Shinedown, along with Sixx A.M., Disturbed, and local band Soraia, are preparing to kick off the summer concert season at this year's WMMR*B*Q on May 21.
The weather may still seem like it needs bipolar medication, but 93.3 WMMR is kicking off the summer concert season May 21 with MMR*B*Q 2016 at Camden's BB&T Pavilion.
This year's ninth annual all-day music festival features 3 Doors Down, Sixx A.M., Red Sun Rising, and co-headliners, Disturbed and Shinedown.
Brent Smith, lead singer of Shinedown, is looking forward to returning to the MMR*B*Q stage after playing the event in 2012.
"This show is always put together really, really well," Smith said in a recent telephone interview. "The audience is always over the top."
Smith said the South Jersey/Philadelphia audience "embraces the lifestyle that is rock 'n' roll."
"Rock 'n' roll is more of an attitude and a spirit than a genre of music," he said. "Rock 'n' roll is a not a genre, it's a way of life."
Just coming off a list of West Coast concert dates, Smith said Shinedown and Disturbed were on the same bill not too long ago.
"It's always fun to hang out with other bands on the road," he said. "So anytime we get a chance to hang out with those guys, it's a plus."
Smith and Shinedown -- drummer Barry Kerch, guitarist Zach Myers, and Eric Bass on bass -- plan to play the songs they hope the fans want to hear during their hour-long set.
Dancing with the Gloucester County Stars
"We're going to make sure that we play the songs that, in our gut, (we know) everybody wants to hear," Smith said.
When asked which song was his personal favorite to perform live, he said it was difficult to choose just one.
"They're all like children to me," he said. "I don't love any one of them more than any other one."
But he does love to surprise an audience.
While playing out west, Smith said the band performed a different version of "In Memory" from the band's debut album, "Leave a Whisper," that the crowed was "enamored by."
"One night we played 'Through the Ghost' which is the last song on 'Amaryllis,' and people were really stunned that we did that live," Smith said. "Some nights different songs have different personalities."
The one song he still enjoys performing live is "Sound of Madness" from the 2008 album of the same name.
"It's still one of those songs where the crowd just gets set off on that song," he said.
The gates open at noon for the WMMR*B*Q and Shinedown is set to hit the stage at 8 p.m.
For more information, visit wmmr.com/event/mmrbq-2016.
Kelly Roncace may be reached at kroncace@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @kellyroncace. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.