For my concert analysis paper, I went to see Nickelback on Saturday, September 16. First, I would like to give a little history about the band. Researching this band, I learned that the name Nickelback is a joke started by front man Chad Kroeger’s brother Mike. He worked in a Starbucks and would always tell customers “here’s your nickel back.” The band originally formed in 1995 in Hanna, Alberta by the three Kroeger brothers; Chad, Mike and Brandon. Later the band added guitarist Ryan Peake and relocated to Vancouver. In the beginning of their career, Nickelback really didn’t do very well. It wasn’t until the band released Silver Side Up that they gained momentum in the music world. This was largely because of their hit How You Remind Me which was nominated for 4 Grammy awards and won 4 Juno awards. After that album was released in 2001, Nickelback exploded into popularity in several countries. For a band everyone supposedly hates as a whole, their music career has thrived well enough for them to sell more than 25 million albums worldwide. If nothing else, someone who says they hate Nickelback probably still knows the words to either How You Remind Me or Rockstar.

            When I first bought the tickets for the show I admit I had low expectations. I had heard rumors that Nickelback isn’t very good live due to Chad Kroeger drinking onstage. I’m also hesitant to see bands I haven’t before live because I know there is a chance they won’t sound good at all compared to the studio album. When I watched the Nickelback show I was pleasantly surprised because they sounded identical to their albums. This tells me that they don’t use any vocal enhancements to sound better on an album and I personally prefer bands that sound the same as their albums. I’ve noticed from my past concerts that this is a common practice with rock bands and country bands.

            I wouldn’t say there was much of a parking lot culture at Usana but inside the venue there definitely was. Everyone there was either dressed up in merchandise, black clothing or country attire such as flannel and cowboy boots. A trend I noticed at this show was the addition of more people standing with each show. During the first band, Shamans Harvest, very few people were standing and those who were seemed to all be located in the seats by the stage. The second band, Daughtry had about half or two thirds of the venue on their feet for their set. By the time Nickelback came on stage there wasn’t a single person sitting down. A strong culture that seems specific to Usana is definitely the food and beer involved. As you walk in to find a place to sit, there’s nothing but food tents and trucks and just about every type of beer you could want. This is true of every show I’ve seen at this particular venue.

            Now for the best part in my opinion; the band. Nickelback was very energetic and involved with the crowd. They opened with the song the tour was named after Feed The Machine. This song is very rock sounding. It has heavy drums and backbeats, strong guitar and of course Chad Kroeger’s rough vocal quality. The lyric content of this song is all about feeling oppressed and being told to stand in line. It’s not the most positive of songs but I feel like it speaks to how people in society seem to feel now days. This show was on more of a serious note with the songs they chose to play until the last few songs. The band also broke up some of the seriousness between songs by interacting with the crowd. The band is genuinely really funny and I enjoyed the way they talked to each other and the crowd. For example, they noticed a toddler in the crowd and Chad asked how old he was. When the family said he was two, the band went off about how they make beautiful children and Chad asked the couple if they could make him one. Another time was when a fan held up a birthday sign, the band decided to sing her happy birthday and to make it funnier they played and sang it in an imitation of Elvis Presley doing Blue Suede Shoes.

            For this show they played more of their older hits than the newer songs. One of my absolute favorite songs by the band that they performed was Lullaby. This song has a very sad lyric content. It’s about the singer being scared to death because he can’t get ahold of someone. He knows this person is depressed and he’s telling them it’s never too late and to continue trying. This song features a piano throughout it with a heavy backbeat accompanying it. The sound is very unique and that’s why it’s my personal favorite aside from the powerful lyrics. It feels very textured to me between the strong drums, light piano and subtle guitar sounds.

            One more song I would like to write about from this show is from the end of the show. They had gone off the stage and it seemed like the show was over some people started leaving. Then a phone light appeared on stage and started waving at everyone until a bit off the crowd was copying. Then the band came back and asked if everyone was still there. After the cheering in response they playfully said “Well since it’s Saturday let’s have some fun!” and they began playing Burn It To The Ground. This song is very much so a rock and roll party song. It has a fast tempo, heavy backbeat and defined electric guitar. The lyric content is about getting drunk, partying and taking the world down in that state. It has some call and response during the verses between the vocals and the lead guitar.

            In conclusion, this concert was so much fun, had tons of humor and definitely had a specific fan base. I would highly recommend seeing this band live if you want to have a good time. Thank you for assigning this because I otherwise probably would have missed them again.

Sources

1.      “Nickelback Biography.” Rolling Stone, www.rollingstone.com/music/artists/nickelback/biography. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.

2.      “Nickelback.” Billboard.com, www.billboard.com/artist/312256/nickelback/biography. Accessed 17 Sept. 2017.