COLUMBUS — It was billed as the largest rock fest in the history of Ohio’s capital city, with over 100 bands and four stages.
The headliners included: Metallica, Linkin Park, Alice Cooper, Korn, Alice In Chains, Three Days Grace and Rob Zombie, to name a few.
Kicking off Thursday at Historic Crew Stadium (HCS), the atmosphere mirrored the motto of the very team for which the stadium was built: we are massive.
🎶 “To be playing massive festivals and having songs that people know all the words to — I still pinch myself,” — Three Days Grace Drummer Neil Sanderson said.
“We’re playing twice in Ohio this summer, and I can’t wait. It’s going to be loud, emotional, and brand new.”
Read the full 10-min interview with Sanderson and/or watch the video at the bottom of this story.
On the schedule to open the fest was the guilty pleasure lineup of Wind Walkers, Fit for an Autopsy, Boundaries and Fit for a King.
Logistically, the 20,000-seat stadium features a stage at the end of the horseshoe, and three other stages on the outside grounds. HCS was constructed on the Ohio State Fairgrounds, so room here is aplenty.
Heads up, however, as the layout of the festival has changed. The VIP section is now on the west side. As a result, if you are watching a performance from the stadium’s west side seating (the side closest to the main entrance for all you stoners that don’t know in what direction the sun rises, smiley face), be mindful of the bottleneck on the lower level upon departure.
Pro tip from a 30-year Columbus Crew season ticketholder, stay high. That’s not recreational advice for the navigationally impaired, it means stay on the upper concourse and wrap around before you descend and you’ll avoid the bottleneck.
At the start of the experience, it was 68 degrees, sunny and those wearing skimpy outfits were frolicking. The wind picked up and temperatures began to drop when Three Days Grace started the packed stadium show with reunited frontman Adam Gontier.
“Having Adam, our original singer, back in the band — sharing vocals with Matt — has added a new dimension to the music,” Sanderson said.
“We’ve only played 12 shows with Adam back in the band. The first 12 were insanely energetic … It feels like we’ve come full circle.”
Back-to-back female-lead vocal bands followed in Poppy and Jinjer.
Poppy was a performance artist and she had such a calm and soothing request for the crowd which nicely and gently split apart, and then violently crushed back into each other.
Jinjer came all the way from war-torn Ukraine, but their bassist suffered a hand injury. They still played — and rocked.
Before Filter performed “Hey Man Nice Shot,” the band said it was 30 years ago to the day that that song went on the radio.
Motionless in White, Killswitch Engage, Ministry and Korn concluded Day One, in a chilly metal mausoleum encased in black shirts, dark skies and somewhat ironically, some of the nicest music fans you’ll ever see at a festival.
All Source Media coverage all weekend long can be found here: https://www.richlandsource.com/tag/sonic-temple-art-music-festival/
Here’s the full Three Days Grace interview with drummer Neil Sanderson transcript and video:
Adam Doc Fox: You’re playing twice this summer in Ohio — at Incarceration in Mansfield in July, and then Sonic Temple on Thursday, May 8 in Columbus. So what should fans in mid-Ohio expect from the live show? Kind of a new Three Days Grace. You’ve got a new single, “Adam’s Back.” What should fans expect?
Neil Sanderson: Well, you know, it’s definitely a new chapter in our band.
This band has been through a lot of twists and turns along the way. Having Adam, our original singer, back in the band — sharing vocals with Matt — has added a new dimension to the music.
The new record, just from the single being out, has already made people gravitate toward us again in a big way.
I just feel super grateful. I’ve been in the band since I was 14 years old, and to be playing massive festivals and having songs that people know all the words to — man, I still pinch myself. I’m so thankful.
We’ve only played 12 shows with Adam back in the band, and those first 12 were insanely energetic. It feels like we’ve come full circle.
Now, with two singers in the band, everything still feels really fresh — for us and for the fans. I can’t wait to show everybody what this version of the band is all about.
ADF: All right. So you’re making new music. I want to know about the process behind that, because obviously, y’all have been killing it for a while.
Is there ever any — maybe not self-doubt — but how do you overcome the pressure and keep making awesome stuff?
Sanderson: The biggest thing we’ve always stuck to — over the past 20 years — is writing songs that work on an acoustic guitar.
No matter how heavy the final version ends up, if it’s a Three Days Grace song, it needs to translate with one vocal and one acoustic guitar.
We actually call that the “campfire test.” Even if a song’s got tons of production and is really heavy, if it doesn’t make you feel something when it’s stripped down, it’s not right for the band.
That’s always been our barometer. We want the music to be genuine, to come from a real place, and evoke the emotions we’re trying to get across—especially in the lyrics and message.
The best way to do that is to break it down to its core and make sure it still hits.
ADF: Nice. All right, let’s switch gears. I’ve got a few rapid-fire, drummer-specific questions.
Your style is super tight — on songs like “Animal I Have Become” and “Pain,” it’s powerful and punchy. But then there’s a different dynamic feel on “Never Too Late.”
How conscious are you of your ghost notes and dynamics when recording versus playing live?
Sanderson: Good question.
When I’m recording, I might actually play a bit less than I do live. The idea is that heaviness and impact often come from negative space.
It’s just as important to know when not to play. You’ve got to serve the song.
Some bands go into the studio and try to pack every part in. But I look at bands like Tool or Led Zeppelin—so much of their bigness comes from the space between the notes. That silence makes the heavy parts even heavier.
So in the studio, I’m more minimal. Live, there’s definitely more flair, more energy, and I fill in more.
But yeah, Tool gets called a heavy band, and they do it with just three instruments and tons of space. That’s something I always keep in mind.
ADF: Real quick follow-up — how much input do you have in the studio on things like drum tone, mic placement, sample layering, EQ? Are you in it at the top level?
Sanderson: At the top level, yeah. Our band makes all the decisions. No one at our label tells us what we should or shouldn’t do.
I’ve worked with the same team in the studio for decades now. I record my drums up in Canada, and I trust the people I work with.
That said, I do like to experiment — especially with the snare. I detune it in the studio more than I would live.
The idea is that a fat, thuddy snare affects the room mics in a way that creates this huge, impactful sound.
Sometimes it’s so detuned it sounds like hitting wet cardboard — but when we layer in a snare that’s tuned up just for the top end, it creates that really big, thick snare sound.
So yeah, I relinquish some control to my team, but I’m definitely part of the sonic choices.
ADF: Awesome. Just two more.
Drumming isn’t exactly like line dancing — it’s intense. What’s your physical and mental prep like before a show? What’s the human side of it?
Sanderson: We actually travel with a personal trainer now.
He’s also a wellness coach and just understands that everyone’s got something they’re dealing with. Right now, I’ve got tennis elbow, for example.
So we work on strengthening the muscles around that area, and we do a bunch of stretching before the show—especially neck and upper body.
Back in the day, in our 20s, we didn’t think about stuff like hydration or sleep. But now, if you want to do this for 25-plus years, it’s about keeping your body ready.
You’ve got to hydrate early — by the time you feel dehydrated, it’s already too late.
I also spend a lot of time on the treadmill. Drumming is an intense cardio workout.
I wore a heart rate monitor once and it showed I was basically at the same level as someone on a steady jog — for 90 minutes straight.
ADF: Oh man, I get that. I’m a climber and mountaineer — it’s nonstop too.
All right, last one. Thanks so much again for your time.
Are there any non-rock drummers or unexpected genres that have influenced your playing?
Sanderson: Yeah, totally.
So The Police — technically a rock band — but Stewart Copeland brought in so many influences from reggae and other global rhythms.
I really respect how he blended those styles into rock. That had a big impact on me. Also — and this might be unexpected — I’m a huge Skrillex fan.
When he was pioneering dubstep and bringing it into the mainstream, I was fascinated by his drum programming.
Where he places the kick and snare is so interesting.
Honestly, I was inspired by that. I don’t want to say I ripped him off, but I definitely borrowed ideas from how he constructed beats—even though they were electronic.
His programming helped shape how I think about rhythm.
ADF: Awesome, Neil. Thank you so much. I’ll see you in two weeks in Columbus and then again in Mansfield for Incarceration.
Sanderson: Awesome, man. Yeah, if you see me, say hi!
ADF: Will do. Take care!
