Moving “Away From the Sun” With Candlebox and 3 Doors Down

With over 30 years of making music each, Candlebox and 3 Doors Down are the true definition of touring musicians in the US. Their brand of rock is incredibly catchy and is almost always incredibly successful in getting people off their seats.

With the hot and humid Tampa night following downpours earlier in the day, they took to the stage with people already sweatily dripping with anticipation.

Dropping the self-titled EP back in 1993, Candlebox spread across the country like wildfire after just two years of consistent achievement in Seattle clubs. Main staging at Woodstock ‘94 after being the opener for Rush and Metallica got the band quickly whipped into road shape, a build they have maintained since.

Kevin Martin on vocals and lead guitar is the only original member, but he hasn’t lost a step. Opening with “Don’t You,” “Change,” and “Blossom” they came ready to take fans through a bit of the entire catalog.

Engaging with the fans, Martin talked about how “Mother’s Dream” was a personal song and proceeded to tell us about how he wrote it for a grandmother he simply could not stand named Thelma. Grabbing an acoustic guitar, he strummed a few notes before handing it off to a youngster in the front pit. While a great gift, he didn’t sign it until later in the set.

Dedicating “He Calls Home” to his father who stormed Omaha Beach in WWII as well as to our Veterans, he told the audience “Thank you for your services brothers and sisters.” As the 11-song set began winding down, he changed on stage into a “Still Relevant” shirt, which was a somewhat delf depreciating joke given how popular the band still is. 

With “Far Behind” playing, the audience exploded. Dedicated to Soundgarden’s famed and deeply missed frontman Chris Cornell, Martin shared just a touch of how special Cornell was not only to the Seattle grunge movement but to him as a person.

As some in the audience wiped away a tear, the song touched a spot most don’t show in public. Hopping down to quickly sign the guitar before the final song “You” came to an end, he ended the set with a loud “WE LOVE YOU!!” to the audience.

Following a brief set changeover, 3 Doors Down was up next. With a more “relaxed” sound, many in the audience used the opening of their set to enjoy a slight rest off their feet, “Pop Song” and then “When I’m Gone” quickly got them back up. Those who stayed seated to just vibe to the music mostly stayed there all set, but they were not high in number. 

Reminding people that we are all friends throughout the night, his message before “Ticket to Heaven” got many to take note of how music makes us all just like being in a family. “If you ever feel alone, or if you ever feel like nobody loves you. Just remember that you’ve always been loved, Jesus loves you. You’ve never been alone. God Bless You.” 

A few songs later, “Here Without You” had everyone singing along. While many quickly found themselves flooded with memories that the song invokes, it was amazing to look around and see the different reactions. One woman was singing along, and pointing to the sky as she was lost in the moment.

Simply looking to be singing to a lost loved one, this intimate and special moment with a band is not something many experience. For the band, they fed off the energy of the fans, and they played with the passion of a group that truly wanted to do nothing else in life.

With Chris Henderson and Chet Roberts on both rhythm and lead guitar as well as backing vocals, the band has a very distinct sound available for different songs. Justin Biltonen rounds out the sound on bass, with Chris Henderson on drums, these 5 have turned the band into an incredibly well-oiled machine. Jumping into “Loser,” they had a duet of sorts between the guitar and drummer. This mixture formed another sensory overload for many, as the passion these two play with is i.

Talking about Tampa, he described how the city and our radio stations gave 3 Doors Down their first break. With the rampant radio play they got out here, they started off on the right foot, and we gave them an opportunity to tour. Telling them “You’ve been here since then. Thank you, my friends, thank you for having us. Thank you for the last 24 years!!”

With “Landing in London” and “Kryptonite” as their encore, the fans were as loud as can be to encourage them to return for those songs. With an 18-song total setlist, they gave everyone an amazing night.

With only a few dates in Texas left, if you’ve missed your opportunity to catch the tour, you may have missed out on catching Candlebox as their “The Long Goodbye Tour” portion of the tour is also concluding. To them, thank you for such an amazing set.

Additionally, I want to thank the two fellow Army Veterans working as roadies for 3 Doors Down. With the American flag on stage right all night, seeing it properly taken down, folded, and stored away was a great thing to see.

The fans who stuck around loved seeing it as well, and I cannot commend them enough for doing the right thing, even though nobody (except for me it seemed) was paying attention. Well done brothers!!