Early 2000s hit-makers 3 Doors Down will bring its “Back Porch Jam” tour to Athens on Wednesday for a nostalgic night of acoustic interpretation of the band’s hits.
The band that boasts smash-hits like “Kryptonite,” “Here Without You” and “When I’m Gone” will play a mix of both old and new songs at Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium.
Special guest Elvis Monroe will kick off Wednesday’s show as the opening act at 7:30 p.m. Admission is $55 for the first 10 rows (sold out), $45 for the rest of the floor and $35 for balcony seating.
3 Doors Down will play its full set unplugged, a departure from its typical fully produced rock shows.
MemAud offers a closeness perfect for acoustic shows that other venues its size do not, Andrew Holzaepfel, the senior associate director of student activities, said.
“Even if you’re in the back of the house, you’ll still feel like you’re close. So having these intimate shows work really well,” Holzaepfel said. “I think the artists feel connected to the audience and the audience feels connected to the artists.”
Chris Henderson, the rhythm guitarist for 3 Doors Down, also emphasized the intimacy of an acoustic show.
“It’s an opportunity for us to connect with the real 3 Doors Down fans that wanna see us play some songs that they’ve never seen us play before,” Henderson said. “We’re gonna play all the ones that they do know, but there’s also an opportunity for us to play songs that people haven’t heard.”
Henderson said the most important part of any show is the connection between the band and the audience. During past acoustic tours, the shows allowed band members to make new connections with their fans, so the band members wanted to replicate those connections.
“The fans are the ones that make this possible. You got be able to make a connection with them,” Henderson said. “That’s what it’s all about.”
Henderson hopes to engage students and younger fans by bringing back their childhood memories with the strumming of his six-string.
“Our music brings them back to a period of their life that they fondly remember,” Henderson said. “Maybe it brings them back to … some happy times. That’s all you can really hope for as a musician, is to impact someone’s life like that.”
Clarification: This article has been updated to clarify that tickets for the first 10 rows have been sold out.
