Three Days Grace: Concert Review
A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, PA
November 4, 2003
By: Linda Spielman

It seems as though the music world has had an invasion of Canadian groups and solo artists during the past few years. In the 1960s there was the British Invasion, and during the 1970s and 1980s, there was a trickle of talent from our "neighbors to the north" such as Bryan Adams and Heart. However, we're finding out that Canada has more to offer than just Celine Dion, as noted with the group Three Days Grace, who are opening for fellow Canadians Nickelback on their current tour of the United States.

Singer/guitarist Adam Gontier, bassist Brad Walst and drummer Neil Sanderson all grew up in very small towns in Ontario--- so small in fact, that your business was everyone's business. Growing up and growing older in that kind of "fishbowl-esque" environment fueled a lot of the band's early material. Adam Gontier elaborates that the desire to escape from that environment led the band to relocate to Toronto in 1997, "Like any small community, you get to a certain age, and you feel like you have three options. It's either sports, drugs or, for us, it was music. It was a way to get out."

Once in Toronto, the band befriended fellow Canadian musician, songwriter and producer Gavin Brown. Brown's reputation in the area and his determination in the pursuit of great songwriting was the much needed guidance that Three Days Grace needed to launch their career. Within a few years, the band was signed to a publishing deal with EMI Canada and eventually, landed a label deal with Jive Records.

With the band's first single, I Hate Everything About You, released and doing moderately well on alternative radio, Three Days Grace have teamed up as a support act for fellow Canadians Nickelback on the current tour. Being the first of three bands (Trapt rounds out the lineup) is always hard for any new band and even having a song out on the airwaves doesn't guarantee audience acceptance. However, during the forty-five minute set, the audience took a growing interest with each song. The applause increased and small mosh pits popped up throughout the set, which is always a good sign for a new band. Fortunately, they were allotted a decent time slot which enabled them to play almost their entire album. Songs such as Burn, Scared, Let You Down and I Hate Everything About You gave the audience a full, unabridged taste of their sound from every musical angle. They didn't try to win the audience over with a lot of talk between songs and seemed more than grateful for the opportunity to be on the bill with Trapt and Nickelback. For any up and coming band, it is important to connect with the fans. After their set, Three Days Grace was outside at the merchandise table signing autographs, chatting with the crowd and making new friends fan by fan.

http://www.threedaysgrace.com
http://www.nickelback.com
http://www.trapt.com