Published: January 16, 2008 04:08 pm      

MUSIC: Staind frontman to wing acoustic solo show

Fans attending Aaron Lewis’ sold-out shows this weekend at the Bear’s Den Showroom know they will hear the Staind lead singer in action.

That’s about all they know they’ll get.

Lewis’ acoustic shows, which he’s led since before his band gained fame more than a decade show, are decreed by the audience. If they want to hear a Staind hit, that’s what they get. If they’d rather hear some Pearl Jam or Led Zeppelin, he’ll accommodate those requests.

“It’s kind of like you’re at a party and somebody starts to play the acoustic guitar and play while he’s sitting on the couch,” Lewis said by phone prior to a recent set in Reno, Nev. “The goal is more to have a good time and let people hear what they want to hear.”

The shows remind Lewis of early five-hour sets he’d do in bars, during which he’d strike up conversations with patrons and interact with nearly everybody. This is far different than his Staind shows, which he said offer some advantages over the solo sets and some disadvantages.

“With Staind, I’ve felt that the music did all the talking,” he said. “It’s just fun. It’s a completely different vibe altogether.”

Tonight’s and Friday’sjan 17-18 two-hour shows at the Bear’s Den, located inside Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel, require no practice, no backup band and no set list — “just me and a stool,” Lewis said. Lewis will field requests and see where each night takes him, but he doesn’t mind where he ends up, even if that means performing a Staind hit like “Outside” one more time.

“It still amazes me that people want to hear those songs,” he said. “They’re the ones that have spent the money for the show. If they want to hear it, I think I’m pretty lucky.”

The latest acoustic tour will see Lewis perform a series of weekend shows through February. His works during the week on Staind’s newest record, the band’s seventh, which is due out around June; the drum and bass tracks have been recorded, he said, with guitar work and vocals to come.

To bridge the gap between that record and the group’s next album, Lewis plans to release an acoustic disc of his solo work. Plans are fluid at the moment, he said, but he’s considering a mix of live recordings and studio tracks for that album.

Although his repertoire numbers in the thousands, Lewis does not guarantee that he can fill every request this weekend. It won’t be for a lack of trying, though.

“I’m not always successful at finishing a song, but it’s real. It’s as real as it gets,” he said. “It’s like riding a bolt of lightning.”

Contact reporter Paul Laneat 693-1000, ext. 116.