Staind’s Mike Mushok on UPROAR Tour, the ’80s and Randy Blythe

Today (Aug. 17), the 2012 Rockstar Energy Drink UPROAR Festival kicks off in Kansas City. This year, the main stage will feature performances from multiplatinum rock bands Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind and Papa Roach, along with breaking band Adelitas Way. In addition, the Ernie Ball Stage and Jägermeister Stage, in the festival area, will include performances from multiplatinum headliner P.O.D., as well as Deuce, Fozzy, Redlight King, Mindset Evolution, In This Moment, Thousand Foot Krutch, Candlelight Red and a local Battle of the Bands winner.

Noisecreep had the distinct pleasure of speaking with Mike Mushok, guitarist from Staind, about the tour and the band's new live DVD, Live From Mohegan Sun.

Mike, first up, Stain just released a DVD/Blu-ray, Live at the Mohegan Sun. The folks at Eagle Rock did a killer job capturing the energy of the show.

Absolutely, they did a really good job. It was a hometown show for us so the crowd was extra good, they knew what was happening and so what was captured was really special. We're all very happy with it.

And then what do you do to prep for a summer run like UPROAR?

Well, like with most big tours, for me, it's a lot of exercise, that's important. Heading out on the road in as good a shape as I can be so I'm not onstage huffing and puffing. That's happened to me before and I learned early on that being ready physically is just as important as being reading musically and mentally.

It's another good lineup for UPROAR this year. Is it fun for you guys to be amongst so many other bands like this?

Absolutely. They always do a fantastic job with this tour and the others they produce. Always a solid package and this is the first Uproar for us so I'm glad we could do I this summer. We know a bunch of other bands on Uproar so that will be fun, and for the fans it's great because you get so much bang for the buck. As a fan myself I'd be pretty excited about this tour.

Going back Mike, when you were young, what shows would you go see as a fan?

When I was a kid, back in the '80s, I remember going to see a bunch of Ozzfests. I remember wishing I could have seen Lollapalooza because I could have seen Rage Against the Machine and Tool playing together - that would have been awesome. But I'll tell you what, the first show I ever saw, this is so weird, but it was the singer/songwriter Harry Chapin. And then James Taylor. These guys were up at Tanglewood, a really beautiful venue in the country up in the Northeast that was perfect for guys like that. They both had a huge effect on my as a singer and songwriter. My parents loved them both and that's why they brought me to see them play and it ended up inspiring me – that's why I started playing acoustic guitar, because of those guys. That led me later to start listening to Van Halen, like every other kid, and then Steve Vai when he was fist playing with David Lee Roth – those were my big influences.

Any thoughts on the current Randy Blythe situation?

I really feel for the guy. I don't know him well but they've done some shows with us and he's a good guy. Nobody ever ants a fan to get hurt of course and I've been nervous on stage before when someone climbs up – you just don't know what is going to happen, ever, and it floors me to see what happens sometimes. But I don't think he did anything wrong up there and I certainly don't think he deserved to be in jail at all.

Live From Mohegan Sun is available now DVD and Blu-ray. The CD version of the concert is also available in stores.

UPROAR Tour dates:

Date Market Venue

Friday, 8/17 Kansas City, MO Capitol Federal Park at Sandstone *

Saturday, 8/18 Little Rock, AR Arkansas State Fairgrounds (KDJE Radio Show) *

Sunday, 8/19 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre **

Tuesday, 8/21 Grand Rapids, MI Rock The Rapids (downtown)

main stage bands only

Wednesday, 8/22 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre *

Friday, 8/24 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center *

Saturday, 8/25 Syracuse, NY TBA

Sunday, 8/26 Mansfield, MA Comcast Center *

Tuesday, 8/28 Scranton, PA Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain *

Wednesday, 8/29 Buffalo, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center **

Friday, 8/31 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion *

Saturday, 9/1 Saratoga, NY Saratoga Performing Arts Center *

Sunday, 9/2 Bristow, VA Jiffy Lube Live *

Wednesday, 9/5 Simpsonville, SC Charter Amphitheatre at Heritage Park *

Friday, 9/7 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre ***

Saturday, 9/8 Noblesville, IN Klipsch Music Center ****

Sunday, 9/9 Cleveland, OH Blossom Music Center ***

Tuesday, 9/11 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek ***

Wednesday, 9/12 Atlanta, GA Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood ***

Thursday, 9/13 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre ***

Saturday, 9/15 Houston, TX Woodlands Pavilion ****

Sunday, 9/16 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion ***

Tuesday, 9/18 Denver, CO Comfort Dental Amphitheater *****

Wednesday, 9/19 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheatre ***

Friday, 9/21 Spokane, WA Greyhound Park and Events Center ***

Saturday, 9/22 Auburn, WA White River Amphitheatre ***

Sunday, 9/23 Portland, OR Sleep Country Amphitheater ***

Tuesday, 9/25 Boise, ID Idaho Center Amphitheater ***

Saturday, 9/29 Phoenix, AZ Ashley Furniture HomeStore Pavilion ****

Sunday, 9/30 Albuquerque, NM Hard Rock Casino Presents: The Pavilion ****

*Thousand Foot Krutch will not be performing at this show

**Fozzy and Thousand Foot Krutch will not be performing at this show

***In This Moment will not be performing at this show

****In This Moment and Thousand Foot Krutch will not be performing at this show

*****Fozzy, Redlight King and In This Moment will not be performing at this show