Shinedown

w/ Bush & Morgan Wade

August 8th, 2025
Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, WA

I first came across Shinedown when I was in high school in Mexico. At the time, I was desperately trying to understand my musical identity and escape from the things around me that I just didn’t connect with. It was also during that period that I lost my mother after a yearlong battle with cancer. I needed an outlet—and for me, that outlet was music.

Music helped me mourn, process, and survive a time filled with grief and transition. I found bands and songs that spoke to my melancholy, my anger, my sense of loss—and, more than anything, to my hope and will to live.

It was during that crucial time that I discovered Shinedown, and their rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man. Their live version—dedicated to Dimebag Darrell after his passing—moved me deeply. It felt like it was sung directly to me, a beacon of hope and direction when I needed it most.

One of the greatest blessings of pursuing music photography has been experiencing these full-circle moments. Being able to see and photograph Shinedown at Climate Pledge Arena was truly special—a memory I’ll carry with me forever.

-Miguel Nunez