Shinedown's Barry Kerch Talks UPROAR Tour, Family and How a Def Leppard Show Changed His Life

Over this past weekend (Aug. 17), the 2012 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival kicked off in Kansas City. This year, the main stage features performances from multiplatinum rockers Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind and Papa Roach, along with breaking band Adelitas Way. In addition, the Ernie Ball Stage and Jägermeister Stage, in the festival area, includes performances from multiplatinum headliner P.O.D., as well as Deuce, Fozzy, Redlight King, Mindset Evolution, In This Moment, Thousand Foot Krutch, Candlelight Red and a local Battle of the Bands winner.

Noisecreep recently caught up with Barry Kerch, drummer and co-founder of Shinedown about the tour and the band's huge commecial success of the last several years. Recently, their latest single, "Unity," ascended to the #1 at Active Rock radio outlets nationwide. The track marks the sixteenth chart-topper and eighth consecutive #1 at the format. Shinedown's latest album, 2012's Amarylis, debuted in the #4 spot of the Billboard Album Chart.

Barry, did you ever imagine this sort of success way back when?

Well, I dunno! I will say we are humbled by it. And I look at it like this, all we do is write about things that our fans are living through. We're just honest and true to them and for that we get really rewarded.

Your fans have always seemed special to the band.

At a grassroots level, they make this band what it is. That's why we love meeting fans, spending time, listening to them; our fans are like an integral part not just of what we do, but it's like they are an extension of Shinedown.


You've got a one-year-old daughter now at home, how tough is it to head out on the road?

It's really tough missing any part of her childhood. Obviously once you start a family it's harder to head out on tour, but you know, I need to make sure she is provided for and this is what I do so we do the best we can do to make it all work.

That said, you must be looking forward to UPROAR?

We are. We've never headlined this or anything and there are some really great bands this year so we're looking forward to not just playing , but hanging out. And I think we'll be helping each other out on stage, too - I'm pretty sure you'll see some guest appearances. And it's funny, since we all started having families and settling down a bit, I think our playing has gotten a lot better because we're all in better shape and more focused. So these shows are gonna be really good.

Barry, a lot of kids will be seeing their first concert with UPROAR - do you remember your first show?

You never forget your first concert. At least not me. It was Def Leppard on the Hysteria tour, with Queensrÿche opening. Unbelievably powerful, I knew then what I wanted to do for a living. Or at least I learned that night.

UPROAR Tour dates:

Date Market Venue
Wednesday, 8/22 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre *
Friday, 8/24 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center *
Saturday, 8/25 Syracuse, NY TBA
Sunday, 8/26 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center *
Tuesday, 8/28 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain *
Wednesday, 8/29 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center **
Friday, 8/31 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion *
Saturday, 9/1 Saratoga, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center *
Sunday, 9/2 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live *
Wednesday, 9/5 Simpsonville, SC Charter Amphitheatre at Heritage Park *
Friday, 9/7 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre ***
Saturday, 9/8 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center ****
Sunday, 9/9 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center ***
Tuesday, 9/11 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek ***
Wednesday, 9/12 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood ***
Thursday, 9/13 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre ***
Saturday, 9/15 Houston, TX Woodlands Pavilion ****
Sunday, 9/16 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion ***
Tuesday, 9/18 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheater *****
Wednesday, 9/19 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre ***
Friday, 9/21 Spokane, WA Greyhound Park and Events Center ***
Saturday, 9/22 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre ***
Sunday, 9/23 Portland, OR Sleep Country Amphitheater ***
Tuesday, 9/25 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheater ***
Saturday, 9/29 Phoenix, AZ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion ****
Sunday, 9/30 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion ****

*Thousand Foot Krutch will not be performing at this show
**Fozzy and Thousand Foot Krutch will not be performing at this show
***In This Moment will not be performing at this show
****In This Moment and Thousand Foot Krutch will not be performing at this show
*****Fozzy, Redlight King and In This Moment will not be performing at this show