youbored.com
KUFO
put on its annual Paranormal Party without a hitch. To put it in simple terms,
the concert rocked! Since the concert was on Halloween, a lot of people were
dressed up in costume that made things interesting. I saw a girl naked with only
green paint covering her body! Needless to say, this girl also won the costume
contest. The crowd got to vote on who had the best consume, so who do you think
would win? -- the clown or the naked girl? Enough said about that, on to the
show.
The two big bands were Nickelback and Everclear. From what I understand, when
this concert was first scheduled, Nickelback was the headliner. Then Everclear
signed on and bumped down Nickelback. Everclear is a native Portland band with a
huge draw, so I understand the move.
Tyler
Norby, YOUBORED.COM music editor was able to score an interview with Chad
Kroeger, lead singer/guitarist from Nickelback.
TYLER:
Our first standard question that we ask any performer is: why you? What do you
offer that music fans cannot find anywhere else?
CHAD:
It is difficult to answer this question and NOT sound like an egotistical person,
so I will say that my prayers were answered, because there are many great
musicians in the world today who are far more gifted than me.
TYLER:
In your opinion, what niche in today's mainstream rock market does your music
fill?
CHAD:
We fill the "no gimmick rock band" niche.
TYLER:
For those that don't know, briefly describe the history of Nickelback and how it
all came together.
CHAD:
1996 we came together and recorded our Demo, and from there have worked to where
you see us now, winning one fan at a time.
TYLER:
What drew each of you toward the world of music?
CHAD:
I do not remember what brought me to it, but it is all I have worked at since I
got out of high school.
TYLER:
Who are your musical influences, both the ones that got you into music and your
current ones?
CHAD:
The first albums I owned are Pink Floyd's "The Wall," and also Led
Zepplin's "In through the out door"
TYLER:
How would you compare and contrast your 4 albums?
CHAD:
The albums show the growth of the group since the very beginning to the present,
each step is clearly detectable as the progress continues.
TYLER:
How has your song writing process and song subject matter changed since
obtaining radio success and national exposure?
CHAD:
I am not really aware of any changes that have occurred.
TYLER:
Since signing with a major label, what has happened for you guys that you guys
never expected?
CHAD:
Firstly, Roadrunner is not a major label, but the big difference has been the
number of people on the team working toward a common goal.
TYLER:
With the success of your last two albums and being the top rock outfit in the
country right now, what do you all do to ensure that you remain grounded and
focused on your music?
CHAD:
We have each other to keep us grounded, and the fans keep us focused on the
music.
TYLER:
Another standard question that we ask all musicians is what do you see in music
that you feel is positive? What do you see that is negative?
CHAD:
I think that all I see in music is positive, as it is the most emotional mode of
communication that there is.
TYLER:
Since we are doing this before one of your concerts, what is similar/different
between the Nickelback vibe on the albums and the Nickelback vibe during a
concert?
CHAD:
The feeling of a live concert can not be fully communicated in a recorded
format, I feel, because all the other elements of the live show, such as the
visual, the feeling of the low bass frequencies, and the vibe of the room cannot
be communicated through the medium available, i.e. CD.
TYLER:
Any last thoughts that you would like to share with the world?
CHAD:
We'll see you soon, so look out for us and come out for the live show.
Now
for the review of the live show! When Nickelback hit the stage, the crowd began
to go nuts. I was down in the pit and it was great. I believe that the best
place to review a concert is in the middle of it! You can't tell what's going on
sitting in the balcony! Plus of course, it just isn't any fun. I have heard the
new Nickelback CD, Silver Side Up many times and the band played all of the
songs that are sure to be hits. They also threw in the classics from the album
The State that was obviously crowd favorites.
Everclear
came on stage to finish things up. They came all dressed up in costumes! The
crowd was going crazy by this time. A lot of the people there were over 21 and
had been to the beer garden during intermission. Translation? -- a bunch of
drunk people pushing each other out of the way to get to the front. Everclear
played ALL of their hits and a few obscure songs.
Let
me finish off by saying that I will be at the show next year. The combination of
Nickelback and Everclear at a small venue for only $20 works for me. I will be
interested in seeing who KUFO gets to play their Paranormal Party next year!
nickelBack