Since forming in 1996, Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down has sold more than twenty million albums worldwide, garnered three Grammy nominations, won an American Music Award in 2001, and won a BMI Pop Awards in 2005. Their debut The Better Life (2000) is now certified six times platinum and is one of five successful chart topping albums created by the band in the past decade. Being one of the most successful rock-n-roll bands in the USA, the band released their first ever greatest hits album in 2012 and continued touring rigorously with their most recent successful run with Daughtry.
Now for the first time ever, 3 Doors Down brings audiences a full acoustic tour they call ‘Songs From The Basement’. When talking about the idea behind this tour, Singer Brad Arnold shared on the band’s website, “We experimented with an acoustic show in Nashville and had such a great response that we decided to take it on the road. We have never toured like this before, some of these songs have never been played live!”. Being the special tour in late 2013, the acoustic theme continues in 2014 with a stop at New Jersey’s Bergen County Performing Arts Center, on Tuesday February 11th.
The crowds gathered around the block awaiting the doors to open at Bergen Performing Arts Center, and once they did, a flood of fans filled the theater. When entering the main room, guests were greeted by a stage filled with couches, end tables, a leg lamp, and even a ladder; re-creating an intimate basement vibe. Adding to the excitement, this tour also includes a limited VIP package, giving some fans the chance to sit on the couches on the stage while the band performs. Shortly after 3 doors down took the stage, Arnold grinning from ear to ear, addressing the audience while his fellow band mates Chris Henderson (guitar), Greg Upchurch (drums), Chet Roberts (guitar), and Justin Biltonen (bass) prepared to set a mood for the audience. The set was filled with ambiance and a relaxing feel from start to finish.
Through the years 3 Doors Down music always translated well into acoustic arrangements and this was an amazing opportunity to experience that for more than one or two songs. Songs like “Father’s Son”, “Not Enough, “Landing In London”, and “Pages” were some of the special moments for long-time fans to hear performed in a stripped down setting. Of course the set also included a list of the band’s hits including “Be Like That”, “Away From The Sun”, “Duck And Run”, “Loser”, “Kryptonite”, but also included a few surprises such as “The Dance” by Garth Brooks and “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica. Arnold stressed to the audience to have fun and treat this as they were in their own basement and interact whenever they felt like, and interact they did, shouting songs they loved, and joining in on the jokes the band were sharing on the stage.
The night was all together fun, and lighthearted as it should have been. Each band member seemed to thoroughly enjoy performing in this environment just as much as the audience enjoyed watching. These type of experiences only come around ever so often and are something music fans never forget.
Three Doors Down head overseas now for a tour and will continue touring North America in May 2014.
Written by Jesse Murch
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