By Brent Michael, Rock At Night Tampa Correspondent
Venue: Busch Gardens Wine and Food Festival Concert Series, Tampa, Florida. Saturday, March 23rd, 2019
Judging by the number of people that showed up, you would think 3 Doors Down was currently at the top of the charts with all original members instead of a band formed in 1996, with one remaining original member and their last full album of new songs released three years ago. (An EP of acoustic versions, Back Porch Jam, was released this year.) None of that seemed to matter, the concert field hidden behind the old Gwazi coaster (being replaced soon) was filled to capacity and maybe more, as I witnessed several instances of jostling almost turning into physical altercations!
But the weather was perfect, short sleeve comfortable, and the band was tight despite lineup changes. Current lineup is: Brad Arnold – lead vocals (1996–present) drums (1996–2000), Chet Roberts – lead guitar, backing vocals (2012–present), Chris Henderson – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1998–present), Justin Biltonen – bass (2013–present), and Greg Upchurch – drums (2005–present). Of course, the most requested song was their first and biggest hit, “Kryptonite,” which they held until the end (but not the encore), and it gathered the biggest response.
Not that there wasn’t great crowd response to “Loser,” “Duck and Run,” and other hits. It’s obvious that 3 Doors Down is a band that’s here to stay!
Photo Gallery
When not in custody, I've been involved with music, photography, and writing my entire life. Ever since I was a young boy and played those silver tunes, I've had the beat, but being a drummer didn't suit me so I became a lead singer, which lasted a few years. Settling down, sort of, I translated my knowledge of audio and glib tongue into mobile emcee work, and my training as a photographer and videographer into a living in the wedding, party, bar/bat mitzvah, and entertainment industry. During this time I also managed to bamboozle my way into a master's degree in writing, worked for a couple of magazines (yes, I took photos for a nudist magazine!), have photographed hotels, done commercial work (shot the cover of Tablet and Capsule magazine), published a few articles, hosted some public access shows (a couple times in drag, but that's another story), and generally made a nuisance of myself until I landed here.
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