Adam Gontier Acoustic Show

The Machine Shop
Flint, Michigan
June 18, 2016

Is the master of painfully powerful lyrics tormented and full of angst? Or is he an open, smiling, blue-eyed guy who is totally down to earth? Find out as Adam Gontier, lead singer of Saint Asonia and founder / former lead singer of Three Days Grace, chats with Nici Lucas of Adventure Music Life.

Adam Gontier at The Machine Shop

Nici in the iconic hallway of The Machine Shop

The Legendary Venue
What’s so cool about The Machine Shop? Pretty much everything. If you’ve never heard of this nationally known rock venue, The Machine Shop is an intimate establishment that packs a good-sized crowd and doesn’t seem to have a bad seat in the house. The bartenders are cool, the place is clean, and there is a ton of wicked cool décor: signs, stickers, and photos decorating the walls, causing attendees to conjure images of the bands that have played at the concert lounge in the past. Plus, the venue is known for its iconic sticker-laced hallway in which visiting bands are photographed by Jeff Mintline, house photographer. The Machine Shop proved to be a perfect spot for one of three stops in Adam Gontier’s acoustic mini-tour. For me, driving the nearly four hours from the Cleveland/Akron area was 100% worth it to see the show.

Adam Gontier’s powerful singing at the Machine Shop

A Powerful Performance
Like recognizing the impact of a whisper in a dead-silent room, an acoustic show can be as forceful and soul reverberating as any hard rock show, especially with Adam Gontier at the mic. To say that Adam has a strong and amazingly powerful voice is quite an understatement. Every word that he sings is raw and full of passion with a naturally husky sound. Adam’s appealing singing voice perfectly ranges from melodic to intensely forceful notes, which accent the relatable yet somewhat tortured lyrics—or, as Adam later explains, “not happy” lyrics. For example, the Saint Asonia lyrics “Let me live my life. I can go get my knife or I can pull out the one that you stuck in my back,” are definitely heavy, but who hasn’t felt something like this? And, it’s an awesome song. Download it!

Adam Gontier playing acoustic at The Machine Shop

The Set
Fans cheered throughout the show as Adam energetically played one hit after the other. The show was kicked off with Saint Asonia’s masterful cover of I Don’t Care Anymore, originally by Phil Collins. Adam played some amazing new Saint Asonia songs, such as Better Place and Waste My Time, as well as some killer hits from Three Days Grace, like Get Out Alive, Never Too Late, and I Hate Everything About You. As alluded to in a video social media post prior to the show, Adam had “a few tricks up his sleeve,” including incredible covers of Alice in Chain’s Rooster, Pearl Jam’s Release, and Van Morrison’s Moondance. Adding to the fun, Cale Gontier, bassist of Art of Dying as well as Adam’s cousin, joined Adam onstage for Saint Asonia’s Trying to Catch up with the World.

Adam Gontier and Cale Gontier at The Machine Shop

An Impressive Conversation
I was lucky to be able to catch up with Adam before the show to talk about his tour, the music, and a little bit about baseball. I very quickly learned that Adam is easy to talk with and, frankly, an amazingly cool guy. Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention that listening and sleeping alongside the interview was Jess, Adam’s very adorable dog and traveling companion.

Check out the interview below to learn more about this intriguing singer/songwriter, but also note a few important, personal takeaways:

• Sometimes easy to forget, the energy we exude affects those around us. Adam had an extremely open, receptive, and positive energy that helped me to become a relaxed, somewhat comedic “super-me.” Radiating positive energy is powerful!
• Adam says that he writes not-so-happy lyrics, but he’s getting the negative out. We all need to “write it out” a little bit more. Just think: we could create a killer song, story, or blog post!
• Family and pets are key.
• Canadians are cool, and Toronto needs to be a Summer 2016 road trip!
• It’s Never Too Late to change, turn your life around, or evolve into the person you want to be.

The Chat with Adam Gontier

How old were you when you started singing, as well as playing guitar?
I got my first guitar when I was 12. My cousin, Cale’s brother Josh, taught me how to play. I have a pretty musical family. My mom played piano, and I grew up listening to her play. So, I started playing at 12 and then started writing music at 14-ish.

Did any of those songs when you were 14 evolve into anything that you would later play?
Yeah! Actually, quite a few of those songs – pieces and parts of them – turned into early Three Days Grace stuff.

Being honest with you, I think you are one of the best songwriters and singers that I’ve ever heard.  Do you think that people are naturally born with this type of ability or do we need to concentrate and develop the talent?
That’s a tough one. I know people that practice and learn from a young age and are pretty good. There’s definitely a difference though. You can learn how to read music, but some people do have a natural ability to hear music and play it. Learning by ear, which is how I learned. You’re probably born with it, but at the same time, you could definitely learn as well. There’s a little bit of both.

Singing-wise, did you practice and practice until you arrived at the voice you wanted to have?
No, I just started singing. When we started the band in high school, I probably tried to sound like my influences, like Eddie Vedder, but then I found my own sound.

What is or was life like in Norwood, Ontario?
I lived in Norwood for a few years, and I also grew up just outside of Toronto, so I spent my childhood between the two places: Markham, Ontario, and Norwood. Norwood is super small, with about 1,500 people, so there wasn’t much to do. So, it was pretty much me and Brad Walst, we started a band, and that was the beginning of Three Days Grace. It was either play sports or music.

Do you still have ties in Norwood?
My dad still lives north of there, and my cousin Cale has a house there, and he has a house in Peterborough, as well.

Where do you live now?
I actually live in Rochester, NY. I got married last March [2015]. I was living in Minneapolis for awhile, but moved to Rochester just to be a little bit closer to home.

What kind of dog is Jess?
She’s a beagle! We’re pretty sure she’s about 85% beagle, and we’re not sure about the other 15%. Maybe a little bit of pit bull because of her square-ish head. I don’t know. Maybe Jack Russell, too.

How did you get her? Was she a rescue?
Yeah. We got her from the Humane Society in Minneapolis.

Adam Gontier & Nici Lucas — Photo by Jodi V

Where do you get your tattoos?
Pretty much everywhere. They are all from different spots… I don’t have a regular guy or anything like that. Just over the years, I’ve gotten them everywhere… different towns.

I like the John Lennon one (Imagine). How many do you think you have?
I think I have about 17.

I thought at first that maybe Cale was your brother, but he’s your cousin.
Yes. I was an only child, but I grew up with Cale and Josh. They’re pretty much brothers.

Cale Gontier

I have that, too, so I get it. What’s it like working with Cale? Is it just with this acoustic series or do you work together more regularly?
I do a handful of acoustic stuff, and it’s nice having him out being the tour manager. Basically, when he’s not busy, I invite him out. We don’t see each other all the time. He has his own band, Art of Dying, and they tour. So, when we get a chance to work together and hang out, we do.

How did you hook up with the guys in Saint Asonia?
Mike Mushok [Staind] was working on music, I left Three Days Grace quite awhile before that, and he called to ask if I would be interested in singing on some music he had already and to do some writing. He came up to Toronto, and it went really well. He had a lot of great music, and I had some songs that I presented to him. We just hit it off. We knew each other from touring beforehand, with Staind and Three Days Grace. We ended up writing a lot of songs. We didn’t really plan on writing as many as we did. We didn’t have any intention of necessarily starting a band, but we just meshed really well. We had all the songs, so we signed a record deal with RCA, jumped in the studio, and did the music. Corey [Lowery] and Rich [Beddoe] are friends, so we called them and asked if they wanted to be a part of it, and they were in. It was pretty simple.

How do you write songs? Do you have a song-writing process?
No, not really a process. Usually I’ll have an acoustic guitar or something and just be playing a riff, and then naturally a melody might come. Song-writing with other people, like writing with Mike, is always cool because he’ll have music that he’ll send me. It’s actually easier for me to come up with melodies and lyrics over something else that’s already written. But, a lot of times I’ll be in a hotel with my acoustic and a song will [be written] super fast. So, it’s not really a process; it just depends on the situation.

I’m always looking for that secret answer because I’m a writer, but I’ve never been able to write a song….yet. It’s on my list. Does the song-writing inspiration differ now with Saint Asonia than it did with Three Days Grace?
Definitely. I had my whole life to write Three Days Grace stuff, from when I was a teenager. And now I’m writing about the stuff that I went through later on in life… with Three Days Grace and after that… and, with a new relationship. The inspiration for songs is completely different, but the song-writing style still stays the same. I always write about things that are usually not really happy stuff, I’m always kind of getting stuff out. It’s not necessarily negative, but …

It’s not negative, but I’ll tell you this. The songs are heavy, but they’re relatable. We can all feel these things. That’s why your songs are so memorable and why they get in our heads and we want to listen to them again, because we’ve all been there.
Yeah… exactly!

Here’s a weird one. Have you ever thought about writing a completely different style of music… something crazy, like country?
Yes. I grew up listening to different types of music, and I still listen to all sorts of music. I have written a bunch of country songs. I’ve gone to Nashville and worked with people. It’s not that far off… writing a country song from a rock song. A good song is a good song regardless of genre.

That’s cool! Do you have a vault of songs that have not been finalized, shared, or recorded?
Yeah… my computer is full of stuff. I imagine 75% of it is pretty weak. But then maybe 25% of it is decent. Just all ideas.

Regarding your three-day acoustic tour, what was the inspiration behind this?
Saint Asonia is going back out on tour in July with Disturbed. We had this month off, and I like staying busy. We had a few people call and ask if I would be interested in doing this kind of thing. I love doing acoustic, so it just worked out.

How many times have you played at The Machine Shop? Cale said it was quite a bit between the two of you.
I don’t really know. With Three Days Grace, we played about 3 or 4 times. With Saint Asonia, we just played here as a band. So, I would say maybe 7 or 8 times.

So, why was playing here at The Machine Shop important on this tour?
This is just a legendary spot. I love it here. It’s a really cool spot. And, it’s the perfect size for an acoustic solo show. It’s just great. Kevin [Zink, owner] is awesome and everyone here is really cool.

You are on tour for the rest of the summer, going to different cities, touring the country. Do you ever take time to explore? Do you enjoy touring?
Yes, for sure. We don’t get a lot of time, but usually when we have a day off, we try to get to the city the day before we play so we can check it out. But, I don’t really get the chance to explore all that much. But, sometimes.

Do you have a favorite city or a favorite venue?
That’s a tough one. The Machine Shop is definitely up there because every time we come here, it’s always packed, and the crowd here is awesome. Also, Austin is a really cool city for music. Every time we go there, it’s a lot of fun.

And, Cleveland, right? 😉
Well, yes. In Cleveland, the Agora Ballroom is the first place I ever played in the States.

Wow! Do you ever get to see concerts?
Yes. I’ve seen a few recently. I saw Father John Misty not too long ago, which was cool. I try to get out to see shows around where I live if I’m at home. But, I find myself not being able to be in a crowd. I get claustrophobic. Being on a stage, no problem. But, standing in the crowd is kind of weird.

I will actually be seeing you with Saint Asonia twice this summer. One stop in July in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. I live one mile from my favorite venue in the world: Blossom Music Center. Also, Pain the Grass in Auburn, WA, outside of Seattle in August.
Cool!! That’s great.

What do you like to do for adventure outside of music? 
Really, it’s just a matter of being at home with family. That’s pretty much the biggest thing. Any time off is usually spent at home.

Watching TV, movies… Playing cards, video games…
Yeah. That’s pretty much what I do.

Have you ever thought of another career?
Oh yeah. I thought about being a baseball player at one point. I have a few friends that play. I have a really good friend who is a pitcher for the Blue Jays. I was working on my knuckleball, just because knuckleballers are old, so I thought maybe, but that never panned out. But, thankfully music has.

Are there any new bands that you are listening to right now that you would like to share with people?
That’s a tough one. Not many new bands that I can think of right now that I’m listening to a lot. I like everything. I’m always listening to Deftones and Nine Inch Nails and all the classic stuff. Zeppelin and Sabbath.

Adam Gontier

Do you ever listen to your own music?
The odd time that it comes on my phone or shuffle, but depending on the mood I’m in, usually no, gotta shut it off. You get sick of it, but sometimes I listen to it just hear it in context with a whole bunch of other music.

Is there anything about you that people don’t know that you would want to share?
Probably not. That’s a tough one. I’m pretty sure everything is out there.

Do you like that or does it scare you?
It doesn’t bother me all that much. I’ve been open with pretty much everything… what I’ve done and what I’ve gone though. Writing songs and lyrics and people asking what they’re about, and with the documentary years ago. So, it doesn’t bother me.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with my readers… anything about the band?
The biggest thing is that a lot of people consider Saint Asonia a super group, but we’re actually going to put out a few more records. We’re not just here for one record and a few singles. It’s not a one-off for any of us. We’re all 100% into the band, so there will be more records. We have no plans of stopping.

A very special thanks to Adam Gontier, Cale Gontier, and The Machine Shop! – Nici Lucas

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