One of the best feelings is discovering a band and watching them evolve and blow up over time. Whether they start as a small club band or you first see them in a mid-sized venue, the next thing you know, they’re headlining major arenas around the world. This has been the case for me with Shinedown. I first saw them headlining the House of Blues, which was already after they had achieved commercial success. But it has still been amazing to see their music grow and their show evolve over the years since I discovered them. Now, they’re on a national tour, making a stop at the world-famous Kia Forum in Los Angeles, CA. Bringing along Bush and Morgan Wade, fans packed the legendary venue to experience the Dance, Kid, Dance Tour.

Opening the show was country music singer Morgan Wade. While this may seem like a surprising choice for a rock tour, Wade’s harder edge to her country style fit right into the tour package. Starting off with her song “High in Your Apartment,” Wade donned a guitar to play alongside her backing band. This kept her mostly behind the mic stand, though she stepped out to interact with her band when she could.

It was during her song “Meet Somebody” that Wade truly shined. The stage setup featured a long catwalk extending into the crowd, and Wade took the opportunity to run down the catwalk, getting face-to-face with the audience. This was when the crowd really started to connect with her performance. Wade made the most of her time with songs like “Roses,” “Meet Somebody,” “The Night,” “The Party is Over,” “Creep,” and ending with “Wilder Days.”

Shinedown is known for taking out artists they see as having major potential to become the next big thing. I can only imagine where Morgan Wade will go next after this tour.

Next up was the UK’s post-grunge outfit, Bush. I’ve always heard great things about them but somehow had never seen them live—until now. What followed was an hour of high-energy performance I wasn’t expecting.

Lead singer Gavin Rossdale was an uncontrollable ball of energy. Despite touring for over three decades, he performed with the vigor of a 20-year-old, jumping all over the stage and running down the catwalk at every opportunity. At the foot of the catwalk, Rossdale danced and moved as if the music was trying to escape his body, and the crowd loved every second of it. During “Flowers on a Grave,” Rossdale took it a step further, jumping the barricade and walking through the seats of the Forum, giving even those in the nosebleeds a chance to experience his brilliance up close.

Rossdale was backed by the rest of Bush, featuring Chris Traynor on guitar, Corey Britz on bass, and Nik Hughes on drums. Their high-energy set included classics like “Scars,” “Machinehead,” “60 Ways to Forget People,” “Everything Zen,” “The Land of Milk and Honey,” “I Beat Loneliness,” “Swallowed,” “More Than Machines,” “Glycerine,” and ending with “Comedown.”

On any other tour, Bush would have stolen the show. I’d love to see how much wilder Rossdale gets on a headlining tour.

As we eagerly awaited the headliner, a man wearing a TV as a head hyped up the crowd as the mascot for the night. When Shinedown finally took the stage, they stood at the foot of the catwalk, as close to the crowd as possible, to kick things off with “Dance, Kid, Dance.” Pyro blasted from the back of the stage, illuminating the entire Forum with some of the biggest pyro effects I’ve ever seen at this venue. The crowd was sufficiently woken up and ready to rock.

Vocalist Brent Smith oozes charisma and charm on stage, with a commanding presence that makes it impossible to look away. Guitarist Zach Myers has written some of the catchiest riffs that Shinedown fans cherish, and he plays them with precision and heart. Bassist Eric Bass brings a hard edge to the band’s look, getting lost in his playing while adding depth to the music. Drummer Barry Kerch, though stationed at the back, makes his performance as big as possible, with his long dreadlocks flying as he slams into his kit.

Throughout the set, Shinedown delivered some of the most creative lighting and pyro effects I’ve seen, with bursts of fire and fireworks enhancing big chorus moments and even accentuating Kerch’s drum fills. Despite the massive production, the band took a short break to move to the front of the catwalk for an acoustic set. This intimate moment allowed them to play songs they don’t normally include in their setlist, such as “Call Me,” “Misfits,” “I’ll Follow You,” and “If You Only Knew.” The emotional connection in the room was palpable, with many fans shedding happy tears.

After the acoustic set, Shinedown quickly picked up the pace, bringing back the fireworks, pyro, and lighting that made them feel larger than life. The emotional set featured highs and tear-jerking moments with songs like “Devour,” “Cut the Cord,” “How Did You Love,” “Devil,” “Three Six Five,” “Enemies,” “Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom),” “A Symptom of Being Human,” “Planet Zero,” “Purple Rain,” “Simple Man,” “Monsters,” “Sound of Madness,” and finally ending with “Second Chance.”

It was incredible to see Shinedown in such a large venue, bringing a stage show that filled the space of the Forum. Brent Smith made a heartfelt speech about how this was their first time playing the venue and how much of an honor it was to perform in such a legendary place. But truly, it was our honor to support this band and help them reach these heights.

Bush nearly stole the show and deserves to return to the Forum as a headliner next time. Meanwhile, Morgan Wade is just getting started, and I’m excited to see how she evolves.

This tour is still making its rounds until the end of the month, and it would be a disservice to miss it. If they’ve already played your city, keep an eye out for the next time they come to town—you won’t regret it.