NICKELBACK Drummer has gotten two big breaks

The pop-rock band will perform Monday at Quicken Loans Arena.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
In the music industry, drummers are seemingly a dime a dozen.
No one knows this better than Nickelback percussionist Daniel Adair, who is arguably living a rock-'n'-roll dream that very few get to enjoy.
It was only a few short years ago that the Vancouver, British Columbia, resident was barely making ends meet as a music store employee during the day and local musician at night. Then came a quick series of events that lead to him joining post-grunge rock act 3 Doors Down.
"It's amazing, when I first got on with 3 Doors Down, that was the dream gig," said Adair, calling from Switzerland. "That feeling, you can't explain to anybody. It's like you won the lottery."
In a flash, Adair achieved his lifelong goal but he didn't let the moment go to his head.
"You know what, I had two weeks to wrap up my life so I went back and still worked at the music store," said Adair, laughing. "I helped them train a new guy. I always believe in leaving a good impression behind and you never want to burn a bridge."
Lightning strikes twice
Leaving a good impression has become Adair's calling card. After a few years touring with 3 Doors Down as a hired drummer, as he puts it "like a crew member," another offer came his way that he couldn't refuse. For years, Adair had been friends with fellow Vancouver resident Chad Kroeger of Nickelback; however, he never thought he'd receive a job offer from a band with nearly 10 million albums and several hit singles ("How You Remind Me," "Too Bad," "Someday" and "Feelin' Way Too Damn Good.")
"When Chad phoned me, I had that feeling all over again," Adair said. "I never thought I'd have it twice in my life. It was another step up and a lot of people asked me why I switched bands. It's because with 3 Doors Down, I was just a hired drummer.
"Chad said, 'You're not a member of 3 Doors Down, do you want to be a member of Nickelback? Do you want to write with us? We'll include you in that whole process.'"
From a business standpoint, the move proved quite lucrative for Adair. As an equal member of Nickelback, the drummer would earn exponentially more from record sales, touring receipts and other ancillary group incomes. Instantly, Adair, who said the 3 Doors Down gig started to feel like a job, felt a creative burst of songwriting energy.
"I'm not going to lie -- money was a huge incentive," Adair said. "But the creative offer was equally as good to me. I got excited, started playing guitar again and I sing also."
Adair does have co-writing credit on Nickelback's latest effort "All The Right Reasons," which so far features hit single (penned by Kroeger) "Photograph." In addition, the outfit is touring incessantly this year, including a show Monday at Quicken Loans Arena.
The drummer said fans should expect plenty of surprises, including the stage itself.
"From the top, the stage looks like a big Klingon warship," Adair said. "Yeah, 'Star Trek' fans will pick it up but no one else will. It looks like the Bird of Prey."
He quickly added, "OK, let's hope the cool people don't notice that."