Adam Gontier Celebrates Minnesota Homecoming at Three Days Grace Concert [[Interview]]

Three Days Grace returned to The Target Center in Minneapolis. Supporting Disturbed on their Sickness anniversary tour, this performance marked a special occasion for fans: The return of lead singer Adam Gontier.

Departing the band in 2013, the last decade has seen My Darkest Days frontman Matt Walst taking over vocal duties. Now sharing the stage together, Walt and Gontier traded off vocals and impressed the crowd with a heavy hitting performance.

Starting off with fan favorite “Animal” and leading into crowd pleaser “So Called Life,” the Canadian rockers put in the work to get the crowd primed and ready for headliner Disturbed. Fans gave headliner level energy as they welcomed the return to Three Days Grace’s original sound. They also embraced Gontier as one of their own.

“This was the state I met my wife in, and the state where I got clean in,” he proclaimed. For years, Gontier has called Minnesota his home. This performance truly was a special homecoming.

Music in Minnesota was lucky enough to hear more from Matt Gontier. Read below for an exclusive interview:

Music in Minnesota: Thanks for taking the time to chat with Music in Minnesota today! Fans across the Twin Cities are getting psyched to see you guys on tour with Disturbed. With tour starting, did you getting ready?
Adam Gontier: We just spent a week in Las Vegas setting up, rehearsing, going over everything, getting everything dialed in for the tour. We’re ready. We’ve been doing this a long time, so we know what we need to do. We’re ready to get back onstage. It’s time!

MiM: Gearing up for a months long tour, you need to be prepared. What are some touring essentials you need to bring on the road with you?
AG: Well, yeah, there’s a few things we bring out when we tour. For the bus, for days off, etc. We bring our baseball gloves to throw a ball around, we make sure there’s a PS5 on the bus, and of course, we need an acoustic guitar and some recording gear. Those are the essentials.

MiM: You are supporting Disturbed’s anniversary run for 25-years of The Sickness. What memories do you have associated with that album? Where were you 25 years ago?
AG: Well, funny enough, 25 years ago Three Days Grace was playing shows in Toronto trying to network and find a record deal. I remember the Sickness album well and it was an inspiration to us back then. Eventually we got a record deal and shortly after we were playing shows with Disturbed. It was surreal.

MiM: Three Days Grace is also about to celebrate a special anniversary. 20 years of One-X next year! What does coming up on that milestone mean to you and how will you celebrate?
AG: Yeah, it’s unbelievable to think about the fact that One X came out 20 years ago. The fact that that album resonated with so many people is hard to believe. We all feel extremely grateful for the success of that album. It’s given us a platform and an opportunity to continue making music and to keep doing what we love to do. Forever grateful to our fans and everyone who listened / listens to One X.

MiM; Something that makes this run of shows unique is that this is among your first back with the band. What are you looking forward to most from these shows now that you are back with the guys?
AG: For me, just being back onstage with the guys playing all these songs we wrote over the years is just an amazing feeling. It’s like we’ve picked up right where we left off. And more than that, spending time on the road with each other. That’s the real stuff. That’s what it’s all about.

MiM: I am especially excited for this show because I get to be in the photo pit for the first three songs. As a photographer, I’ve noticed the first three songs are critical to grabbing our attention and setting the tone of the show. How do you plan on grabbing Minnesota’s attention in the first three songs?
AG: The start of the show is always important for us. When we perform, we leave it all on the stage. There’s a LOT of energy up there. From the first song to the last.

MiM: Minneapolis is very much a music city. Right across the street from Target Center is our iconic First Avenue. Do you happen to have any Minneapolis memories?
AG: Well, Minneapolis is a special place to me. I actually lived there. And my wife is from Minneapolis. I’ve got so many great memories of MSP and St Paul. From shows at First Ave to camping way up north in the Boundary Waters. Minnesota is like a second home to me. My family and I go back every year for the state fair as well. One of my favorite places on earth.

Fan question:  How do you balance keeping the iconic Three Days Grace sound/vibe while still evolving and trying new ideas?
AG: That’s a great question. To be honest, we really try not to overthink what we’re doing when we write. Our inspirations and influences haven’t really changed so there’s always that underlying vibe that’s always a part of what we write. We really just try to write songs we all love, and when they’re in a place where everyone’s happy, we feel pretty good about what we’ve written. That’s one piece of advice I can give to artists and musicians that are just starting out. Write songs for yourself and be true to yourself. The rest will fall into place. – I just want to reiterate to our fans in Minnesota, that Minneapolis feels like home. It’s like coming back to play a hometown show. It’s one of my absolute favorite cities in America to not only be in, but to perform in as well. It’s going to be a special night and can’t wait to see everyone there.

MiM: Thank you for talking with us today. And thanks for showing some love to Minnesota. Before we go -what can fans across the country expect from this show?
These shows will be special. It’s the first time we’ve all been on stage together in over ten years. I think fans can expect a special night of the songs they love. And obviously sharing the stage with Sevendust and Disturbed is an honor. Gonna be a killer night of amazing music!