Smith & Myers Spread Holiday Cheer With Acoustic Stylings

(TRR) – Last night in Stroudsburg, PA, Shinedown vocalist Brent Smith and guitarist Zach Myers spread some holiday cheer at the Sherman Theater with their famous acoustic stylings. The duo pulled out covers and tributes among many Shinedown classics before a capacity crowd. The intimate tour is a musical cup of hot cocoa that will surely hold fans over until the Shinedown machine fires it’s engine back up next year.

As a Smith & Myers banner slowly lowered from the rafters, “I Won’t Back Down” by the late Tom Petty blasted over the speakers. The crowd assisted with the chorus. Smith and Myers strolled onto stage and opened with another tribute to Soundgarden‘s Chris Cornell with a beautiful rendition of “Black Hole Sun.” At a Rock On The Range pre-party back in May, Stone Sour unleashed a brutally heavy cover of “Outshined.” This cover was equally epic on the soft side of the rock spectrum. Cornell was certainly smiling down on the Sherman last night.

Next up came an old Shinedown favorite “Burning Bright,” which was dedicated to a woman that met the group earlier in the evening at a Meet & Greet. The woman was a Navy veteran, and specifically requested the song. Smith and Myers happily obliged. The original track was seemingly crafted to be either electric or acoustic, and translated well on stage last night.

Other highlights from the show included Shinedown songs “Cut The Cord,” “Second Chance,” and “Sound of Madness” as well as “Runaway Train” by Soul Asylum, “Don’t Look Back In Anger” by Oasis, “In The Air Tonight” by Phil Collins and their legendary cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s “Simple Man.” Despite the stripped-down setting, Smith & Myers’ intimate acoustic evenings have become one of the hottest tickets in town.

Shinedown are preparing for the release of their sixth studio album in 2018. Their last effort, 2015’s Threat To Survival, peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top 200. It also nabbed the #1 and #2 spots on Billboard Top Hard Rock and Top Rock Album charts respectively. The band are slated to perform at Fort Rock on April 28 and Carolina Rebellion on May 4 next year.

LIVE GALLERY: Smith & Myers