Alternative rock band 3 Doors Down is on the road again, this time with post-grunge band Collective Soul.
The two bands are on what they are dubbing the Rock & Roll Express Tour, which pulls into Tucson’s AVA at Casino Del Sol, 5655 W. Valencia Road, on Tuesday, Sept. 18.
We caught up on the phone with 3 Doors Down founding guitarist Chris Henderson to talk about the setlist, life on the road and his band’s next step, releasing an all-acoustic album.
What can we expect to hear, more of your older hits or new cuts off your recent album, “Us and the Night”?
“Very little off ‘Us and The Night’ really. We’re continuously changing stuff. We play different sets for different crowds. We like to see what works and what doesn’t. We’re continually trying to make the show better. For me, when I go see a band, I want to hear the hits. It’s important to play the ones that people really want to hear.”
This tour was supposed to end in Phoenix. Why did you decide to extend it to other cities?
“If someone wants us to come play, we’re all about it. That’s what we do, we want to go, we want to play, we want to see people. There was an opportunity to do it, so we took it.”
What has it been like sharing the stage and the road with Collective Soul?
“Not only are they a great live band, with tons of hits, hit after hit after hit, but super, super, nice guys. After the show, we’re out back playing cornhole, just having a good time.”
There has been talk about 3 Doors Down working on an acoustic album after this tour. What about acoustic music appeals to you and the band?
“It brings the listener into the writing room. You get the best of both worlds. You get the way the song was originally written and the way it was recorded. Performance- and sound-wise, it’s really unique and it’s fun for us. We can change the style and the sound, but we still want it to be 3 Doors Down. For the fans of the band I think it will be a nice catalog piece.”
