The rock and wrestling connection remains strong. No band knows that better than Shinedown. This popular band is taking the charts by storm with their latest album “Planet Zero,” which brought them a 19th number one on Active Rock. Their smash “Daylight,” also gave them their 18th Mainstream Rock number one. We’re talking the most in the 41-year history of the chart’s existence.
Helping them over time no doubt is the exposure that comes when six of their songs play on WWE shows. This includes WrestleMania, and for quite a while, Raw every Monday night. Shinedown’s Zach Myers got a sense of the company’s reach very quickly.
“You’ll be on a day off in Albuquerque and go to a restaurant,” Myers recalled. “I look like I’m in a band I guess, so they’ll ask what band I’m in. I’ll say Shinedown. They’ll respond with, ‘Yeah, you guys were the Raw theme song for two years.’ It’s really cool to have that relationship.”
Myers along with lead singer Brent Smith, Barry Kerch, and Eric Bass have had wrestlers at their shows. They’ve also been at WWE events. Friendships have formed, built on mutual respect and exchange of fandoms.
On August 28, frontman and Knoxville, TN, native Smith was surprised with the key to Knox County, presented by mayor Glenn Jacobs (aka professional wrestler Kane) on stage during the band’s show at Thompson-Boling Arena. Through their relationship with the WWE, Shinedown guitarist Zach Myers and the band’s head of security John Guarnieri helped to plan this special honor for Brent with the mayor’s office. The key was crafted by students at Brent’s alma mater South Doyle High School. PRESS HERE to watch.
“The parallels between those two universes are way more similar than most people realize,” Myers said. “I would go even further as to say there is a percentage of our fans that came from the wrestling world…I think a percentage of our global fan base has come from that which is really cool. It’s always really nice. We were never the cool band. We were never on MTV. We were never on VH1. We kind of made our own cool. We are a radio band that just did the work live and really gained fans from radio and our live shows.”
Myers will make it a point to attend shows when he is home when WWE is in town. Even before being part of rock’s go-to hitmakers, the musician has been a longtime fan.
“I was at one of the Raw’s Hulk Hogan came back after being gone for a long time,” he reminisces. “I remember seeing WCW a long time ago with one of Goldberg’s first appearances when I was younger. They take care of us as we go now. We’re usually in the front row. It’s always super fun. I’m a big shoe guy, so I remember when Hulk Hogan came out in his Jordans. I have been there for a lot of them. It has been really cool to see.”
He admittedly doesn’t follow as much on TV anymore. Touring the world is not only Shinedown but Smith & Myers, Hanson, and other music projects will take up a lot of time. Not to mention being a dad.
“I have two kids, and I’m dad-ing full-time when I’m not on the road,” Myers explained. “When the live events come, I’ll usually backtrack Peacock for a couple of weeks. My younger brother is seven years younger than me. He is super into it still. So we go and he’ll catch me up on what’s going on.”
When asked who the biggest Shinedown fans in pro wrestling are, Myers runs down a number of top stars. Everyone from Triple H to Fozzy’s own Chris Jericho, who has been a friend of his for 15 years. Memories start flooding back.
“We did WrestleMania in Chicago, the pre-event at House of Blues,” Myers said. “WrestleMania does the whole weekend wherever they are. John Cena came and a bunch of people came. There is a very early photo of us with John Cena. He looked great. We did not. This is the old days of Shinedown when we weren’t as healthy as we are now. [Happy] Corbin and I are really close. Not even through wrestling. We met each other through wrestling, but we are both cooks. We both love barbecue and cooking outdoors to the point that we actually discussed doing a show together and pitching a show to a network.
Then there was the time he crossed paths with his favorite legend in red and yellow.
“I got to meet Hulk Hogan one time. He said he knew who Shinedown was,” he added. Whether he was lying to me or not, that was cool for me …We were walking in Target the other day and my son saw the wrestling action figures and they did this legend’s remake thing…He pointed to one. I said, “That’s dada’s favorite wrestler of all time. It came full circle for me.
“I told my wife that when he turns 7 I think I’ll let him start watching. He has a brother two years younger than him, and they fight enough for my taste. Wrestling would add more fuel to the fire. I think next year I’ll start him at events.”
“Planet Zero” is out now. See Shinedown when they come to a city near you!