18 | FEBRUARY.15.2013 | FRIDAY WEEKENDER: COVER STORY LEXINGTON HERALD-LEADER | LEXGO.COM | 19 TO PLAY LONG AND PROSPER With a dozen years under its musical belt and not insignificant tumult in its past, Shinedown’s goal is career longevity. It helps to be in a ‘happier place,’ co-founder says.

By Walter Tunis Contributing Music Writer “We want to be one of those If Barry Kerch had his way, bands where we can do this Shinedown, the band he has co- for a lifetime. That’s the Holy piloted for 12 years, would be in the Grail, really … .” same league as U2 and the Rolling Stones. Barry Kerch, OK, so he not the first rock founding member of Shinedown drummer to dream big. But Kerch isn’t necessarily referring to megastardom with such a desire. that’s just how we do things.” His admiration sits primarily with In some ways, one senses a the longevity of those bands. flirtation with the mainstream on “We want to be one of those Amaryllis. The music is all tough- bands where we can do this for knuckled guitar rock that favors a a lifetime. That’s the Holy Grail, trace of pop sensibility, especially in really: to be able to do this for life. the often-anthemic singing of group That’s what we’re striving for.” founder Brent Smith, over the The next step in that quest usual metalcore static that seems comes Saturday, when Shinedown standard equipment with many plays Rupp Arena with a hard rock modern rock troupes. bill that includes Three Days Grace Then again, maybe the difference and P.O.D. Will the show take the is attitude. Florida-bred band a step closer The first step in a lifelong career to a life sentence in rock ’n’ roll? is cleaning up your act. That was Quite possibly. The band’s album especially true for Smith, who has Amaryllis entered the Billboard battled addictions with cocaine, Top 200 chart at No. 4 less than a painkillers and alcohol. Hitch that year ago and shot a trio of guitar- to the stormy relations within saturated singles — Enemies, Bully the group that began to sprout and Unity — onto rock radio. after the release of Shinedown’s Shinedown’s touring visibility platinum-selling debut album, 2003’s JOHN STEPHENS AND JONATHAN LIPKING got a lift, too. Leave a Whisper, and you had the The current Shinedown lineup consists of Zach Myers, left, Brent Smith, Eric Bass and Barry Kerch. Smith and Kerch are the only founding members still with the band, which got its start in 2001. “We’re known as a touring beginnings of a split that today band,” Kerch, 36, said. “We tour leaves Smith and Kerch as the only months to make the second. as the title implied, heightened as head space, I think we were in he even bought a house. In the 12 IF YOU GO a record for two or three years. original members. “That record (Us and Them) the band’s popularity. But as the a much happier place going into years we’ve been touring, he never Shinedown, Three Days Grace, That’s really what you have to “We simply were not in the right just left a bad taste in our mouths, band was making the late-night TV this record. During The Sound of lived in a home. It was always P.O.D. which is part of the reason we don’t rounds with Jimmy Kimmel and Jay Madness we were going through a hotel. So he grew up a little do as a rock band these days. You head space back then,” Kerch said When: 7 p.m. Feb. 16 Leave play a lot of those songs. A lot of Leno, there still were old demons more lineup changes, Brent had just bit. You can hear the maturity in have to get out on the road, you of the two-year gap between Where: have to get in front of your fans, a Whisper and its follow-up, Us fans are in love with that record, so and new family members to contend had his son and had just quit doing the record. He hasn’t had a drop Rupp Arena, 430 W. Vine St. you have to get in front of the radio and Them. “We weren’t getting we try and be fair to them. But it with. Smith got clean as work be- drugs but was still drinking a lot. of alcohol in well over a year Tickets: $25, $40.50; available at stations and the newspapers, and along. There was a divide in the was a bad time for us given what gan on Amaryllis. By then, though, There was just a lot of anger in The and doesn’t have any addictions Ticketmaster, 1-800-745-3000 or really put your feet to the ground band that led up to the whole lineup we were going through internally. the heat was on to capitalize on the Sound of Madness. You can hear other than working out. It’s a more Ticketmaster.com. and work. It’s hard work out here, change. At the same time, we were We have better songs now, anyway. success of Madness . that on the record. peaceful time now.” JORDAN STRAUSS | ASSOCIATED PRESS but we love it. We’ve been doing rushed by the label because it had Why not play those?” “There was a lot of pressure “For Amaryllis, I just had Brent Smith of Shinedown, with girlfriend Teresa Collier, kicked drug addictions, stopped it for 12 years now, and I wouldn’t been so long since we put out Shinedown’s third album, 2008’s on us following The Sound of my daughter, and Brent had Read Walter Tunis’ blog, The Musical Box, drinking and began working out. During the past 15 months he’s lost about 70 pounds. change it for the life of me. But our first record. They gave us six The Sound of Madness, as dark Madness,” Kerch said. “But as far reconnected with his son. I mean, at LexGo.com.