Adam Gontier accidentally re-creating Robbers by The 1975.
I got to live out a 2000s pop punk fan’s dream last week and see Three Days Grace live in Cincinnati, OH. As a recovering emo kid, it is always fun to return to the pop punk scene, especially at live concerts. Therefore, I pulled out my best skeleton shirt, doc martens, and was ready to photograph one of the most formative bands of the genre.
Three Days Grace had 2 openers before hitting the stage. From Atlanta, Georgia, The Funeral Portrait hit the stage first. They really woke up the crowd, and set the energy for the rest of the night. The second band to go on was I Prevail. The Funeral Portrait brought the energy, but I Prevail knew how to really keep it. I was genuinely impressed by the pyrotechnics they used throughout their performance. Another interesting tidbit from their performance was that their drummer, Gabe Helguera, likes to make food on stage. This series is posted on the band’s TikTok account. At our show he made pizza. Despite the randomness it was a funny gimmick and is definitely giving the band traction online.
The Funeral Portrait’s guitarist posing for a photo.
Around 9 it was finally time for the headliner to take the stage. Hailing from Norwood, Ontario, Three Days Grace put out their first album in 2003 and has put out 7 more since. Just two years ago, Adam Gontier rejoined the band alongside his brother Matt Walst. The two of them now sing together, an amazing dynamic when you see them live.
If you grew up listening to alternative stations in the midwest, you may know more Three Days Grace songs than you would think. That was certainly my reaction as I stood in the crowd after photographing.
Matt Walst.
The band performed a wide variety of their discography, playing a song from almost every single one of their 8 studio albums. And to many’s surprise, the band even performed a more intimate acoustic set. After all the energy the band was bringing it was nice to cool down for a minute, the stage even had a little firepit in the middle as they sang around it which I found charming.
After that, we were right back into the energy as the band performed their final few songs. They closed out with “Riot” which was a perfect way to end the night.Overall I had a great experience seeing Three Days Grace! I totally did not hate anything about it… get it?
Adam Gontier hyping up the crowd!
After that, we were right back into the energy as the band performed their final few songs. They closed out with “Riot” which was a perfect way to end the night.Overall I had a great experience seeing Three Days Grace! I totally did not hate anything about it… get it?
