Barry Kerch doesn't cite David Bowie as an influence, but you get the sense that the Thin White Duke song "Changes" could be a personal anthem. After all, the Shinedown drummer has proven he's nothing if not adaptable.
He earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida with designs on becoming a forensic anthropologist, only to belatedly realize "anthropology is not only not a lucrative career, but … you're gonna have to get your doctorate if want to have a job at all." So he switched gears and focused on rock 'n' roll.
Upon making it there and going out on the road and spending "every single day out here eating out or at catering," Kerch decided to improve his culinary options and taught himself to cook. "I'm not a trained chef by any means, but I absolutely love to cook," he said. "… When I go home, we never eat out. I love to cook for my family, I love learning new recipes. It's kinda my Zen; it's doing something other than playing drums, but it still has a creative aspect to it."
And after growing up listening primarily to heavier fare such as Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Skid Row, Frank Zappa, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden, these days he finds himself listening much more to … Taylor Swift?
"I think now, the older I get, I'm even more accepting of all styles of music," Kerch said. "I have a little girl and she wants to listen to Taylor Swift, so we listen to Taylor Swift and have a good time. And Kelly Clarkson. If it's good music, I'll listen to it, regardless of the genre."
Of course, the notion of evolving musical tastes should not be foreign to fans of Shinedown. The Jacksonville, Fla., band, which is headlining a Friday show at the Maverik Center in West Valley City, has transformed from the generic post-grunge alt-metal outfit it started as into a chart-topping hard-rock band with melodic pop sensibilities, as evidenced by their fifth studio album, "Threat to Survival," which was released September.
"I think it's a great record for us, and something different, because you never want to make the same record twice," Kerch told The Salt Lake Tribune in a phone interview. "We look at ourselves as a career band. If you look at the discography, not every record is the same. It's a new version of Shinedown, for lack of a better way to explain it. It's a growth. There's going to be people who don't like what you're doing or thinking we should do the same record or wanting us to get back to what we did years ago, but then we wouldn't still be here. We wouldn't be being ourselves. We'd be a carbon-copy and having no fun. I really enjoy where we're at."
Kerch noted that a big part of that enjoyment stems from the camaraderie and affection the band members have for one another. After original members Kerch and singer Brent Smith made a few lineup changes, adding guitarist Zach Myers and bassist Eric Bass (yes, really), this iteration has been together for about a decade now, and the chemistry of this group shows in the band's songwriting and performances.
"This particular lineup has been around longer than the original lineup. It's really very cohesive now. We all get along, we're a great family, we spend a lot of time together, we still enjoy each other's company, we ride on the same bus, have dinner together, just really hang out together. We have a love and mutual respect for each other," Kerch said. "… It's a family. I spend more time with these guys than I do with my wife and child, so you better get along. And I think that's the dynamic now. We truly get along and have a great time together."
Kerch firmly believes that played a role in the early success of "Threat to Survival" (No. 1 on the Billboard Top Hard Rock Albums chart, No. 2 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums chart and No. 6 on the Billboard 200). He added that another important component, though, is the authenticity apparent on the album.
"On the past records, we were talking in a more metaphorical way; this one is very blunt and in-your-face. It's very personal in that it's stories of what [Smith has] gone through and the band's gone through. Very blunt in that respect," he said. "… We write songs that people can relate to. We write from the heart, not pulling stuff from thin air, going, 'I wanna write about a dog in a pickup truck 'cause I think that's gonna sell records.' We write about real-life experiences. They're heartfelt."
Speaking of experiences, Kerch said that Shinedown's live show is one not to be missed.
"We're blowing everything out. There's pyro, explosions, lights galore. … It's just a very cool rock show with a great aesthetic all the way through. Our production is through the roof, as per typical with Shinedown. We spend all our money on production, so it's a lot of fun!" he said. "Setlist-wise, we have a couple things that we changed. There is so much going on production-wise, we can't really be a jam band and call audibles, but it's a fun set. It's a good mixture of all the records."
Apparently even the most adaptable people have their limits.
ewalden@sltrib.com
Twitter: @esotericwalden
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Shinedown
With Breaking Benjamin and Nothing More
When • Friday, doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
Where • Maverik Center: 3200 S. Decker Lake Drive (2200 West)
Tickets • $36.75-$42: Smith's Tix
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