It was a beautiful September evening in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Thousands of rock fans, young and old, gathered at the Xfinity Center to witness a much-deserved and welcome comeback: Adam Gontier with Three Days Grace. After releasing a new album with co-lead singer Matt Walst on August 22nd, it was clear to fans that the band vocally meshed together. But this would be the ultimate test: could they successfully perform a live show with 2 lead singers?
Back in the Ring: Gontier’s Return Sends Shockwaves
Adam Gontier’s return to Three Days Grace earlier in 2024 after an 11-year hiatus wasn’t just a personnel change—it was the closing of a long wound. Fans who’d held onto “Animal I Have Become,” “I Hate Everything About You,” and the aching vulnerability of One-X saw a chance for something to heal. And on September 11, 2025, at Mansfield’s Xfinity Center, that healing began in earnest. Each note Gontier sang carried years of separation, remorse, and reunion, and the audience responded in kind—chanting back every chorus, eyes shining in the dusk, voices raw with longing.
Three Days Grace: Setlist Sparks & Emotional Overdrive
Three Days Grace boisterously opened their setlist with fan-favorite “Animal I Have Become”, which electrified the entire Xfinity Center. It was clear that the band arrived in Mansfield on a mission: to deliver catharsis, resilience, and homecoming to their devoted fans. The setlist featured songs from the band’s albums throughout the years, including hits like “Pain” and “I Hate Everything About You”, as well as new tracks from their recently released album, Alienation, such as “Kill Me Fast” and “Mayday”.
When the opening chord of “Never Too Late” rang out, the audience responded immediately: lighting up the Xfinity Center with thousands of cell phone lights as they sang along with Gontier. It was a beautiful moment seeing the soft blue glow of thousands of cell phones in the dark September evening, hearing thousands of people singing along as they related to such a deeply personal song.
Footage of Adam Gontier from Three Days Grace sings “Rooster” by Alice In Chains, Courtesy of Alicia Fournier
Gontier continued the emotional moment when he came out on stage solo to sing “Rooster” by Alice In Chains. Longtime fans of Three Days Grace have come to expect this solo from Gontier as it’s become a classic part of their concerts over the years, but given the emotional charge of this tour, it was clear the song would provide more meaning.
Gontier’s melodic voice, while strumming the chords to such a classic song, sent chills up my spine in the most beautiful way possible. The band then came together again to rock the Xfinity Center with their fan-favorite “Riot”, amping up thousands of people with the angsty melody. When the song ended, the entire crowd kept chanting one phrase: THREE DAYS GRACE. THREE DAYS GRACE. THREE DAYS GRACE.
Mansfield’s Night Echoes On
When the final chords faded and the lights came up, the audience stayed—chants of “Three Days Grace” echoing, hands in the air—not wanting to say goodbye. Because this night wasn’t about an ending: it was about reconnection and rebirth. Three Days Grace didn’t just rock Mansfield—they reclaimed something. And if this one night is anything to go by, the tour ahead promises many more moments of that same fire.
For fans who’ve waited, the message is simple: stay close, stay loud. Because the revival has begun—and it’s only going to get more powerful from here.
