Penn-Trafford grad will join Shinedown onstage at KeyBank Pavilion

When hard rock band Shinedown takes the stage Wednesday at KeyBank Pavilion, Penn-Trafford High School alumni from the late ’90s and early 2000s will see a familiar face onstage.

Josh Sturm of Murrysville, a 2000 Penn-Trafford graduate, will join the band onstage after a brief stint filling in for bassist Eric Bass this spring.

“We are very glad that our friend Josh Sturm was very quick on the draw to come out and fill in,” said guitarist Zach Myers in an Twitter post following Bass’ back injury in May.

Sturm, 37, first joined the band during its 2018 European tour on his main instrument — guitar — when Myers was about to become a father for the second time.

“Then in May, Eric was basically immobilized with a really bad back injury,” Sturm said.

⚠️ ATTENTION! ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/ugCoggm1eD

— SHINEDOWN (@Shinedown) May 22, 2019

With less than 24 hours of prep time, Sturm had to essentially re-learn the tunes he already knew on a different instrument. He also had to delve into the band’s six-album back catalog.

“When I was with them in Europe, we did the greatest hits,” he said. “The first show (where I filled in, on May 22) was one where they were playing a bunch of older stuff, some of which I hadn’t heard before, and I’m a big Shinedown fan.”

Sturm had to learn a batch of songs on an instrument he’d never played live before.

“I played for a week and a half, probably about a half dozen shows,” he said. “Luckily, they had a four-to-five-week break and Eric was able to get back onstage.”

On Wednesday, Sturm isn’t precisely sure what his role will be.

“The nice thing is, they treat me like family,” he said. “They’ll have me park by their tour bus, we’ll sit down and decide what we’re going to do.”

Sturm said being with the members of Shinedown is a blast, both on and off stage.

“I just like hanging out with those guys,” he said. “To meet a band that’s been doing this for the past 20 years, and they’re not jaded by the industry, focused on being positive and healthy, is what I really appreciate.

“Playing for 15,000 people is fun, but it’s over in an hour,” he said. “Getting to hang out with those guys as friends and family is the best part.”

Shinedown will perform July 10 at KeyBank Pavilion in Burgettstown as part of its “Attention Attention” tour with Badflower, Dinosaur Pile-Up, Broken Hands and more.

See Ticketmaster.com for ticket information.