Anniversaries, reunions, and music: 3 Doors Down and Candlebox perform at Hard Rock Live

Rock bands 3 Doors Down and Candlebox lit up the Hard Rock Live event center in Wheatland on Thursday with the latter opening the concert and celebrating two anniversaries: the 30th anniversary of their self-titled four-times platinum album, and the band’s friendship with local Irish rock band ONOFF.

ONOFF opened for Candlebox last summer at the Goldfield Trading Post in Roseville and the two groups quickly bonded over their mutual respect for one another and their musicianship.

“Candlebox was first introduced to us during our sound check,” explained Paulie Daly, ONOFF’s lead singer and guitarist. “They all watched offstage and after that said, ‘man you guys rock.’ From there we just clicked.“

Candlebox was reportedly so impressed that when the Irish trio invited them to watch, they said “yes.”

“Normally, the headliner doesn’t watch the opener because they want to relax before they go on and get a connection, but they showed up for us,” added Daly.

So naturally, when Candlebox came into town last week, Stevie Bogan, ONOFF’s drummer and owner of Marysville’s new Institute of Rock, treated them like family and gave them a personal tour of the Yuba-Sutter area. This familiarity seemed to rub off on the band, helping them to relax and bring forth their best show.

From the moment Candlebox entered the stage they brought a beautiful chaos of sorts with hits like “Change” and “Cover me,” a song about the lead singer’s faith and childhood memories of being an altar boy, an upbringing which seems fitting for Kevin Martin, whose belting abilities could be described as angelic.

Despite this being Candlebox’s farewell tour, their set list included a few newer songs that fans might expect to hear on the bands final studio album which is set to be released later this year by Round Hill Records. Additionally, a feature-length documentary, “Far Behind: The Candlebox Story,” is said to be in the works for the group.

Candlebox finished off their performance with their smash hit “Far Behind,” dedicated to their Seattle grunge brothers Kurt Cobain and Chris Cornell, leaving the stage on fire for 3 Doors Down. Brad Arnold and his crew picked right up where they left off, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their own four-times platinum album “Away From the Sun.”

While Candlebox was pure chaos, 3 Doors Down was the epitome of consistency and control. Each song was performed with textbook accuracy, hard almost to tell apart from the recordings. They played the whole “Away from the Sun” album along with other favorites including “It’s Not My Time” and a predictable encore of “Kryptonite,” which had fans buzzing.

3 Doors Down was a band of few words, saving their thoughts to impart messages of love and positivity. Both bands worked in tandem to transport the audience back to a seemingly simpler time, reminiscing on what their lives were like only a few short decades ago.

Lead singer Arnold was sure to thank his fans after each and every song, instilling both reverence and gratitude for the shared experience of music and its ability to bring people together.

Mainly clear skies. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Mainly clear skies. Low 63F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.

Updated: August 7, 2023 @ 7:28 pm

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