They grew from basements and garages in Hanna, gigging at local venues, to becoming one of the biggest rock and roll bands in the world.
Next week, Nickelback will be inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards in Edmonton on March 13. The National Music Centre in Calgary will also be opening a new exhibition highlighting their journey that reads like a rock and roll fairy tale.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished over the past few decades and love that our story and songs continue to impact and entertain people globally,” said Chad Kroeger in a release from the National Music Centre. “We’re humbled and blown away by this induction; and to have an exhibition at the National Music Centre in our home province of Alberta is just further icing on the cake. We hope fans have a chance to enjoy the exhibition in Calgary and we can’t wait to see everyone when we head out on tour.”
The band formed around 1995 as a cover band called Village Idiot featuring lead singer Chad Kroeger and brother Mike, along with cousin Brandon Kroeger and Ryan Peake.
Eventually, after a couple of drummers, Daniel Adair, who played with Three Doors Down, rounded out the lineup.
Ryan’s dad, Jim, will be attending the induction ceremony in Edmonton and is looking forward to it.
“I’m sure they are all pretty stoked about it and we plan to go as a family. I think it will be pretty nice. It’s nice that it is in Alberta,” said Jim.
He recalls their home was often a practice space. He says it is a testament to a lot of hard work.
“A thing like that takes dedication, a lot of hard work, a lot of travel. It didn’t come quick or easy,” he tells the Mail.
It may also help that Peake comes from a musical family, and Jim used to play himself.
The band made it out of Hanna, eventually to Vancouver, and then the world. After a demo and their first full-length album, they signed with Roadrunner Records and EMI.
Since then, lines from “How You Remind Me,” “Photograph,” and “Rockstar” have become a part of the cultural lexicon.
They have sold over 50 million albums, and collective streams of their singles alone are in the billions.
The 2005 video for the song “Photograph” brought the band back to the area to shoot, with a few local faces featured.
While Hanna Mayor Danny Povaschuk came to the community as the band was already picking up steam, the community has a sense of pride in what Nickelback has accomplished.
“We have their album covers up on all the buildings in town, and we are looking for a spot for the new one. Our Welcome to Hanna sign has ‘The Home to Nickelback’ on it… there are a lot of people who respect and admire what they have done,” said Povaschuk.
In June, the band will be kicking off a world tour.
Fans who don’t get a chance to check them out live, can check out the National Music Centre’s Exhibition in Calgary. This year’s exhibition will feature numerous instruments used by the band, a selection of personal items, concert footage, and behind-the-scenes photos, all of which help capture the band’s upward trajectory and experiences as an internationally celebrated rock band.
The gallery includes a 20 foot video wall and has been outfitted with a full stage display with many of the band’s outfits and customized instruments from the 2015 music video “She Keeps Me Up.”
Watch the Juno Music Awards live on Monday, March 13 at 8 p.m.