Shinedown, Bush, and Morgan Wade in Concert at PPG Paints Arena (Tues., 7/22/25)

July 20, 2025/Rick Handler

Jacksonville, Florida alt-metal band Shinedown headlines a concert at PPG Paints Arena. The group is riding high coming off a fantastic 2024 with a sold-out arena tour and a top 20 Hot AC Radio hit with their song, “A Symptom of Being Human.” The song also hit No. 1 on SiriusXM’s The Pulse. Lead singer Brent Smith’s powerful, crystalline vocals shine through on “A Symptom of Being Human.” The song speaks to the fact that “we are all a work in progress and that it’s our differences, quirks, and struggles that make us human.” The band debuted with 2003’s Leave a Whisper, which was later rereleased to include a popular cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s (also from Jacksonville) “Simple Man.” Smith even teamed up with Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2022 at the Ryman Auditorium to sing “Simple Man” in concert. Shinedown has the Billboard record for the most mainstream rock No. 1 hits ever, and they’ve achieved platinum or gold certification for all their albums. In 2021, for the Billboard Mainstream Rock Chart’s 40th Anniversary, Shinedown was ranked No. 1 Greatest of All Time Mainstream Rock Artists.

And 2025 seems just as promising for the group, as they have a hot new No.1 song on the Alternative Radio Charts with their hit single “Three Six Five.” The song is amazingly charting in four separate formats, including No. 1 at Alternative, No. 11 at Hot AC, No. 32 at Top 40, and Top 20 at Mainstream AC. Shinedown’s press materials says: “’Three Six Five’ is an example of the band’s ability to tackle the tough subjects through impeccable songwriting. Anyone who has ever experienced loss knows that every day we draw breath is an opportunity to live out loud—to live for those we have lost. At its core ‘Three Six Five’ is a reminder to stop wasting time and focus on the moments we have right now and treasure time with the ones you love the most. The song honors the people in our lives who aren’t with us anymore. It reminds us to stop taking time for granted, because it’s not promised. Take chances, be bold, and don’t sweat the small stuff, because as the song says: a lot can happen in a year. ‘Even though I said all the things that mattered most, while I held on tight to the end of the rope, I could keep you close, but I couldn’t keep you here, a lot can happen in a year.’” Shinedown also practices the humanity of the song. The band has teamed up with the nonprofit Musicians On Call and will be donating $1 for every ticket sold for their current Dance, Kid, Dance Tour. As the nation’s leading provider of live music in hospitals, Musicians On Call (MOC) has delivered the healing power of music to patients, families, and caregivers in healthcare environments for 25 years. Shinedown’s latest album is 2022’s Planet Zero, with a new one expected soon. (R.H.)

Joining Shinedown in Pittsburgh on the Dance, Kid, Dance Tour are British rockers Bush. Which prompts a question: Did Bush start out as a grunge band, or were they post-grunge, and have they become something else since their 2002 breakup and 2010 reincarnation—or what? Genre identities matter to some people, because they’re tied to cultural and aesthetic identities, which is why they’ve been debated ever since Edgar Degas painted impressionistic pictures and exhibited with the impressionists while angrily insisting that he wasn’t an impressionist. But the facts on Bush are as follows: Their landmark 1994 album Sixteen Stone went multi-platinum and still hits home—especially on tracks like “Everything Zen” with its iconic, ironic “I don’t think so” refrain. Their latest studio album is I Beat Loneliness, which is due to drop July 18. Gavin Rossdale, cofounder and lead singer of Bush, still fronts the band. And rounding out the tour bill is special guest Morgan Wade. 7 p.m. 1001 Fifth Ave., Uptown. (M.V.)