Shinedown, Coheed and Cambria, Black Stone Cherry

Paycom Center, Oklahoma City, OK

May 23, 2026

Review and Gallery by Ally Arens

Hard rock radio mainstays Shinedown are gearing up to release their eighth studio album, the aptly-titled EI8HT, on May 29th. To get their fans extra-hyped for the release, the group has recently embarked on the Dance Kid Dance, Act II tour of arenas across North America, named for one of the album’s singles, in support of the release. The tour made its way to Oklahoma City’s Paycom Center last weekend for a heartfelt night of music, togetherness, and an all-around good time.

Kicking off the evening was Black Stone Cherry, a southern-rock quartet hailing from Edmonton, Kentucky who brought their blend of groovy riffs and yee-haw attitude to the stage. As the lights went down, a recording of AC/DC’s “Hells Bells” set the tone before the band emerged and the opening notes of “Me and Mary Jane” echoed through the arena. Vocalist Chris Robertson caught the crowd’s attention with his southern drawl, while guitarist Ben Wells jumped back and forth across the massive stage with the energy of a caffeinated squirrel. Other highlights in their brief set included recent single “Celebrate” and “White Trash Millionaire,” kicking the night off with a great level of energy.

Next to take the stage was Coheed and Cambria, an anthemic and theatrical rock band originating in New York known for their elaborate storytelling through concept albums and prog-rock-influenced riffs. Led by vocalist/guitarist Claudio Sanchez, the quartet opened with “The Pavillion (A Long Way Back)” from The Unheavenly Creatures. Other highlights included “Searching for Tomorrow” from 2025’s The Father of Make Believe, and a closure with their hit “Welcome Home.” Though their eccentric, and often lengthy, tracks are admittedly not going to be everyone’s jam, it is difficult to not become entranced by Sanchez’ vocals and their combined blend of guitar riffs in a live setting, and I recommend giving them a chance at least once.

At long last, just after 9 p.m., it was time for the main event. Before Shinedown would emerge onto the stage, though, an unnamed masked figure wearing a TV headpiece approached the stage and began to dance around for a few minutes, building up anticipation as the band’s logo eventually flashed upon the TV’s screen and the opening notes of “Safe and Sound,” one of their latest singles, set the tone for the set to come. This was followed up by throwback hits “Bully” and “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay-Boom-Lay-Boom)” – emphasis on the “boom” when the pyrotechnics kicked in. 

The setlist was a wonderful mix of explosive, pyro-heavy moments such as “Devil,” “Cut the Chord,” and “Monsters,” blended with more heartfelt tracks such as “A Symptom of Being Human” and “Three Six Five,” the latter of which moved me to tears even more than I was expecting as Brent asked the audience to think of any loved ones who had passed recently as the song echoed through the arena.

Another highlight was their “B-Stage” setlist halfway through the evening, where the quartet brought out a set of four deep-cuts from throughout their career that either do not get performed often, or otherwise have not been performed in a while. Much to my delight, this included “Through The Ghost,” one of my personal favorites from their 2012 album Amaryllis.

Though their set extended nearly two hours, before we knew it, the night was coming to an end. Before leaving the stage, the Shinedown crew revealed a couple of additional tricks up their sleeve by bringing out original Saliva vocalist Josey Scott to assist with their cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man” and Black Stone Cherry’s Chris Robertson to harmonize on the absolute banger known as “Sound of Madness” before closing with their poignant smash hit “Second Chance.” 

As phenomenal as the show was on its own, getting to help capture the evening was extra special to me because Shinedown and Three Days Grace co-headlined the first full-blown rock concert that I attended in this very arena back in 2013. That fateful spring night would serve as a catalyst of sorts in my life by kick-starting the concert addiction that would eventually lead me into concert photography a decade later, so being able to see them again in the same arena 13 years later was very cathartic and healing for me. Shinedown really is *that* band, whose live show has something for all rock fans alike, and for that reason they are a must-see.

The Dance Kid Dance, Act II tour continues throughout the summer, with the North American leg concluding in McHenry, IL on September 10, with international dates as well as the band’s own Lunatic Ball Beach Weekend in Miramar, FL in late October to follow. All upcoming shows can be found on the band’s website.