Concert Review
Three Days Grace
Finger Eleven
Erie County Fair Grandstand
Hamburg, NY
Wednesday August 7, 2013
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
When a band makes any change in personnel, there usually are some fans who relish the change and still continue to support their favorite band and get behind the new guy. Then there are those who don’t for whatever reason. So when Three Days Grace announced that singer Adam Gontier resigned from the band just as they were about to hit the road it was met with a lot of raised eyebrows and in some cases met with some resistance by long time fans. After all Gontier had been with the band since its formation, while several of the members were still in high school.
Wednesday evening, Three Days Grace with special guest, fellow Canadian rockers Finger Eleven helped kick off opening night of the 174th Annual Erie County Fair in Hamburg, NY. An early afternoon downpour did not detour fans from staying home as the weather cleared up just in time for an enjoyable evening.
Three Days Grace are currently touring still in support of their latest release 2012s Transit Of Venus. The core of the band still features guitarist Barry Stock, drummer Neil Sanderson and bassist Brad Walst. Joining the band on vocals for the tour is Brad’s brother and current My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst.
The band started off with “Chalk Outline” from their latest release before breaking into their debut for “Just Like You”. By the time they rolled into “Pain” the band had the crowd singing along as if nothing had changed. Matt Walst sang so effortlessly that some of the casual fans probably weren’t aware of the band’s vocalist situation. Walst not one to stand still was working the stage at a rapid pace.
The band played most of the songs one would expect to hear as they glided through “Misery Loves My Company”, “I Hate Everything About You” and “Animal I Have Become”.
It was when they came back for the encore which featured “Never Too Late” and the brusque “Riot” both from the band’s 2006 release One-X, where the band really shone. The crowd left the Grandstand happy as they got to see their band perform at the level they were accustomed to without missing a beat.
Opening the show was Finger Eleven who played a one hour set. The band haven’t been touring much recently as they are in the process of recording their seventh album due out by the end of the year. Highlights from their set were “Quicksand” and radio hit “One Thing”. The band closed with their most successful single “Paralyzer.”
Three Days Grace
Chalk Outline
Just Like You
Pain
The High Road
Home
Get Out Alive
Break
The Good Life
Drum Solo
Misery Loves My Company
World So Cold
I Hate Everything About You
Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit Cover)
Animal I Have Become
Encore
Never Too Late
Riot
Finger Eleven
Any Moment Now
Pieces Fit
Fallen On
Above
Slow Chemical
Living In A Dream
Minds On Fire
One Thing
Quicksand
Drag You Down
Good Times
Paralyzer
