Whether or not Daughtry toured with Nickelback is an interesting question for fans of 2000s rock music. To provide a quick answer upfront: Yes, Daughtry and Nickelback have toured together in the past. However, they have not done a full tour together as co-headliners. Instead, Daughtry has opened for Nickelback at various shows and festivals over the years.
Daughtry’s Background
First, let’s provide some background on Daughtry. The band was formed in 2006 by Chris Daughtry, who had recently placed 4th on American Idol. After being eliminated from the show, he was offered a record deal and quickly formed a band to capitalize on his newfound fame. The band’s self-titled debut album was released in 2006 and was a huge commercial success. It sold over 4 million copies and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200 chart. The album’s singles, including “It’s Not Over” and “Home,” also did well on the charts.
Daughtry’s sound falls firmly in the post-grunge and alternative rock genres. Their music features gritty vocals, crunching guitars, and plenty of hooks. Critics often compare Daughtry’s style to bands like Nickelback, 3 Doors Down, and Fuel.
Nickelback’s Background
Nickelback is a Canadian rock band that formed in 1995. They found mainstream success starting in the early 2000s with their album Silver Side Up and its smash hit single “How You Remind Me.” Nickelback followed up this success with more multi-platinum albums throughout the 2000s and 2010s such as The Long Road, All the Right Reasons, and Dark Horse.
Nickelback plays a radio-friendly blend of post-grunge, alternative rock, and hard rock. Their signature sound features raspy vocals, catchy choruses, and loud guitars. Nickelback has garnered plenty of criticism over the years for their derivative and formulaic sound. However, the band clearly found a formula that works commercially, as they have sold over 50 million albums worldwide.
Daughtry Opens for Nickelback in 2007
Given their similar styles of post-grunge and hard rock, it’s not surprising that Daughtry and Nickelback have crossed paths over the years. The first instance came in 2007, when Daughtry scored the opportunity to open for Nickelback on tour.
At the time, Daughtry was still promoting their hot-selling debut album. Nickelback meanwhile was supporting their 5x platinum album All the Right Reasons, which contained hit singles like “Photograph” and “Far Away.” Daughtry opened for Nickelback on a fall arena tour of the U.S.
In interviews from the time, Daughtry band members expressed how grateful and excited they were to land such a coveted supporting slot so early in their career. Opening for an established multi-platinum act like Nickelback undoubtedly helped expose Daughtry’s music to plenty of new fans.
2007 Nickelback Setlist
Nickelback typically played about 20 songs during their 2007 headlining tour. Their setlist drew heavily from All the Right Reasons but also featured older hits. Here is a typical setlist from their 2007 tour with Daughtry:
Song | Album |
---|---|
Animals | All the Right Reasons |
Woke Up This Morning | The Long Road |
Photograph | All the Right Reasons |
Because of You | All the Right Reasons |
Far Away | All the Right Reasons |
Never Again | All the Right Reasons |
Savin’ Me | All the Right Reasons |
Someday | All the Right Reasons |
Follow You Home | The Long Road |
How You Remind Me | Silver Side Up |
Too Bad | Silver Side Up |
Figured You Out | The Long Road |
If Everyone Cared | All the Right Reasons |
Should’ve Listened | The Long Road |
Far Away (Acoustic) | All the Right Reasons |
Next Contestant | All the Right Reasons |
Side of a Bullet | All the Right Reasons |
Hero | Hero |
Rockstar | All the Right Reasons |
Joint Shows and Festivals in 2009
In 2009, Daughtry and Nickelback’s paths crossed again when they were jointly booked at several rock festivals and shows. This allowed Daughtry to open for Nickelback once again at venues like Summerfest in Milwaukee.
At the time, Daughtry had released their sophomore album Leave This Town which contained the hit single “No Surprise.” Nickelback was still touring their uber successful All the Right Reasons album from 2005. So once again, Daughtry benefited from the exposure of opening for Nickelback at these stadium and festival shows.
Notable 2009 Joint Shows
- January 31 – Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA
- March 12 – Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
- July 5 – Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI
- September 5 – Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
- September 12 – QuikTrip Park, Grand Prairie, TX
This handful of shows marked some of the biggest venues Daughtry had played up to that point. The opportunity to open for Nickelback helped expand Daughtry’s live draw and fanbase.
Co-Headlining the Carnival of Madness Tour in 2013
The most high-profile pairing between Daughtry and Nickelback occurred in 2013 when they co-headlined the Carnival of Madness Tour across North America. It marked the first time the bands toured together as equals rather than one opening for the other.
Interestingly, Nickelback and Daughtry rotated the closing spot each night. Sharing the headlining duties demonstrated that both bands had developed loyal fanbases capable of filling arenas.
In addition to Nickelback and Daughtry, the 2013 Carnival of Madness Tour also featured supporting acts like Bush, Sevendust, and Cheap Trick in varying combinations.
2013 Carnival of Madness Setlists
Nickelback and Daughtry each played headlining sets lasting over an hour when they co-headlined Carnival of Madness. Here is a look at their typical setlists from the tour:
Daughtry Setlist |
---|
Renegade |
Feels Like Tonight |
Crazy |
What About Now |
Rescue Me |
Waiting for Superman |
Home |
Outta My Head |
No Surprise |
Every Time You Turn Around |
Start of Something Good |
Crawling Back to You |
September |
Long Live Rock and Roll |
Over You |
What I Want |
It’s Not Over |
Life After You |
Nickelback Setlist |
---|
This Means War |
Burn It to the Ground |
Gotta Get Me Some |
Too Bad |
Never Gonna Be Alone |
Someday |
Lullaby |
When We Stand Together |
Rockstar |
If Today Was Your Last Day |
Trying Not to Love You |
How You Remind Me |
Next Go Round |
Bottoms Up |
This Afternoon |
Just to Get High |
Kiss It Goodbye |
Figured You Out |
Animals |
Photograph |
Something in Your Mouth |
Far Away |
Have They Toured Together Since?
The Carnival of Madness tour in 2013 was the last time Nickelback and Daughtry extensively toured together. In subsequent years, there have been a few isolated shows where Daughtry opened for Nickelback. However, they haven’t done another full tour as co-headliners.
For example, Daughtry opened for Nickelback at a show in Tampa in 2016. And in 2018, they were again on the same bill at the Wisconsin State Fair. But these were one-off occasions rather than a complete tour.
Nickelback’s 2017 album Feed the Machine didn’t include a major headlining tour of North America. They played mostly festivals and one-off shows in support of the album. Daughtry also spent 2017 promoting their fifth studio album Cage to Rattle. So the timing didn’t work out for the two bands to team up for another tour that year or the next.
It’s always possible Daughtry and Nickelback will hit the road together again in the future for a full co-headlining tour. As veterans of the post-grunge and hard rock circuit, they have a natural fanbase overlap. Pairing up again for a tour similar to Carnival of Madness could make sense someday. But as of now, the two acts seem focused on separate endeavors.
Why Haven’t They Toured Extensively Together?
You might be wondering why Daughtry and Nickelback haven’t just committed to an extended co-headlining tour together if they make such a logical pairing. There are a few likely reasons it hasn’t happened:
- As popular post-grunge acts, they naturally compete for similar audiences and radio play. Doing a complete tour together somewhat limits their shared appeal.
- Their touring and album cycles haven’t totally synced up since 2013. One band is often active while the other is between album releases.
- Promoters and booking agents may prefer to keep them apart to have two separate big-name rock acts to generate ticket sales.
- The two bands’ sounds aren’t different enough that fans will pay to see both on the same lengthy tour.
- They may wish to cultivate their own distinct fanbases rather than continually share the spotlight.
That said, considering the bands have toured together successfully in the past, a future co-headlining stint can’t be ruled out. Their 2013 Carnival of Madness shows demonstrated that despite the similarities in their styles, each band can attract fans eager to see them perform a full headline set.
How Have Reviews of Their Joint Shows Been?
For the most part, reviews of Daughtry and Nickelback’s past joint shows have been positive. Critics note that the pairing makes sense given their comparable alt-rock sounds.
Here’s a sampling of what reviewers said about their double-bill concerts:
- “It was wise to pair the two bands together, as their music attracts a similar audience.” – Cleveland Scene (2013)
- “Like peas and carrots, Daughtry and Nickelback go together.” – Tampa Bay Times (2016)
- “The co-headlining show illustrated how seamlessly the two bands complement one another.” – PopCrush (2013)
Most reviews praised the collaborative spirit of the joint concerts. Some noted that Nickelback tends to be the “bigger” act with more radio hits. However, Daughtry received credit for holding their own during the shows, due to Chris Daughtry’s powerful vocals and the band’s polished sound.
There isn’t much evidence of reviewers deeming them a mismatched pairing on tour together. Overlapping fanbases and musical similarities have led to successful shows.
Conclusion
While Daughtry and Nickelback have never done a complete co-headlining tour for an entire album cycle, they have shared the stage many times over the years to mutual benefit.
Daughtry opened for Nickelback on tours in 2007 and 2009, which helped expose them to bigger audiences early in their career. The Carnival of Madness tour in 2013 marked the most extended period of co-headlining dates between the two post-grunge acts.
Since 2013, they haven’t committed to another full tour together. However, one-off shows and festival dates have still occasionally united them on stage. Fan and critical reviews of their joint concerts point to them being a solid combination for live rock performances.
Given their similar sounds and reputations, Daughtry and Nickelback attract plenty of overlap among post-grunge and alt-rock audiences. While additional factors may prevent more extensive touring together, their past successful shows prove they can co-exist nicely on the road when they choose to team up.