Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown Steal The Show While Opening for Stone Temple Pilots and Rival Sons At Nearly Sold-Out Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.

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By: Jenafur Schlangen

It was an usually warm September evening in Chicago and, as I descended upon the Aragon Ballroom, I was excited to relive the 90’s with one of my all-time favorite bands, Stone Temple Pilots. Actually, while I was en route to the venue, all I could think about were the awesome anthems from those days past: “Vasoline,” “Interstate Love Song,” “Wicked Garden,” etc. I couldn’t have been more excited. That is, until an unknown (to me) band, Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown, took the stage to kick off the night. Talk about [beyond] impressive!

Honestly, I had no idea who Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown were or that they were even on the bill this night, but I can certainly attest to the fact that I have not shut my mouth about them ever since they ended their set. You could probably ask half of Chicago and they will tell you, “Yes, that UnRated gal has already told us ALL about Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown. And, yes, we will most definitely check them out.”

But, in order for me to properly spread the word regarding this new (to me) and exciting band discovery, I first had to do some research via the interwebs. So, the next day when I returned to my office, I did just that.
Needless to say, I learned quite a few interesting facts about this 4-piece band from Nashville. But, what had me scratching my head was the fact that, in the past, they have opened for bands such as Aerosmith, AC/DC, Guns N’ Roses, B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, and many others on that level. So, I asked myself, ‘HOW is it that I have NEVER heard of these guys before?!?!’

The band released their first full-length album, Wild Child only six years ago so, I suppose, they are technically still young. However, having opened for so many legendary artists in such a short period of time, only solidifies the notion that there is indeed something special about this group. In addition, and speaking of “young,” there were so many fun facts that I discovered about this band’s front-man and name sake, Tyler Bryant. For one thing, when he was only eleven years old, he wanted an electric guitar so badly that he sold his dirt bike and got himself one. I suppose having learned/practiced with the acoustic guitar he received at age six, he felt he was ready to plug-in.

Their sound is of a guitar-driven rock ‘n roll nature for sure, but there is a bluesy influence is most definitely at the forefront of their originality. They are most certainly a high-energy band that downright jam and jam hard and I can say with 100% confidence that you will not be able to stand still when they take the stage.

If you’re not able to catch them in a city near you soon, I would highly recommend you check out their newest album, Truth and Lies, just recently released. I promise you that you will not be disappointed.

Tyler Bryant & The Shakedown – “Wash Me Holy” (Live from the Beast)

Performing as direct support for Stone Temple Pilots was the band Rival Sons. Hailing from Long Beach, California, this band has been at it since 2009 and within a year, they independently released their first album, Before the Fire. The band is Jay Buchanan (vocals), Scott Holiday (guitar), Dave Best (bass), and Mike Miley (drums).

This band is definitely guitar driven yet Buchanan’s raspy and bluesy vocal style makes it all come together perfectly. It was obvious that their fans, and believe me there were several, appreciated their extended set.

Next up was legendary band, Stone Temple Pilots and there was zero time to waste before they worked the nearly sold-out venue into a complete frenzy. Beginning their set with “Down,” then “Wicked Garden,” everyone was singing along and losing their minds.

Man, this band has been through the ringer throughout the years as far as vocalists go. We all know (and miss) Scott Weiland (RIP) and Chester Bennington (RIP), that’s for sure. But, it seems STP’s most recent front-man, Jeff Gutt, fits into the mix perfectly and is not only accepted but eagerly welcomed by the band’s enormous fan base.

After jumping into the crowd to get some loving from the fans, Gutt proceeded to work the stage like a boss. The set list was amazing and was everything I had hoped it would be when en route to the show earlier that evening. Gutt’s vocal style is very similar to that of original front-man Scott Weiland so the anthems of STP sound eerily identical. It was also great to see/hear the DeLeo brothers on guitar and bass, respectively.

Stone Temple Pilots will be in Mexico at the end of October and will be spending most of April 2020 touring in Australia.