 3 Doors Down |
 Staind |
Story and photos by Phil Bonyata
Mississippi natives 3 Doors Down have been riding a wave of success with their formula of clean, tight hard rocking music that feature rather somber and despair filled lyrics. It's like the ying and yang - darkness built on a bright foundation. They brought their not so southern sound to the two-thirds filled Marcuas Amphitheatre last night.After a rather pointless five minute video featuring introductions and ads - 3 Doors Down hit the stage with "Where I Belong" off of their third release Seventeen Days. As flames burst and boomed in the background - the boys attack seemed angrier and more focused then in years passed. Lead singer Brad Arnold looking fit and lean (obviously a few pounds lighter) was truly aninated as he and guitarist Chris Henderson traded vocal and guitar riffs.
The stage was a modernist set of sprockets and metal. The band even looked a little more punk with Arnold's fauxhawk and guitarist Matt Robert's spiked hair. Looks like a little Vans Warped style is creeping up on the Southern boys. "The Better Life" came off rather uninspired and cliched. There's the rub with 3 Doors Down - while sounding quite original on occasion their music really has no identity - it rocks, but the memory of the cathcy melodies and the hook laden guitars fade rather quickly.
The fires on stage roared again at the opening strains of "Kryptonite." The band became alive again as Henderson's and Robert's spider webbing chord exchanges wove a post grunge simplicity. Arnold's voice rang crisp and hard on the chorus. The band's live performance is quite similiar to the studio version, but actually they let the organic quality of a concert help to create subtle nuance changes in sound that make's the music more immediate and in turn fresh.
Other rockers included "Duck and Run," Be Like That," and "Real Life." The audience seemed a bit laid back despite the band's aggressive attack. There were pockets of animated fans, but many remained seated and rather disconnected throughout most of tthe show. The heat kicked-up on monster hit "Loser" when Staind's Aaron Lewis apparently traded autobiographical barbs with Arnold. The heat was turned up and the audience finally felt it.
Encores "Here Without You" and "When I'm Gone" finished the night which at points had the glass half full and at other times half empty.
Doom and gloomers Staind opened the show in well, Staind fashion. Aaron Lewis' gut grabbing sway got a bit old after awhile. Putting on some pounds since last time I saw him - Lewis hasn't evolved at all - he's stuck in the same rut he so wants to stay stuck in. His voice warbles between harmonic moans and a brutal tonality - nobody ever said this guy couldn't sing. The acoustics, mixed with the band's loud distortions had some engaging moments but ultimately got lost in their own self-imposed negativity.
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