3 Doors Down are up for a return to Spokane

3 Doors Down played the First Interstate Center for the Arts in August 2019, Spokane felt like a good fit.

“We’re not the type of band that is about playing the massive cities,” singer-songwriter Brad Arnold said while calling from Phoenix. “We’ve never been one of those bands that’s all about playing New York. In fact, we haven’t played New York in a decade. That’s just not our place. The same goes for Los Angeles. We’ll play near L.A. but not in L.A. since we’re about playing for real people.”

Arnold is as straightforward as his band’s no-nonsense brand of music. “I don’t know any other way to be,” Arnold said. “I think that comes out in our music.”

When 3 Doors Down performs Thursday at the Northern Quest Resort & Casino, the quartet will not be showcasing a new album. “We’re more of a live band than a studio band,” Arnold explained. “We’re fine with touring without anything new to play.”

There’s no rush for another 3 Doors Down album since the Mississippi-based band is reveling in its six-album canon. 3 Doors Down is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its second album, “Away From the Sun.”

It was the follow-up to the act’s debut “The Better Life,” which went seven times platinum thanks to the massive smash “Kryptonite” and minor hits “Loser” and “Be Like That.”

However, “Away From the Sun” has always been closest to the band’s heart.

“There’s just something about that album and especially the song (title track),” Arnold said. “If I had to play one song to someone to convey what 3 Doors Down is about, I would go with ‘Away From the Sun.’ That song just resonates with me more than any other song that we created. And I just love that album, not just from top to bottom but I also love some of the songs that didn’t make it onto the album from those sessions.”

Those lost tracks will be played, along with the entire album, when 3 Doors Down performs at Northern Quest. However, the album will not be played in its recorded sequence. “We were going to play it front to back but after thinking about it, we decided to start the show with a song that didn’t make the record,” Arnold said. “The song is called ‘Pop Song’,” but it’s anything but a pop song. It’s 3 Doors Down doing Megadeth. We’re just going to have fun up there with ‘Away from the Sun.’ That album had four singles on it. The fans want to hear those songs but they also want to hear the deep cuts. I love everything about that album. It feels so good going back to it.”

“When I’m Gone,” “Here Without You” and “The Road I’m On” hit the charts and helped “Away From the Sun” reach platinum status. Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson produced and performed on three “Away From the Sun” tracks, “Dead Love,” “Wasted Me” and “Dangerous Game.”

However, only “Dangerous Game” made the album. “Having Alex Lifeson work on the album was a dream come true,” Arnold said. “Everything about that period was just amazing and it’s cool that we can revisit it now.”

3 Doors Down has been an integral part of Arnold’s existence for most of his life. “This band means everything to me,” Arnold said. “I formed it 27 years ago and I’m 45. But as long as people want to hear us and see us, we’ll keep this band alive.”

The band, which also includes guitarists Chris Henderson and Chet Roberts, bassist Justin Biltonen and drummer Greg Upchurch, is excited about playing some deep cuts but the band has no problem delivering the hits. Fans still clamor for their most successful tune, “Kryptonite,” which still scores plenty of spins on classic rock radio.

“I think people identify with that song because of Superman,” Arnold said. “’If I go crazy will you still call me Superman.’ Superman is this iconic figure, who has the weight of the world on his shoulders. But if you look at the song in a deeper way, it’s about unconditional friendship. It’s about if I do good will you be there for me? If I do bad will you be there for me? I wrote that song so early on. It’s funny looking back at songs I wrote when I was a kid.”

Arnold grew up on ‘80s hair metal and ‘90s grunge. “I love Nirvana, Alice in Chains and Soundgarden,” Arnold said. Those bands had such an impact on me.”

Catching concerts was infrequent for Arnold, who grew up in tiny Escatawpa, Mississippi. But Arnold recalls the energy of shows during his teen years since the enthusiasm was unbridled. Unlike some big city audiences, who experience shows with their chin in the palm of their hands with a “prove it to me” attitude, the fans in the Deep South left an indelible impression.

“You are absolutely right about the difference between the big and small city fans,” Arnold said. “People would be going crazy at shows when I was a kid. We were so far from a big city and so fans just really appreciated it when bands would come in and play. There’s nothing that makes a performer happier when an audience is all in. I remember pulling into a small town and I was surprised by everything being closed. I asked what was going on and a local said, ‘We have a big concert tonight. We’re all getting ready for it.’ That’s the way it should be. I love it when people are ready to rock.”