Staind upstages 3 Doors Down - Topic Powered by eve community

Monday, July 21, 2008By DONNIE MOORHOUSEMusic writer
HARTFORD - It is hard to figure when the guys in 3 Doors Down may have realized that it wasn't a great idea to have Staind play before them at the New England Dodge Music Center on Friday night.

Could it have been while they were backstage and hearing thousands of fans screaming as Staind unleashed hit after hit?

Perhaps it was when Johnny April bled out the bass lines of the set closing "Mudshovel." Maybe it was when Aaron Lewis belted out a classic cover for the ages, the perfect song for the man and the moment.

Regardless of when 3 Doors Down figured it out, it became plainly obvious to everyone else just 15 minutes into the headliner's set when a steady stream of fans headed for the exit. By the time they reached their encore, there had been a mass exodus off the lawn and out of the shed.

This is the 3 Doors Down tour, with bands Hinder and Jet Black Stare opening and special guests Staind. The latter three bands don't even appear on the ticket. By design, 3 Doors Down should close the show. By right, the headlining slot should have gone to the special guests.

Just 25 miles from the Springfield bars and basements where they got their start, and just a neighborhood or two away from the very spot where they were discovered by Fred Durst of Limp Bizkit, the Dodge could qualify as Staind's backyard.

The band reached out to the thousands of faithful fans with a 75-minute set that showcased their latest single "Believe" and touched on pieces of their decade-long run atop the rock world.

Staind opened with "Price to Play," and followed with the bludgeoning "Just Go," the first single off their 1999 major label debut "dysfunction."

The song was a reminder of just how powerful Lewis, April, guitarist Mike Mushok, and drummer Jon Wysocki can be in concert. Lewis sang the song with his shoulders coiled and looked as if he was physically trying to expel his soul.

The crowd reacted wildly to "Outside," and Lewis let the audience finish the chorus. He then delivered the song of the night, brilliantly covering Bob Seger's "Turn the Page," singing the lines as if he had just written them on the bus.

With every ensuing Mushok guitar riff being a recognizable one, from "It's Been Awhile," to "Right Here," and "So Far Away," it was clear that this was Staind's night. Before closing with "Mudshovel," Lewis thanked the crowd.

"For those of you who came here tonight to see Staind, we thank you," he said. "We appreciate every one of you and thank you for allowing us to do what we do."

The 3 Doors Down set started with promise as a train whistle sounded the opening of the song "Train," and lead singer Brad Arnold followed with the hit "Kryptonite," and the rousing "Citizen / Soldier."

The band leaned way too heavily on the mid-tempo power ballad and despite the occasional explosion or fireball gimmick from the stage, the energy level hit a lull with songs like "Away from the Sun," "Let Me Go," and "Be Like That."

One would have thought someone pulled a fire alarm the way fans were scurrying out of the venue during "Behind Those Eyes," and the encore "Loser."

Hinder and Jet Black Stare both played 40-minute opening sets.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Lisa A. Patto, an uber-fan from Long Island, N.Y."
(The Replubican Newspaper)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Click here for the best Staind fansite on the net www.addictedtostaind.com

http://www.myspace.com/ADDICTEDTOSTAIND

Posts: 7488 | Location: Long Island, NY | Registered: 19 March 2005

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