Shinedown

Bush (London, UK), Shinedown (Jacksonville, FL)
July 28th, 2025
Target Center in Minneapolis, MN

Concerts are well known to be healing experiences, or at the very least safe spaces for people. Last Monday night’s visit of the Dance, Kid, Dance tour from Bush and Shinedown was another example. Both literally and figuratively.

On a night that had an incoming Derecho of a storm looming for the majority of the night, the Target Center provided a safe haven of sorts for those in attendance, with Brent Smith from Shinedown talking about it. “We’ve really be watching the weather for y’all,” going on to say that by the time their set would be done, the storm would be done and passed. “You couldn’t be in a better, more safe place then here,” Smith stated.

Personally, I had injured my shoulder somehow a day or two prior, and for the few hours or so spent in the Target Center space, along with many other concert-goers that use shows as a form of escapism, I was able to forget about what was ailing me, or whatever else might be going on in the world.

It feels weird thinking that it’s been seven years since the last time I saw Shinedown. Certainly doesn’t feel like that much time has passed, but the band certain hasn’t lost a step in their live shows.

On the other side of the coin was Bush, who I was quite excited to see for the second time in the last year. Last time I saw them was at a headlining show at Uptown Theater, and I walked away that night happy and impressed with their performance. Based off that show, I was stoked at the opportunity to see them again, though I was a bit bummed that the night ended up a soundboard shoot. Them’s the breaks sometimes.

Bush fulfilled my expectations with a great performance. There’s a funny thing that happens for me, where during sports games I’ve heard the beginning riff of Machinehead a thousand and three times, to the point where I’m almost like “alright, I get it, I don’t need to hear it again like ever.” But the times it starts playing in a live bush set, it gets me – and the rest of the venue – incredibly hyped.

Bush recently released a new album, titled I Beat Loneliness, and it was nice being able to hear new track from there live. I always enjoy hearing new tracks from bands, and coming from a band like Bush who’ve been around for decades, was a real treat.

The whole night was a treat! Thanks for letting me take cover from what seemed to be a pretty bad storm!