The crowd took to its feet and cheered as 3 Doors Down took to the stage at the Rabobank Arena on April 19. Preceded by the bands 12 Stones and Red, it was apparent from the audience’s ominous roar that the act they came to see was about to begin.
As I expected, it was a great show. They started off rocking the house and shaking the walls as the music deafened the roar of the crowd. I could hardly hear the people sitting directly next to me as they sang along with “Kryptonite.” The light show and backdrop visual displays were awesome. And yet, I was slightly disappointed by their stage presence.
The band Red had played before them, and although Red didn’t appear to have the same quality of equipment and stage props, their stage presence outshined 3 Doors Down. It is difficult to admit that, but it was merely my observation. Perhaps the difference is that 3 Doors Down’s name value alone is what packs the stands, and since they have been around so long and their songs are played so frequently on the radio, they aren’t as concerned with pandering to the crowd. Red and 12 Stones, on the other hand, are both riding the waves of their debut albums and, being semi-new, they stepped it up a notch in order to entertain the audience.
I was unfamiliar with 12 Stones but was not very impressed with their act. Their sounds were decent, but perhaps they weren’t happy with the audience’s reaction to their music or maybe it was just part of the act, but I really didn’t see the point in flipping off the crowd. “I think the singer could have done better as far as getting the crowd involved,” said David Fagundes, from Tulare. “I am excited for 3 Doors Down.”
While 12 Stones was playing, I took the opportunity to look around the stadium and noticed that a fair amount of seats were unclaimed. At first I thought that the show sellers didn’t sell enough tickets to fill the arena.
Red had a commanding presence, as everyone but the drummer simultaneously jumped into the air right at the beginning of their first song. I could tell that they had fans in the stands as the crowd responded to the vocalist’s commentary with cheers.
During one song, the lead singer asked for the audience to wave either a lighter or cell phone in the air. I was reminded of older concerts and marveled at how technology has adapted into pop culture. And yes, I had my Zippo lit along with the rest of the crowd. Red put on a good show, and I am looking forward to hearing more from them in the future.
While they were setting up for the next act, I took the liberty of checking out the vendors. Beer was being sold, and people were complaining about the prices. There were also two booths set up to sell band merchandise. There were T-shirts, CDs, posters and other items. Apparently, Red had chosen to sell their own merchandise at a reduced cost to themrather than letting the house vendor do it for them and charge them a higher percentage.
I was pleasantly shocked to find that I couldn’t even get back to my own seat, much less find it, when 3 Doors Down began their act. So, either everyone was hanging out outside, and they were just waiting for the main act, or a lot of people showed up late. Either way, I had a lot of fun and it was a great show. I can’t wait for 3 Doors Down and Red to come back to Bakersfield.