"We are proud [to sell that many records without a lot of press] because that's how all of my favorite bands did it back in the day," Todd said. "We have built our whole career out of playing live, and that's how we have a career. With downloading and everything, music could eventually be free. You can't download a concert ticket."
Todd said that his band comes from a range of different influences and that Brent Smith's soulful vocals are the bread and butter of the band.
He said that the band fuses grunge, metal and old rock roll together to create its own unique sound. Todd said that after two years of playing the same songs, the band is itching to get back into the studio to record a new record, which it has already begun writing.
Todd describes Shinedown's live show as "insane and extremely energetic." Todd said that although the band enjoys the packed clubs the band has been playing lately, the band's best tours were in arenas opening for Velvet Revolver and Van Halen.
"Eddie Van Halen and his son were standing behind us giving the devil horns one night and Brent and I were just like, 'whoa,'" Todd said. "We got to hang out with Slash from Velvet Revolver. We do not take that kind of stuff for granted."
Ben Lauren, lead singer for No Address, said this is his first major tour and describes Shinedown as an incredible, emotional live band.
He described No Address's music as incredible rock and roll that is incredibly soulful but aggressive.
Lauren, a published poet and former professor of English at Florida State University, said that the biggest thing for his band is for its record to finally come out.
"The most difficult thing about this tour has been that we haven't had the record available to the people who have connected with us," Lauren said. "We are so proud of it; it will be literally like, the biggest Christmas present ever when it comes out in April."
Dave Wells, Crowbar's director of operations, said he takes pride in getting genre-blending acts at Crowbar that are ahead of the time, and he thinks that Shinedown is one of those bands.
"When we had Kid Rock years ago and only 227 people came," Wells said. "I remember thinking that those who didn't come to that show were really going to kick themselves later, and I put Shinedown in the same category."
