by Josh Bell
MGM Grand, 7 p.m. June 16, $39.50-$99.50 plus tax and fee. 800.745.3000 Ticketmaster
It’s not easy being the biggest rock band in the world. Sure, the guys in Nickelback seem like they have it all, with a string of hit songs, massive-selling albums, sold-out worldwide concert tours and high-profile TV appearances. But being that successful also means dealing with backlash, and it’s a testament to the grace and good humor of the band members that they can take all that stuff in stride as well. These guys stand behind the solid rock
music they create, and no amount of cynical criticism
can shake that faith.
With hit songs like “How You Remind Me,” “Photograph,” “When We Stand Together” and “Rockstar,” Nickelback can easily afford to ignore critics, and any band this successful (having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide) is going to attract its share of haters. Last year, when an online
petition circulated against Nickelback playing a halftime show for the Detroit Lions, the band members posted a self-deprecating video on the comedy website Funny or Die, deflating the self-righteous anger of their detractors. And then they went ahead and played an awesome halftime show, because that’s what being the biggest rock band in the world is all about.
