STAIND Wraps Their Fall 2025 Tour at Foxwoods Resort Casino

9/28/2025

Writer: Kathi Gullage
Photography: Holly Roy Photography

Staind’s Fall 2025 Tour was only nine dates, with the last one at Foxwoods with Lakeview as support.

I had never heard of Lakeview but our trusty photographer Holly Borden was fast becoming a fan of theirs and another fan mentioned they were southern rock. They are marketed as a duo, co-vocalists Jesse Denaro and Luke Healy, however they were joined on stage by drummer Cory Muro and two lead guitarists Jordan Tomb and Alex Drizos. I didn’t see a bass guitar. They have one self titled studio album and it has eighteen freakin tracks on it! Jesse and Luke hit the stage full throttle, leapt onto front risers, and commanded the room. “We’re psyched to play in Staind’s hometown tonight! If you wanna party with us you gotta get off your asses! Wave your arms like this!” There were Lakeview fans in the house and they immediately responded. The single “Hits Different” was the eight song set opener. I instantly thought to myself, “holy shit I’m at a country concert”. Despite Jesse and Luke’s rock and roll vibe, the set was honky tonk heavy. “Make some fuckin noise! Foxwoods, how ya doin tonight?” “That’s not good enough. How ya doin tonight?!?” The audience hooted and hollered adequately. “You feel like you’re walkin around this world like you’re the last of a dying breed? This song’s for you.” This was the segue to “Dying Breed”. “Put your hands up like this!” Jesse held his hands up like a signal for a NFL touchdown, before they belted out “Wrong Side Of The Track”. Jesse and Luke turned around and chugged water in unison. “Lemme tell y’all sumthin real quick, they (Staind) believe in the same shit we believe in. On the stage, if you flap your mouth, you better be ready to back it up!” Fan favorite “Money Where Your Mouth Is” was on deck. Finally a dose of rock and roll in the mix! More people rose to their feet for that song. “We’re gunna play a country song, if you know it sing it, if you don’t you’re a liar!” Luke grabbed a guitar and the crowd waved their phone flashlights in the air. The band performed a cover of Hinder’s “Lips Of An Angel”. I’m personally not a big fan of covers. It was a solid song choice but
didn’t outshine the original. Jesse chugged a beer before they churned out “Bad Day To Be A Beer” which included the lyrics “a bill that ain’t been paid yet and my truck breaking down, waiting on that paycheck or my girl leaving town”. Did I mention it felt like a country concert? “OK, y’all havin a good time? We are Lakeview from Pittsburgh, PA…..” Wait a minute, Pittsburgh?!? I was expecting Georgia or Alabama. “...Do I have any red, white and blue collar people in the house?!” More people were on their feet as they performed “Son Of”. “Do you care if we play one more for ya? This song goes out to Charlie Kirk and his own family. They need us. If you’re military or first responders, get up! I want my carpenters to get up! This one’s for the home team!” The set wrapped with “Home Team”. Lakeview may not fit neatly into a genre, part country, part rock, part something all their own, but they did get the crowd fired up. I didn’t know them walking in, but I do now. They would be fitting opener for one of Aaron Lewis’ country solo shows.

Hailing from Springfield, Massachusetts, Staind has gone platinum multiple times and sold over ten million records. With eight studio albums under their belt, they built a fifteen-song set that pulled from six of them — a perfect blend of old and new. The lineup remains tight as ever: original members Aaron Lewis (vocals), Mike Mushok (guitar), and Johnny April (bass), with Sal Giancarelli (drums) on board since 2011. They opened with “Lowest In Me” (Confessions Of The Fallen) and they were a well oiled machine. No big explosions or fireballs required, just a few splashy graphics and raw fukin rock and roll. A large majority of the audience chanted “USA! USA!” between every song. Aaron addresses the fans as part of his duties as frontman. “Welcome to the show.” He doesn’t have to yell or be flashy, the fans blanket him with love regardless. “Eyes Wide Open” (Staind) and “Fade” (Break The Cycle) were on deck. The sound mix was perfect, the
music didn’t overpower Aaron’s beloved signature voice. “How’s everyone doin tonight? Some of you used to come see us in Springfield when I got high with everyone in the parking lot. That was thirty fucking years ago. Thank you for letting us play for you all these years.” The fans lost their shit and were rewarded with “Right Here” (Chapter V), which had everyone on their feet. The crowd took over and sang the chorus at Aaron’s signal. Another cut from Staind, “Not Again”, kept it rolling. “Epiphany” brought the tempo to a crawl — not a personal favorite, so I made a quick merch run while the line was dead. “With one shot, they thought they silenced us. They unleashed an army. This song is dedicated to Charlie Kirk.” The song was “Something To Remind You” performed by just Aaron and Mike. It’s a hauntingly beautiful song and Aaron’s emotions peeked through as he mixed a whisper with spoken word at the end. The set went in a completely different direction as the frontman announced, “I musta smoked a lot of weed the day I wrote this. Thought it would be funny to rap and it turns out I was right.” “Wannabe” was the tune and Aaron yelled “What else do you do with your miserable fucking life?!?” for the last line. Back to the slower pace with the song that put them on the map. “Take your cell phones out and light this place up.” And the fans lit that place up like fucking daylight for “Outside”. “Better Days” followed and I missed the feminine touch that the studio version offers where Aaron duets with Dorothy. Aaron announces that they “wrote the next song with Mr. Jon Wysocki (former Staind drummer that passed away in 2024)”. It was one of my faves, cuz I luv their heavy shit, “Paper Wings”. “We’re gunna play another song we don’t play much.” “So Far Away” was the tune, one that they always play. Images flashed on screens of the band with fallen heroes like Dimebag Darryl and Scott Weiland and many others. The primary set ended with “For You” and the band exited with the crowd begging for more. We didn’t have to wait too long for the expected encore. “It’s been thirty fucking years. We appreciate it greatly. Gunna play a few more songs for you that we hardly ever played before.” We laughed because we knew better. But we didn’t get a “few”, we got two. “It’s Been Awhile” and the classic nu metal anthem “Mudshovel”. Staind thanked and waved to the
crowd before the house lights came on, signalling the end of the gig.

I’ve seen Staind more times than I can count, and they’ve never delivered anything less than a tight, powerful performance. Aaron’s voice? Still unmatched. Mike Mushok? An absolute beast on guitar — that low-slung axe move where he holds his guitar two inches off the floor is signature. Aaron showed a tad more emotion at this gig. He’s no stranger to letting his political views bleed into his performances, and at times, this show took on a rally-like vibe. Whether that’s your thing or not, it didn’t overshadow the music — the fans were there for Staind, and they got what they came for. After three decades, the band isn’t just surviving — they’re thriving. If you’re a longtime fan, revisit them and catch a live show. If you’re new, buckle up and grab a copy of 2023’s Confessions Of The Fallen — Staind is still cookin’, and the fire’s far from out.