Transformed after Katrina, band eager to open convocation center
Of every ticket sold, $1 goes toward hurricane relief.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
From the safety of their tour bus hundreds of miles away in Columbus, Ohio, the members of 3 Doors Down helplessly watched as Hurricane Katrina literally flattened their hometown of Escatawpa, Miss.
"I'm not the same person I was before that hurricane came through," said drummer Chris Henderson, calling from Houston. "It changed my life completely. The reason I say that is I'm really talking with a lot of experience. I've lived in Mississippi, pretty much in the same 10 square miles, for 34 years, and I've been through many storms and know what they can do and seen people get killed and houses destroyed."
He added, "I knew what to expect, right. So I thought I was ready for this storm, but come to find out I wasn't ready; neither was my family; neither was my community; neither was New Orleans. And in turn, it devastated us. You live and learn, but even that being said, if another storm came through there again, it would do the same thing. You can't prepare for something like that."
Difficult decision
Ironically, it's what the band did next -- not its platinum albums and hit singles -- that will invariably define its legacy, at least in the Gulf Coast region. For years, the benevolent group has donated $1 of every concert ticket sold to its own charity foundation, which had been established years before the hurricane came through its hometown.
Naturally, all charitable efforts were instantly steered toward Hurricane Katrina relief, but the band had to make a difficult decision. With a week left of touring dates, should it cancel its run and go home or stay on the road and earn more for the relief effort? Considering authorities prevented all residents from returning to the area, the band chose the latter, and Henderson said an additional $250,000 was raised in the process.
Also during this time, the band was in touch with various groups, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and The American Red Cross, in regard to specific big-ticket needs. Within weeks, not only did the members of 3 Doors Down buy three police cars and a firetruck for its hometown, but the guys personally drove the vehicles in from out of state.
The group also bought tired firefighters, who lost their fire station, a concert tour bus that provided bunks for much-needed sleep and air conditioning to get away, even if just momentarily, from the summer humidity.
Feeling helpless
"I hit the ground running, and I had to come on the road to get some rest," Henderson said. "You feel helpless. I wanted to do so much more than we were doing, and we couldn't. I didn't know where to start. Should I grab a shovel and help these guys clear this debris or what should I do? It was like three days of walking around in a daze. And I've never seen people that exhausted in my entire life. Just the look in their face was like, 'Where do we go from here?' and 'How do we start?' People were walking around in the street with nowhere to go, without a home, a job, a car, a drink of water."
Those images will forever change all involved. This includes the members of 3 Doors Down, who are back on the road, ostensibly raising more money toward the relief efforts.
"It was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life to get back on that bus because the place isn't finished yet," Henderson said. "It's like walking away from a job that isn't done."
On the road
In some ways, it's back to business for the rock act, which has the pleasure of opening the brand-new Youngstown Convocation Center and forever being the answer to a trivia question.
"That's cool; I can deal with that," Henderson said. "I know we've closed a few old ones. So opening one will be really cool."
Henderson, who also has family from Northeast Ohio, said fans can expect a slightly longer show from the rock act known for blue-collar grunge guitars delivered with a Southern rock flair. Whereas 3 Doors Down's hit singles "Kryptonite," "Duck and Run," "Loser," "When I'm Gone" and "Here With You" once represented music industry credibility, nowadays the tunes are a vehicle with a different means for this battered band.
"Not only does $1 of the ticket price go to hurricane relief, but it's a great show," Henderson said. "We've come a long way. If they've never seen us, it's a perfect time. We're bringing the noise, and Shinedown and Alter Bridge are coming, two very powerful and great live bands. I'm very proud to be part of this show."