Summertime – a time for sun, fun, and Rock-n-Roll! In the summer of 2017, top-selling Rock phenomenon Nickelback has joined forces for a brand new tour featuring Daughtry and Shaman’s Harvest to ignite a trail of forest fire tour dates across North America in support of their latest album Feed the Machine. Their 9th overall studio album, released on June 9th, marks the band’s first studio album with BMG and first album in three years, their last being 2014’s No Fixed Address. Eager to deliver a stellar show, the 44-date North American tour began on June 28th in Indiana, and right in the midst of the Fourth of July 2017 weekend, Nickelback and friends came out to Long Island, New York to host a night of Rock at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater Saturday, July 1st.
The start of what for many would be a four day weekend, the air surrounding Jones Beach was pulsating and crackling with cosmic energy. The Earth was more than ready to change into her evening apparel– an obsidian star studded satin little number with sea shell accents. As she shed her attire of yellow hues, the Earth knew it was time to embrace the dark of night and initiate the transformation into her Rock Star persona. Fueled by an electric surge of excitement, she got dressed lightening quick and sought entrance to the sanctuary of Jones Beach amphitheater.
A cursory glance across the parking lot captured a panoramic closeup of a swirl of men, women, and children coming from all directions headed towards the entrance of the amphitheater as if following a multi-directional trail of strategically placed Reese’s pieces candy. Once ensconced inside, many lost the glazed over look in their eyes and shed their life’s worries for a few hours. The magic was about to begin and the crowd was ready for the opening act, Shaman’s Harvest, a band ready to strut their stuff.
Consisting of Singer Nathan “Drake” Hunt, Bassist Matt Fisher, Rhythm Guitarist Josh Hamler, Lead Guitarist Derrick Shipp, and Drummer Adam Zemanek, Shaman’s Harvest are a Rock band from Missouri with a burning fire to fight through whatever is thrown at them. In fact, the veteran rockers have been in the game for two decades, first releasing Last Call for Goose Creek in 1999. Making some noise 10 years later with their 2009 album Shine, the band continues to charge forward, even through Hunt’s throat cancer treatments during 2014’s Smokin’ Hearts & Broken Guns recording sessions. Now that is dedication!
Having a story to tell in their music, the band came to the stage dishing out delish tracks from their forthcoming album, Red Hands and Black Deeds. Their 6th overall studio album, slated for release July 28th, they played songs including “Red Hand and Black Deeds” as well as 2014’s “Hero,” “In Chains,” and “Dangerous.” Firing on all cyclers, they ended their set on a high note to a theater full of thunderous applause. The rarified air made listeners take a deep breath and relax with fruity, crisp, as well as piercing guitar strumming that soothed every somatic cell of those present like the balm of lotion. In enough words, Shaman’s Harvest delivered one hell of a set of Hard Rock.
Vocalist Daughtry strode onstage like he own it and grabbed the microphone as if it was part of him, starting off with his sultry rendition of “Go Down.” Then, the beginning strains of “Feels Like Tonight” echoed throughout the amphitheater before “Crawling Back To You.” Next, “Waiting for Superman” was the anthemic song which really captured fans’ hearts, especially those in need of a superhero in their lives.
Mixing it up some, the band went into a cover of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” delivered with a heavy piano infusion. A delight to fans, sadly during Daughtry’s onstage performance there was a sudden downpour of rain. A venue open to the elements, that did not stop the crowd from enjoying the fruits of the labor of love onstage. It could have been a tsunami and these fans would still hang onto their seats as though they were superglued in as they sang along with other songs including “Over You,” “It’s Not Over,” and “Home. ” Towards the end, the rain miraculously stopped and Daughtry wrapped up with “September,” preparing everyone for Nickelback’s set.
This was a show people had waited a while for since Nickelback were forced to cancel their world tour in 2015 since Lead Vocalist Chad Kroeger required vocal surgery. They were scheduled to visit Jones Beach on August 14th of 2015, but once the band returned stateside in 2017 after their sold out European run, they made good on a reschedule at the venue. That in mind, within the blink of an eye, Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake (keyboards/guitar), Mike Kroeger (bass), and Daniel Adair (drums) appeared onstage to an audience ready to engage in a Nickelback feeding frenzy.
In an explosive introduction, the strains of heavy single “Feed the Machine” greeted the onlookers as blaring, gritty,and steely guitar riffs arose and wafted off the stage. From there, the setlist read like a Christmas list to Santa including “Woke Up This Morning,” the hit “Photograph,” which was accompanied by visual effects, and “Someday.” If that was not enough, they offered new songs such as “Song on Fire” amidst other favorites including “Savin’ Me,” “Far Away,” and “Animal.” All delivered with passion, “Hero” and new track “If Today was Your Last Day” were deftly executed, drenched with gritty sandpaper drum riffs and percussion accompaniment that took the emotion to the next level.
Interjected into the mix were amusing anecdotes of Chad Kroeger showing the human side of he and the band. Always welcoming and comforting, the stories generated enthusiastic positive responses of cheers and fist pumps. On top of all that, the band also sought a karaoke volunteer who was easy on the eyes to join them onstage to perform “Rockstar.” A moment thaqt probably still has the young pinching herself, maybe she will become a star herself someday. Concluding the set with the rousing “Burn It to the Ground,” more loud chants prompted their return for an encore which included “Gotta Be Someone,” “This Afternoon,” and landmark hit “How You Remind Me.” At the conclusion, Nickelback offered a round of thanks to Shaman’s Harvest and Daughtry before Chad Kroeger parted with the words, “I love you!” The sentiment was echoed back a thousand-fold by fans and the reciprocated gratitude was a heartwarming and sincere final memory.
Nickelback was certainly more than ready for some uncensored, blood-boiling, musical feeding frenzy as they came onstage with smelted Metal riffs ready to rock the beach surf! The table setters, Shaman’s Harvest and Daughtry, offered up a delectable medley of musical flavors and, as a result, the music-famished crowd eagerly devoured each delicious bite with a finger-licking relish. Needless to say, the Feed the Machine Tour is a Rock tour not to be missed. So get your summer groove on and feed “your” machine!
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