Hard rockers headed for sold-out Colisee
By Molly F. McGill
Special to the Sun Journal

LEWISTON — Their music is hard, edgy — and ultimately catchy.

They have droves of followers and committed fans who travel near and far to watch them perform live and this Saturday, those bands will be coming to Lewiston.

Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd, Skillet and Like A Storm, nationally recognized alternative and hard rockers, will perform at a sold-out Androscoggin Bank Colisee for the first major concert the venue has hosted under new management, Firland Management, since it took over in July 2008.

“The bands are very popular nationally and they hadn’t been in the Maine marketplace,” said Colisee owner and general manager Jim Cain. “We thought it would be something really good for here.”

Lewiston loves its hard rock, but widely recognized and popular alternative bands haven’t performed here since Korn in 2007 or Tool before that in 1998 — both sold-out events — and anticipation for another national band to tour through the Twin Cities has been mounting.

Fans were quick to snag one of the 4,500 tickets available. Parking passes are also sold out for the event, and arriving early to find parking spots is recommended if patrons didn’t purchase them online already.

Headlining the show is the musical powerhouse Shinedown from Jacksonville, Fla., made up of vocalist Brent Smith, drummer Barry Kerch, guitarist Zach Myers and bassist Eric Bass.

The band’s third album, “The Sound of Madness,” released in 2008, was certified gold in May of 2009 by RIAA. The single “If You Only Knew” is currently at No.4 on Billboard’s Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and is on heavy rotation at radio stations nationwide, along with other well-received  tracks from the album.

This follows two previously released albums, the 2003 platinum debut “Leave a Whisper” and 2005’s gold “Us and Them,” which together saw seven consecutive top five radio hits including “45,” “Fly from the Inside” and “Save Me.” 

The opening bands have a bevy of gold, platinum and high-ranking singles between them that have exploded onto the airwaves and Billboard charts.

Puddle of Mudd’s sound is similar to the grunge rock of the ’90s and its newest album released in December of 2009, “Vol. 4 Songs in the Key of Love and Hate,” continues without veering too much from the band’s roots.

Skillet, a Grammy-nominated Christian rock band, consists of both male and female vocals layered into fist-pumping anthems and hard-hitting modern rock.

Like A Storm, originally from New Zealand, is a Vancouver-based group that promises to open the show with electric energy and melodic hard rock — and a didgeridoo (Australian wind instrument) opener.

“It’s all about getting the crowd involved and getting caught in the same moment,” said Like A Storm frontman Chris Brooks, adding his band thrives on performing live.

“Shinedown is already sold out, and that’s a great indication of diehard fans there,” said Brooks. “That’s the dream of any band, to be able to play to diehard fans. That’s what it’s all about. We’re really looking forward to coming to Lewiston.”