Chance to win Daughtry tickets

The Chris Daughtry tour bus plans to stop in Highland Heights, Ky., at the Bank of Kentucky Center, Friday, Nov. 13, for their first headlining tour with the band’s second album “Leave This Town.”

Daughtry is joined by Cavo and Theory of a Deadman. The band plans to tour through February 2010 including international cities such as Liverpool, England and Munich, Germany.

The band hopped on the bus mid-October and kicked off the tour in Topeka, Kan.
“I don’t ever unpack my suitcase, even when I’m home,” said Josh Paul, Daughtry’s bass player. “We love it. We’re out here doing what we love and playing our music for people that love it.”

“Leave This Town”  was released in July resonates Chris Daughtry’s familiar voice with the band’s recognizable harmony. The deep, edgy vocals with strong bass and drum attract audiences of all ages.

“We wanted to get a little bit heavier with it and put some of our own influences into this record,” Paul said. “I think it turned out pretty cool.”

Fans might know Daughtry as the fourth-place finalist on the fifth season of “American Idol,” ranking with Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood in terms of Billboard success. Others beg to differ that Daughtry has made a name for himself.

The first, self-titled album sold more than 1 million copies after only five weeks of the original release. It topped the Billboard and established Daughtry as the most successful contestant in terms of record sales.

Now on tour with band mates Josh Steeley, guitar; Joey Barnes, drums, Brian Craddock, guitar; and Paul, bass, the guys are more than excited to play.

“It’s a big production, something that we’re really proud of,” Paul said. “We’ve been doing a lot of theaters and clubs recently opening for people, but this is our first headlining one. We’ve got a lot of lights, a lot of rocking music and a lot of songs from this new record.”

The new album includes a handful of tracks with a new sound. The final track on the album, Supernatural, produces a foot-tapping beat that Paul describes as a “dance track.”
Other tracks such as “You Don’t Belong to Me” and “What I Meant to Say” have a heavier tone and rocking energy.

“Ghost of Me” focuses more on the guitar, vocals and smooth transitional use of background vocals.

The band is anticipating a busy schedule of tour dates and is aware of the challenges they’ll come across while on the road.

“We’ve got to try to get enough sleep, try to stay healthy,” Paul said. “You can never tell with those things when you’re in a different place every day with different temperatures. It’s the biggest challenge.”

Daughtry fans in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have the opportunity to win two tickets and backstage passes to meet the band and listen to the sound check. Log on to Twitter to find out when Chris Daughtry will give away tickets @CHRIS_Daughtry and follow his instructions.

“The funny thing is we’re not rock stars, we’re just normal guys,” Paul said. “I’ll probably be drinking an iced coffee from Starbucks. It’s not like we’re back there with our blue M&Ms and capes.”