Music fans, prepare to rock. Nickelback, one of the last holdouts of 1990s rock, are coming Tuesday, July 11, to the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portalnd. Specials guests at the 7:30 p.m. show will be Hoobastank and Chevelle.
Despite their eventual propensity to write No. 1 hits, Chad Kroeger (vocals/guitar), his brother Mike (bass) and Ryan Vikedal (drums) founded Nickelback as a cover band in Hanna, Canada. After honing his skills 150 miles northeast of Calgary, the singing Kroeger traveled to Vancouver to record some original songs in a friend’s studio. Vikedal and Mike Kroeger soon followed, joining Chad and Ryan Peake (guitar). In 1996, the group released its first EP, “Hesher,” with the full-length “Curb” coming out later that year.
After touring the country for the better part of three years, Nickelback hit the studio to record its follow-up album, “The State.” The first single, “Leader of Men,” found its way onto Canadian radio and eventually trickled down to the States. Before long, Nickelback found itself playing alongside such huge American acts as Creed, 3 Doors Down and Fuel. Roadrunner released “The State in the U.S.” and it quickly went gold.
Capitalizing on its popularity, Nickelback followed “The State” with the smash “Silver Side Up.” Working with veteran producer Rick Parashar (Pearl Jam, Temple of the Dog), the album included hit single “How You Remind Me.”
“The Long Road,” anchored by “Someday,” arrived in 2003, selling 5 million copies worldwide.
Nickelback’s relationship with Vikedal ended in February 2005. The remaining members claimed he left the band, but he said he was forced out because the band wanted a different “type of drummer.” Daniel Adair, the former 3 Doors Down drummer, replaced Vikedal and played on Nickelback’s October 2005 release “All the Right Reasons.”
Hoobastank began its slow climb to fame in 1994. Doug Robb (vocals) and Dan Estrin (guitar) met at a high-school battle of the bands in their hometown, the Los Angeles suburb of Agoura Hills. The pair quickly added Markku Lappalainen (bass) and Chris Hesse (drums) to the lineup and began writing together.
After the 1998 release “They Sure Don’t Make Basketball Shorts Like They Used To” garnered Hoobastank attention on the local circuit, the band started touring throughout California.
After signing to Island Records and opening for Incubus and Alien Ant Farm, the group released a self-titled album in November 2001. Featuring singles “Crawling in the Dark” and “Running Away,” both received airplay on MTV and the radio, eventually selling more than 500,000 copies. Hoobastank followed up this success with 2003’s “The Reason and Every Man For Himself,” released earlier this year.
The Chicago trio Chevelle is a brotherly affair. Pete Loeffler sings and plays guitar, backed by his sibling Joe on bass and Sam banging the skins. In 1999, the group released its debut album, “Point No. 1,” produced by the legendary Steve Albini. After signing to Epic, the trio followed up with “Wonder What’s Next.” Sales of the album, bolstered by hit single “Send the Pain Below,” exploded, and the album has since been certified platinum.
Comments are no longer available on this story