3 Doors Down: The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour at Freedom Hill Amphitheatre
There is a select group of songs during a lifespan that have an everlasting impact, both emotionally and figuratively. Songs that evoke smiles and memories, good or bad, each time they are played on any form of media. For multi-platinum rock band 3 Doors Down, 1990 was the year that their album The Better Life changed the way of life for the band and also generations of music fans. “Kryptonite,” with its minor-key shuffle and references to Superman, was the first release off the epic body of work. It launched their career and subsequently became a juggernaut hit across the globe that generations now sing along with. In celebration of that milestone album, 3 Doors Down has decided to celebrate with their fans and perform The Better Life album in its entirety, front to back, along with the rest of their hits on The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour .
The beauty of The Better Life LP is that 20 years later, the music is still relevant as the band and legions of dedicated fans demonstrated Saturday night at the Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The 20th anniversary tour of the album should have theoretically been in 2020, but any preconceived ideas went awry for some odd unforeseen(COVID) reason. When the anniversary tour was finally announced in early 2021, singer Brad Arnold stated; “It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years since we released The Better Life. That album drastically changed our lives, and we are incredibly excited to celebrate the 20th Anniversary with our fans by playing The Better Life front to back this summer. It’s going to be a blast, and we can’t wait to get on the road and see everyone out there!”
The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour stop in the Motor City began with a ceremonious countdown of seconds on a green diamond-shaped screen (a nod to a certain caped superhero) leading into the immediately recognizable guitar licks of “Kryptonite,” the first cut on the LP. The near capacity crowd erupted in cheers as singer Brad Arnold, guitarists Chet Roberts and Chris Henderson, along with the rest of the band hit the stage in between displayed American flags. For a nostalgic feel, clips from the official music video were broadcast on the monitor screens that flanked the simple yet effective stage setup.
All 11 cuts from The Better Life were performed sequentially as they were on the album, but clearly, many of the songs sounded harder than the original. “Loser” had a deeper bass feel while “Duck and Run” featured guitar licks that resonated longer and stronger than what first comes to mind off the LP, but conversely sounded so much better live. To be honest, the band sounded tighter and the songs carried much more energy live (especially true for their ballad-esq songs) than anytime in recent memory.
One of the more memorable moments of the evening transpired before starting “Be Like That,” Arnold moved to the front of the stage and said, “All right, my friends, this song is one of those that sound so much better when you sing with us.” It was scenarios such as those that brought it all together. It was the authenticity and humbleness of 3 Doors Down that made the already beloved band just that more lovable.
3 Doors Down wrapped up the album portion of the set with a scintillating rendition of “By My Side,” that featured Chris Hendersons fabulous guitar work followed by “Smack” and a rollicking version of “So I Need You.” As the instruments grew silent at the conclusion, Brad Arnold moved stage front and stoically announced,” And that, ladies and gentleman, was The Better Life start to finish.”
Speaking of Brad Arnold, his vocals were stellar all night – especially on the mega hits “Away From the Sun” and “Let Me Go,” that started the “and all the other hits” portion of the show. On “It’s Not My Time,” Arnold stretched his legs vocally which was audibly pleasing but unfortunately it was on one of the few songs that seemed to lose some nuance with its harder treatment.
With a nod to their recent acoustic tour, the band reached back into the archives for the emotional “Landing in London.” It’s not often a powerhouse performance slows down the pace to this extent, but this cut just seemed to work. As most well seasoned artists do, they save their best cuts for last and 3 Doors Down was no different, ending the set with the sonically charged, “Its Not My Time,” much to the delight of the euphoric crowd. After a short break off stage for a well deserved breather, the band returned to the stage for a supercharged performance of two of their most prolific hits, “Here Without You” and “When I’m Gone.”
Over the past two decades, 3 Doors Down has released numerous albums, but their first single “Kryptonite” from the multi-platinum “The Better Life” album remains a crowd favorite—and their highest volume streamed song. The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour is giving fans a chance to be transported back to the band’s breakout days and relive a simpler time when all that mattered was the music. Don’t miss your chance to revive some lost memories with the music that raised a generation. 3 Doors Down: The Better Life 20th Anniversary Tour 2021.
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