushok who was already armed with his trusty PRS electric. As the thoughts of what song could possibly be next, he begins to pick the notes to the chart topping song off of 2005’s Chapter V with “Right Here”. As Aaron starts to sing, the stage begins to fill up with smoke that when hit by the purple stage lighting creates a very calming aura that just fits with the tone of the song. This was the first time in the set where the crowd’s voices filled up the venue almost as much as Aaron‘s. But there was nothing that was going to stop his voice from soaring above everyone else’s during those heartfelt chorus lines.
With the calm in the crowd starting to take shape in wake of the chaos from “Crawl”, Aaron Lewis walks to the front of the stage with his acoustic guitar and starts to play one of the most iconic songs of the last twenty years with “Outside”. With raindrops trickling down on the displays it would set the mood as Mike Mushok fills in between chords with those somber notes while Aaron starts to sing those momentous lyrics. When he debuted this song for that legendary performance with Fred Durst in 99′ on the Family Values Tour, it was as impassioned as it was immortalized by that generation. “Outside” had that magic with just two guys and a guitar. But being here tonight in front of a fully armed band as they each deliver their own components to create such a full and emotional version was incredible to say the least. Just after the song’s climatic final verse the band stops and looks out at the fans as their ovation grows with every passing second. Aaron Lewis gazes out and gives an approval of “That’s right” which was met with laughter and acclamation, carrying them to the last note.
Coming after an epic rendition and almost operatic performance by the crowd during “So Far Away”, Staind turned their sights back to Break the Cycle with “For You”. This album might as well be a greatest hits with the amount of amazing tracks that are on it. But through them all, this has always been my favorite and for obvious reasons. The energy that this song transmits can be seen across the stage and fed immediately into the crowd. When the songs break down commences, the lights hone in on Mike Mushok as he hits that gradual note while Chad Szeliga mimics the rhythm in the shadows. Lewis takes a break for a bar here and there to give everyone a chance to show off their vocals as the off timing hits of Mike, Chad and Johnny detonate with both stage lights and displays at the same time. The build up from verse to verse was like an avalanche gaining momentum until it all came crashing in as every light on stage ignited at the same time with the band. At the song’s conclusion I felt like I had to catch my breath and highly doubt that I was the only one.
With the stage virtually black and the energy still high in the crowd, Chad Szeliga tees up a four count as the stage begins to illuminate. Mike Mushok leads the charge into arguably Staind‘s most renowned song with “It’s Been Awhile”. As soon as Aaron starts to sing fans all around could be seen singing with their eyes closed as they lose themselves in the music. They also jumped at the opportunity to chime in with Johnny April as he belted out the infamous “I’ve gone and fucked things up just like I always do” line. This song hits home to so many people in one way or another and is truly one of those songs that takes you right back to when you first heard it. Afterwards Aaron Lewis takes the time to give a heartfelt thank you to all the fans for still being able to play in front of crowds like this. He closes out his engagement with “So, in case you were wondering. We are Staind from Springfield, Massachusetts. And I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening”.
As Aaron walks away and into the shadows, Johnny April stands with all lights on him as he conducts one of the most recognizable bass lines of the last twenty-two year with the band’s first commercial hit “Mudshovel”. You could feel the intensity as Mike Mushok‘s hair almost created a vortex from head banging so hard, Chad beat his drums harder than he had all night and even Johnny April was caught jumping around. Aaron Lewis made his transitions from melody to roar seem so effortless as he casually tossed guitar pics into the crowd. His growls during the song’s last few verses were full of sheer ferocity as every single light on and above the stage was triggered bringing Staind‘s set to an explosive close. But before the band leaves the stage Aaron Lewis has one last message for all of the fans as they give their applause and admiration, and that was “God Bless your families and God Bless America”.
There was nothing about this show that could have possibly had fans wanting anymore. Staind put everything they had into not only their relentlessly brutal performance but also their amazing stage show. The band as a whole was nothing short of amazing and really took it to another level. But to hear the range, emotion and power of Aaron Lewis‘ voice was truly incredible and he is without a doubt, one of the best singers of my generation. I have to give a lot of credit to Chad Szeliga for stepping in and playing brilliantly behind the kit. Filling Sal Giancarelli‘s shoes isn’t an easy feat but he certainly fit right in and made his presence known. To sit back and think of all the bands that have come and gone over the last twenty-two years, very few have had the impact or consistent success that Staind has had. They have been the soundtrack of so many fans’ lives as their music has meant so much to so many.
Fans can only hope that after a ten year break Staind will hit the studio soon and continue on with their musical legacy. Staind will be on the road with Korn and ’68 (select dates) and Fire From The Gods (select dates) for The Summer Tour through October 23rd before embarking on the European leg in May. This has been one of the biggest tours this summer so make sure you grab your tickets because you definitely don’t want to miss this! You can get your tickets HERE.
Staind’s Setlist:
1. Eyes Wide Open
2. Open Your Eyes
3. Not Again
4. Fade
5. Raw
6. Right Here
7. Crawl
8. Outside
9. Paper Wings
10. So Far Away
11. For You
12. It’s Been Awhile
13. Mudshovel
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