From 2003 – 2012 Ontario's Three Day's Grace were a staple on Canadian rock radio and on the road internationally. Whether it was opening for bands like Velvet Revolver or Nickelback, rocking out the Coke Stage at the Stampede or headlining their own gigs at venues like the Corral, the band made Calgary a tour stop many times during their career.
Then in January 2013 singer Adam Gontier abruptly quit the band. Losing your singer is often the end of a band, but TDG quickly regrouped, recruiting My Darkest Days singer Matt Walst to take over the vocals. The subsequent tour however skipped Canada completely. November 21st Three Day's Grace played a sold out MacEwan Hall in their first Calgary show since 2010 and the first with Walst as frontman. You could feel the anticipation of the packed room and a collective wondering of how this new version would be.
The question was answered quickly. Walst stalked the stage like a predatory cat, dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and pants, kicking things off with I Am Machine from the current album Human. The first test was on the second song – Just Like You – off the bands self-titled 2003 debut. He passed it with flying colours and I quickly became clear that the energy level and the live shows that Three Day's Grace are known for are still very much there.
While Walst continued to impress with vocals on Chalk Outline the rest of the band brought it. Brad Walst (the singer's brother, on bass), guitarist Barry Stock, drummer/backup vocalist Neil Sanderson and touring keyboardist Dani Rosenoer created a wall of sound. Three Day's Grace has always been about the group performance not just the singer, and that has not changed.
The evening continued with a mix of hits like Animal I Have Become, Pain and I Hate Everything About You along with songs from Human like Painkiller & Fallen Angel. The new material hung with the established songs and made for a solid concert.
It has been far to long since Three Day's Grace played Calgary. The band that showed up on November 21st was healthy, happy, and clearly on the path to continued success. They've survived a blow that would cripple most bands and came out the other side clearly ready to tackle the world. Any questions fans or critics had were silenced. Three Day's Grace is here to stay.
