No matter that his band has sold 7 million albums, reached No. 1 on the singles charts four times, been nominated for a quartet of Grammy Awards and played to thousands of fans worldwide.
Chris Daughtry still gets nervous when he sets foot on an “American Idol” stage.
Two weeks ago, Daughtry and his self-named band returned to the show that launched his career in 2006 to perform the chunky rocker “Outta My Head,” the third single from the band’s third album, “Break the Spell.”
And that familiar, slightly uncomfortable feeling appeared, too.
“I love going back to the show and I love the people there. And I love the exposure and the opportunity. But I hate, for some reason, that that stage makes me more nervous than any other show. It’s like there’s some evil spirit messing with me, and as soon as I get up there, I dry up. It’s so weird,” Daughtry said with a laugh, phoning the day after the “Idol” performance.
But along with the visual publicity — and the chance to introduce new touring member, insta-heartthrob Elvio Fernandez, on guitar and keyboards — Daughtry received an additional ain’t-it-cool moment during his visit.
The singer-songwriter has often spoken of his affinity for robust rock bands with a catalog and history, so the chance to say hello to “Idol” judge and Aerosmith vet Steven Tyler would have been golden enough.
But then Tyler invited Daughtry and the band into his trailer to listen to the entire new Aerosmith record. “We were looking at each other like, ‘Dude, is this really happening?’ It was, like, the best day ever,” Daughtry said.
But Daughtry, the band — Josh Paul (bass), Josh Steely (lead guitar), Brian Craddock (rhythm guitar) and Robin Diaz (drums) — has its own contingent of fans for whom Tuesday’s show at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre will be their best day ever.
And those who caught the band at Gwinnett Arena in December for the Star 94 “Jingle Jam” concert can attend this show without fear of duplication. “It’s completely different from that show,” Daughtry said. “It’s an all-new set list, a lot of songs from the new record and an incredible-looking stage show. It’s probably the biggest-looking set we’ve ever done. But no pyro, since we’re doing [shows in] theaters.”
The tour launched Tuesday in Buffalo, N.Y., and will keep the band on the road through mid-June. Though he misses being home in his native North Carolina — outside Greensboro — with wife Deanna, stepdaughter Hannah (15), son Griffin (13) and twins Adalynn Rose and Noah James (16 months), he doesn’t mind being a road rat.
“I love touring. I look at it as vacation. Home is where the work is. You’re a dad and that takes patience and thought and I love that, but the easy part is my work,” Daughtry said.
While Daughtry’s first two albums spawned a slew of radio-friendly pop-rock hits (“It’s Not Over,” “Home,” “No Surprise,” “September”) and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, his latest effort is feeling a twinge of industry pain.
“Break the Spell” debuted at a respectable No. 8 on the album chart, but its first two singles, “Renegade” and “Crawling Back to You,” didn’t have his usual chart impact.
But sales and radio play, while obviously important, aren’t keeping Daughtry awake at night. Instead, he’s grateful to have made an album with all of his current bandmates for the first time, which he believes adds to the recording’s cohesiveness. “It’s the record I always wanted to make,” he said. “It represents who we are right now as a band and in life.”
Concert preview
Daughtry
SafetySuit and Mike Sanchez open
8 p.m. Tuesday. $30.50-$50.50. Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, 2800 Cobb Galleria Parkway, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
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