Canadian rockers Three Days Grace can sum up 2007 in one word: unbelievable.
The band has climbed the ranks of the music industry and gone from your average start-up band to headlining sold-out arenas in the United States and their native Canada.
They attribute that success to their “road dog” approach - being on tour for several months out of the year - and the ability to connect with fans on a deeply personal level.
“It’s always nice to be able to create something original that you put your heart into and have so many hearing us,” said drummer Neil Sanderson in a phone interview from his home in Toronto. “I truly believe we put into words what our own fans might be thinking.”
The band gained an even greater following after the release of "One-X," the followup to its 2003 self-titled debut. Unlike their first effort, "One-X" was described as a confessional album and the story of frontman Adam Gontier’s personal destruction on the road and “the universal tale of feeling like an outsider.”
Together the guys soon learned the drawbacks of the music business. But together they discovered, in addition to each other, that fans would be their greatest support system.
“It’s great to see so many more Three Days Grace fans out there,” Sanderson said. The band is scheduled to perform Dec. 5 at Graham Central Station in Pharr. “We’ve worked really hard to get to this point.”
Though Sanderson and company say they don’t pay much attention to the numbers, they might be proud of what Three Days Grace has accomplished so far. In its first week, "One-X" sold more than 78,000 copies and the album’s second single, “Pain” topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts earlier this year.
Their third single, “Never Too Late,” marked their third consecutive No. 1 single from One-X in the Active Rock charts and their fifth overall consecutive No. 1 song in their career, according to Billboard.com. As of August, the album has been certified platinum.
They are in second place, behind My Chemical Romance, for Fuse Best of 2007, a contest hosted by the cable music channel.
Like a lot of other musical acts today, Sanderson agrees the band owes a lot of that popularity to the ubiquitous World Wide Web.
“The power is put back into the fans with technology,” he said. “They can see, watch and listen to whatever they want, when they want. The fact that (the power) is in their hands is refreshing for us and it forces bands to start making good music once again instead of just pumping out singles. The content has to be amazing.”
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Three Days Grace
with Miser and Neverset
WHEN: Wednesday, 7 p.m.
WHERE: Graham Central Station, 500 N. Jackson Rd., Pharr
COST: $22 (18 and over only show)
FOR MORE INFO: www.ez-tixx.com
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Miriam Ramirez covers features and entertainment for The Monitor. You can reach her at (956) 683-4468.
