Three Days Grace at the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre (more...)
photo by Clint Gilders - staff photographer |
by clint gilders - clubkingsnake staff
April 19, 2008
Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre
There's local boys done good, and then there's Three Days Grace. With two members hailing from Norwood, Ontario, and one from just down the road in Peterborough one of hard rock's most successful bands played a benefit concert to help complete the construction of the very facility in which they performing.
As I parked a good ten or fifteen minute hike down the road from the arena I began to get an idea of the scale of the event about to take place in the tiny town. This was a village of 1300 that had sold out a 2000 seat arena! An hour before the doors were to open the line snaked around the parking lot and steadily grew and spread onto the adjacent fair grounds as I strolled around snapping photos.
I didn't relish the idea of joining the end of the line which probably stretched to somewhere near the downtown strip. Luck would have it that my media contact came outside to find me and escorted me into the building just before the doors opened.
Three Days Grace at the Asphodel-Norwood Community Centre (more...)
photo by Clint Gilders - staff photographer |
The excitement was palpable among the concert goers as they staked out their spots either in the small seating section on the north side of the rink or on the floor in front of the stage. This was a diverse crowd with kids, teens, adults, and even the elderly represented. Security and production crews had been brought in from Toronto and my trip into the photo pit had me recognizing the fantastic enforcers I often work with at the Kool Haus and other T.O venues.
The opening act,
My Darkest Days (
photos here), also has Norwood roots and have been steadily heading in an upward trajectory. I'd seen the once before about a year and a half ago and at that time wasn't tremendously impressed. Those 18 months have worked wonders. Hook laden rocker after hook laden rocker was belted out before the hometown crowd and for 40 minutes My Darkest Days had the crowd eating out of their hand. Watch for big things from these four guys real soon.
A little before 9:30 Three Days Grace launched into their #1 hit Animal and the 2000+ lucky attendees went simply nuts. Hit after hit followed with the crowd singing along and threatening to over power the band. This being a homecoming I was hoping for more audience interaction from lead singer Adam Gontier and maybe some anecdotes about growing up in Norwood. Instead it was pretty much a straight ahead TDG show with little between song banter and uncomfortable pauses between songs. Adam does do an amazing unaccompanied acoustic version of Alice in Chains "The Rooster". I dig their music but have yet to be thrilled by TDG live, but my hats off to them for doing this benefit concert in their hometown.
The Norwood Lions Club had committed to raising $325,000 for the construction of the hockey rink/community centre in the sleepy village in Central Ontario. With attendance at the sold out concert approaching 2100 the Lions Club is assured of surpassing that goal. Norwood can also be proud that TDG still call Norwood home.
Setlist Below:
