Band on the run

3 Doors Down has been nominated for dozens of Grammy Awards for its debut album, The Better Life. The band will be performing Friday night in Asbury Park.

By: Brian Shappell

The band 3 Doors Down will be performing in Asbury Park Friday.

   Ripping into "The Better Life" seemed apropos to open 3 Doors Down’s set in front of 3,000 screaming fans at the band’s second sold-out show at Philadelphia’s Electric Factory last week. The stage that night was certainly a leap from fixing cars and waiting tables for these Escatawpa, Miss., natives.
   The members of 3 Doors Down are living most musicians’ fairy-tale, criss-crossing the country on their first headlining tour, which comes on the heels of a Grammy nomination for the song "Kryptonite." The success of the band’s latest single, "Duck and Run," continues the string of hits from its debut album, The Better Life, recently certified quadruple-platinum.
   "It’s been a pretty unbelievable year, man," says lead vocalist Brad Arnold. "We couldn’t have asked for it to go any better."
   The band’s staggering success since the album’s release in late 1999 hasn’t gone to its members’ heads so far, though. During shows, Arnold continuously pushes the crowds to sing along, jump in unison and scream. Backstage, he carries a different persona.
   The wide-eyed Arnold, wearing a plain white T-shirt and blue jeans, exudes a humble demeanor, rarely making eye contact from behind his pulled-down baseball cap, thanking everyone in his path simply for being interested in the band.
   "We do stuff that I never dreamt I would do at all," he says. "It’s a little surreal for us still. We’ve done all the TV shows. We’ve been to 11 countries. We’re just trying to keep it fun. It’s like, everyday you see something and go — ‘Damn!’"
   3 Doors Down was born when three friends started jamming in a garage in Mississippi. Guitarist Matt Roberts and bassist Todd Harrell joined Arnold, vocalist and drummer at the time, about five years ago. In 1997, the band decided to get away from playing Bush and Metallica covers at parties, bringing in guitarist Chris Henderson, Harrell’s former bandmate.
   After making noise with originals like "Kryptonite" and building a loyal fan base on the bar circuit south of the Mason-Dixon line, Republic/Universal Records gave the band a shot at a showcase at CBGB’s in New York City. Soon after, the band had a record deal and a new drummer, Richard Liles, allowing Arnold to assume the spotlight as frontman.
   "I do miss it sometimes," he says. "I get back there and play the drums during sound checks. We’re going to do drum-offs on the summer tour. The stages haven’t been big enough to allow us to, but they will be in the summer. I can’t wait to do that. It’s going to be fun."
   Only a year after the release of its album, 3 Doors Down landed nominations for dozens of awards, including Best Rock Song at the 2001 Grammy Awards.
   "That was cool, the first single getting nominated for a Grammy," Arnold says. Although the band lost to friends and former tourmates Creed, Arnold says being nominated was flattering enough, especially when coupled with post-show parties and hobnobbing with artists such as U2, B.B. King and Elton John.
   "I meet those people and it just blows me away," Arnold says. "You see those people growing up and they’re larger than life. It’s cool to see how they’re just normal people."
   Even though the success of The Better Life has exceeded the expectations of the band members and record company executives alike, the group is hoping for another spike in sales and media attention accompanying a tour schedule that runs into August. The band’s upcoming single, "Be Like That," is one of the catchiest and most pop-friendly songs on the album.
   "To be honest, I thought this was going to be the song a lot of the girls would like, but, on the road, I see as many guys the same age as me singing it just as loud as the girls, and it’s cool," Arnold says. "I think it’s going to do excellent things for us."
   Despite the dizzying schedule, the band is anxious to get back to the studio to record some new material. The group has added four new songs to its recently extended sets.
   "We’ve played more in the last year than we’ve ever played in our whole life, and I know our writing has matured a lot," he says. "I don’t look at doing the follow-up as too much pressure, and I think it’s important not to. If you start thinking about that stuff and you start writing for people other than yourself, you kind of lose sight of things a little."
3 Doors Down will perform with Fuel and Oleander at the Convention Hall, 1300 Ocean Blvd., Asbury Park, March 16, at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are sold out. For information, call (732) 988-9660. On the Web: www.concertseast.com.
For directions to the Convention Hall in Asbury Park, click here.