3 Doors Down coming to Dubuque

For many recording artists, it’s about playing the biggest cities in the country. That’s not so for 3 Doors Down.

“We’ve never been one of those bands that’s all about playing New York,” singer/songwriter Brad Arnold said. “In fact, we haven’t played New York in a decade. That’s just not our place. The same goes for Los Angeles. We’ll play near L.A. but not in L.A., since we're about playing for real people.

“That’s why we love playing Iowa. We like playing cities out in the country because we come from the country. We go out there and play to our people.”

When 3 Doors Down plays at Dubuque’s Q Casino on June 23, the band isn’t showcasing a new album.

“We’re more of a live band than a studio band,” Arnold explained. “We’re fine with touring without anything new to play.”

There’s no rush for another 3 Doors Down album, since the straightforward rock band is reveling in its six-album canon. The Mississippi-based band is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its second album, “Away From the Sun.”

It was the follow-up to the band’s debut, “The Better Life,” which went seven times platinum, thanks to the massive smash “Kryptonite” and minor hits “Loser” and “Be Like That.”

However, “Away From the Sun” has always been closest to the band’s heart.

“There’s just something about that album and especially the (title track),” Arnold said while calling from Murphysburg, Tenn. “If I had to play one song to someone to convey what 3 Doors Down is about, I would go with ‘Away From the Sun.’

“That song just resonates with me more than any other song that we created,” he noted. “And I just love that album — not just from top to bottom, but I also love some of the songs that didn’t make it onto the album from those sessions.”

Those lost tracks will be played, along with the entire album, when 3 Doors Down performs in Dubuque. But it won’t be played in its recorded sequence.

“We were going to play it front to back, but after thinking about it, we decided to start the show with a song that didn’t make the record,” Arnold said. “The song is called ‘Pop Song,’ but it’s anything but a pop song. It’s 3 Doors Down doing Megadeth.

“We’re just going to have fun up there with ‘Away from the Sun.’ That album had four singles on it. The fans want to hear those songs, but they also want to hear the deep cuts,” he said. “I love everything about that album. It feels so good going back to it.”

“When I’m Gone,” “Here Without You” and “The Road I’m On” hit the charts and helped “Away From the Sun” reach platinum status. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson produced and performed on three “Away From the Sun” tracks: “Dead Love,” “Wasted Me” and “Dangerous Game.”

However, only “Dangerous Game” made the album.

“Having Alex Lifeson work on the album was a dream come true,” Arnold said. “Everything about that period was just amazing, and it’s cool that we can revisit it now.”

3 Doors Down has been an integral part of Arnold’s existence for most of his life.

“This band means everything to me,” he said. “I formed it 27 years ago, and I’m 45. But as long as people want to hear us and see us, we’ll keep this band alive.”

3 Doors Down — which also includes guitarists Chris Henderson and Chet Roberts, bassist Justin Biltonen and drummer Greg Upchurch — is excited about playing some deep cuts, but the band has no problem delivering the hits. Fans still clamor for their most successful tune, “Kryptonite,” which still scores plenty of spins on classic rock radio.

“I think people identify with that song because of Superman,” Arnold said, citing the lyrics, “If I go crazy will you still call me Superman?”

“Superman is this iconic figure, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders,” Arnold said. “But if you look at the song in a deeper way, it’s about unconditional friendship. It’s about if I do good will you be there for me? If I do bad will you be there for me? I wrote that song so early on. It’s funny looking back at songs I wrote when I was a kid.”

Arnold grew up on ’80s hair metal and ’90s grunge.

“I love Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden,” Arnold said. Those bands had such an impact on me.“

Catching concerts was infrequent for Arnold, who grew up in tiny Escatawpa, Miss. But he recalls the energy of shows during his teen years, and the unbridled enthusiasm. Unlike some big-city audiences who experience shows with their chin in the palm of their hands and a prove-it-to-me attitude, the fans in the Deep South left an indelible impression.

“You are absolutely right about the difference between the big- and small-city fans,” Arnold said. “People would be going crazy at shows when I was a kid. We were so far from a big city, and so fans just really appreciated it when bands would come in and play.

“There’s nothing that makes a performer happier when an audience is all-in. I remember pulling into a small town and I was surprised by everything being closed. I asked what was going on and a local said, ‘We have a big concert tonight. We’re all getting ready for it.’ That's the way it should be. I love it when people are ready to rock.”