Creed – Summer of ’99 Tour

Creed – Summer of ’99 Tour

During the late ’90s, Creed emerged from a sea of post-grunge contenders to become one of the decade’s biggest-selling rock bands. At a time when many other Seattle disciples were lapsing into inactivity or experimenting with less commercial sounds, Creed carried the torch of straightforward, grungy hard rock without apology — and they were amply rewarded, selling millions upon millions of albums in just a few years’ time. That success didn’t translate into critical acclaim, however. Many reviewers slammed the band’s music as derivative, and frontman Scott Stapp was lambasted by publications like Rolling Stone for being “irony-deficient, Jesus-haired, and often shirtless in a way that reminded people of the guy from Lord of the Dance.” Based on their frequently spiritual lyrics, some observers deemed Creed part of a new breed of alternative-styled Christian bands, an affiliation that Creed actively tried to downplay. Neither critical jabs nor a potential secular backlash could derail the band, though, and they went into the new millennium as a seemingly unstoppable commercial juggernaut. Ultimately, it was Stapp’s substance abuse and increasingly erratic behavior that brought an end to Creed’s heyday in 2004. The remaining members partnered with vocalist Myles Kennedy to form Alter Bridge, while Stapp briefly pursued a solo career before reconvening with Creed in late 2008.

About 3 Doors Down

Hailing from the small town of Escatawpa, Mississippi, 3 Doors Down hit their peak in the 2000s with a string of post-grunge singles, most notably “Kryptonite,” “When I’m Gone,” and the ballad “Here Without You.” “Kryptonite,” with its minor-key shuffle and references to Superman, was the catalyst for the band’s career, generating an unprecedented buzz at a local radio station — Biloxi’s WCPR — during the band’s independent days. Such support helped make 3 Doors Down a regional favorite, enabling them to draw relatively large crowds to their local live shows and, consequently, extending their popularity beyond the Deep South to internationally famous clubs like New York’s CBGB.

About Finger Eleven

The members of alternative metal outfit Finger Eleven grew up in Burlington, Ontario, and came together in high school as a funk-styled band named Rainbow Butt Monkeys. Originally comprising vocalist Scott Anderson, bassist Sean Anderson, drummer Rob Gommerman, and James Black and Rick Jackett on guitars, they won a rock band search contest on local radio and used the prize money to record their first album, 1995’s Letters from Chutney. Gommerman left the band soon after, making way for drummer Rich Beddoe. Now named Finger Eleven, the quintet released Tip on Mercury Records in Canada, which marked the band’s turn to a heavier sound. It was re-released by the New York City-based label Wind-Up Records in September 1998. The album made minor waves on MuchMusic, videos for “Above” and “Tip” increasing their profile at home, but it would still be several years before U.S. audiences really paid attention to the band. The Greyest of Blue Skies appeared in the summer of 2000, followed three years later by Finger Eleven’s self-titled third album.

The latter record eventually went gold, driven by the success of their brooding Top 40 hit “One Thing.” After various rounds of touring, the guys got to work collectively writing their next album for Wind-Up. March 2007’s Them vs. You vs. Me featured much more varied instrumentation and influences — including dance, funk, and country — than just the chugging metallic guitars of Finger Eleven’s past efforts. The band subsequently hit the road in support with U.S. shows alongside Evanescence and Chevelle. Back home in Canada, Them vs. You vs. Me wound up winning the Juno for Rock Album of the Year in 2008, raising expectations for the band’s next album, the Juno Award-nominated Life Turns Electric, which appeared in the fall of 2010. Five Crooked Lines, the band’s seventh studio long-player, was released in 2015 and preceded by the single “Wolves and Doors.”