Nickelback ‘Light It Up’ At SPAC [REVIEW]

Last night SPAC was packed with people of all ages as they gathered for the Here and Now Tour which featured a trio of bands that have already made an impact on modern music. My Darkest Days, Bush and headliners Nickelback came together to put on a great show and I got to be there to witness it.

The night started off with a barbecue for those who won the opportunity through Q103. Nickelback was not present at this event, but it was still fun nonetheless. Hot dogs, burgers, salads, chips and drinks were provided and the two dozen or so winners who attended all seemed to enjoy themselves.

The barbecue ended around 5 pm and proceeded to the meet and greet with the band. After waiting for awhile we were escorted inside SPAC and taken to Nickelback's dressing room, which was complete with couches, video games, a computer, snacks and drinks, which we were offered as well. It was the coziest little room to unwind and relax in. After some time the band came in and introduced themselves to everyone and chatted here and there. I talked with drummer Dan Adair and not only was he cute (well all of them were) but very nice. He talked about how he and the band had two days off to spend in the Capital District and he especially liked buying those folded up bikes that the band rode around town in.

After talking and taking pictures with their own personal photographer, we then got to enjoy some delicious catering by Glen Sanders Mansion. There was an impressive spread of salads, meats, pastas, starches and vegetables, as well as finger desserts and an array of beverages. I felt incredibly lucky and thankful that I got to experience the VIP treatment for awhile and boy did I take advantage with all of that food! We ate in a room with other media and winners as well as some band members who were in and out, such as My Darkest Days' Sal Costa and Bush's Gavin Rossdale.

I unfortunately missed My Darkest Days perform, but from what I have seen in the past they are incredible and entertaining and showcase their high levels of energy, enthusiasm and passion which are proven by their rising success as they tour with Nickelback and Bush.

I had never seen Bush live before so I was really excited and they did not disappoint. They have great stage

presence and aim to please their fans. Front man Gavin Rossdale made his way throughout the entire arena, inside and out with a camera following close behind him. He weaved in and out of the crowds, went on the balcony bridges and sang in the mounds of people along with the fans. I had never seen anyone attempt that at SPAC before so it was pretty awesome. They sang mostly radio and fan favorites such as: "Machinehead," "The Chemicals Between Us," "The Sound of Winter," "Everything Zen," "Little Things," "Glycerine" and "Comedown." They also covered The Beatles' tune "Come Together," which was a huge crowd favorite and done very well.

At 9 o' clock on the dot Nickelback took the stage. By now the crowd was full of rowdy "animals" from an afternoon of sun, fun and drinking. The set looked great- brightly-colored lights, pyrotechnic displays and a big screen on the back wall behind the drummer which showed the members close up as well as provided lyrics to some of the songs. As always at SPAC there were also two screens on either side of the building for those on the lawn to watch if they could not get a good view of the actual stage. Frequently there would be breaths of fire behind the drummer that extended far up into the stage. In the middle of the set front man Chad Kroeger announced that "it doesn't take a genius to figure out all hells about to break loose up here," as cups of beer were thrown out into the audience and t-shirts were delivered via hand cannons.

Other features of the night included a killer drum solo and Chad saying how our area had some of the nicest people, to which I chuckled at slightly. The end of the night brought a two-song encore and as Chad said goodnight and goodbye the fire was amplified and constant at times in addition to eye-catching glitter shoots that resembled over-sized sparklers of great colors.

Their set list was as follows: