Traditional rock music may rarely top the charts anymore, but there was a time not so long ago that guitar-driven songs reigned supreme. And if the crowd at PPG Paints Arena on Tuesday night was any indication, the appetite for a wild night of rock still exists.
Canadian rock band Three Days Grace came up in the post-grunge era of the 2000s, when mainstream acts such as Nickelback met the wave of emo that gained steam as the decade wore on. They released their first album, which was self-titled and went triple platinum, in 2003, and followed it up with seven more over the following 22 years. They’ve sold more than 10 million albmms and charted seven singles on the Billboard Hot 100.
In the decades since their triumphant debut, they’ve seen lineup changes, including the exit and re-entry of lead singer Adam Gontier. He was replaced with Matt Walst who stayed on when Gontier returned in 2024. The two singers now make a harmonious dual lead, with Gontier’s gritty vocals and Walst’s soaring, fresh approach.
But honestly, they were in some ways upstaged by their two opening acts. The Funeral Portrait got the crowd rocking early with a half hour set, with highlight song “Holy Water” falling into the category of what the band referred to as “y’allternative.” They were followed up by I Prevail, who heated up the arena with nonstop gouts of pyrotechnics and friendly personalities that juxtaposed nicely against their incendiary songs.
Three Days Grace drew heavily from their 2025 album “Alienation,” starting with “Dominate,” a hard-hitting introduction that threaded guitar and vocals up to a fever pitch. But they didn’t just stick with new songs; they immediately followed it up with thrumming bass and a clap-along drumbeat for 2006 hit “Animal I Have Become.”
After singing “Home,” Gontier stopped to give a quick rundown of the band’s history, pausing to address his time away from Three Days Grace. “What happened when I left the band was nothing short of incredible. These guys kept going,” he said. “I am very thankful, very grateful that they did that. If they hadn’t done it, we wouldn’t be here today doing what we’re doing.
The first run of songs were all driving and angry, full of searing riffs and screaming singing. “Kill Me Fast” was a bit slower, with more depth and a real showcase of the two vocalists playing to their strengths. But it may have gotten lost in the shuffle since they chased it with their most well-remembered song, “I Hate Everything About You.”
“I’m pretty sure you all know this song,” Gontier said. “I think it was the soundtrack to many, many divorces.”
It’s memorable for a good reason, with its slightly off-kilter opening chords, restrained verses and shouty chorus that got the entire arena singing along. It was also fun to see one of their oldest songs play off of “Apologies,” the much more modern-sounding next tune. With a little bit of pop and even R&B influence, plus a strong beat, it definitely stood out (in a good way).
Before playing another new song, “Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight,” Gontier talked about growing up in the tiny town of Norwood, Ontario, Canada. The fuzzy, dreamy, monotonous missive fits its lyrics’ nostalgic sense of loneliness very well.
It was also well-placed in the set. Directly after, the band huddled around the stage like it was a backyard, a backdrop of frosty trees projected on the screen behind them. Here they played a three-song acoustic set that felt intimate and casual.
It was the perfect format for one of the set’s few happy songs, “Lost in You,” and the much more somber “Lifetime,” which was grief-stricken and raw. Before the whole band returned in full force, Gontier took a moment to sing the first verse of 3 Doors Down’s hit “Here Without You,” only accompanied by the voices of the crowd.
The last portion of the set featured the anthemic new song “Mayday,” which kick-started some enthusiastic crowd surfing on the floor. “The Good Life” is the kind of song that would soundtrack the rock-and-roll trashing of a hotel room and only fueled the show’s energy.
A lot of Three Days Grace’s ongs can sound a bit samey, and they can also sound a lot like the other songs of their era. But there were some real peaks during those 2000s rock-dominated years, and one of them was the penultimate song from Tuesday’s set, “Never Too Late,” which twinkled with earnest hope and thousands of cell phone flashlights.
But any band with a hard rock pedigree has to end the night with their most mosh-pit-friendly song, and Three Days Grace’s is literally called “Riot.” Flames danced on the video screen as guitars twizzled through the verses and the two singers stomped and strutted over the stage. It definitely got the leaving crowd fired up.
While generic rock can get repetitive, Three Days Grace seems to have evolved and grown with the times — and they still fill an angsty, angry void with growling riffs, screaming voices and thundering drums.