AFI expected to draw 1,800

Originally published March 01, 2007 in The Buzz

AFI's show in Chico on Tuesday will not be the band's first in town, but they hope the support from local music fans has not changed since its last visit, even though the band has changed quite a bit.

AFI, which stand for A Fire Inside, has played shows in Chico throughout the last decade at small, now defunct venues, like the Brickworks and the Zocalo Room, but lead singer Davey Havok does not know what to expect from the crowd at their JMax Production show at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds, he said in a phone interview. However, Chico shows have always been a good experience.

"I hope nothing has changed that much," he said.

The support from concert-goers is sure to be as strong as any show the band has played in Chico, but there are many more fans thanks to AFI's chart topping albums.

The band hails from Ukiah and has seen many changes since it formed in 1991, while all its members were still in high school, Havok said. Growing up in a small town, detached from large music scenes, forced the band to reach out to other cities.

"We were very hungry for music," he said.

The band looked to music scenes in San Francisco and Berkeley for its early punk and hardcore influences, Havok said. Now the band is able to reach out to cities nationwide and internationally.

The band's upcoming string of tour dates was originally planned to lead up to a show in Mexico City, Havok said. Although that date has changed, the West Coast dates including Chico, Davis and Eureka were kept.

In April, the band will tour Europe, where fans are just as passionate as in North America, Havok siad. He does not see a difference in the fans, only quantity. The quality of the fans is all that matters. Playing to 300 people is the same as to playing to 3,000 people. The Silver Dollar Fairgrounds concert, which is to take place in the Commerical Building, has a capacity of about 1,800, according to Jonny Starkey of JMax Productions.

An international tour is not the only thing that has changed.

Since 2003, the band has been able to travel in a bus rather than a van, which allows the guys to do more during the long drives in between cities, Havok said. The members of the band are able to sleep and have more personal space, which allows for a better performance each night. A bus is also equipped with a kitchen, which the band does not use often, but they appreiciate the option to cook on the road.

The band may not be found cooking on the bus, but there are four things the are likely to be doing, Havok said. Guitarist Jade Puget and bassist Hunter Burgan spend most of their time on the computer, while Havok and drummer Adam Carson use their T-Moble Sidekics. They all also watch cartoons and read.

The change in the band's career that allows a luxurious bus is its growing popularity and signing to a major label.

Prior to 2003, AFI released records on independent label Nitro Records. In 2000, it released "The Art of Drowning" on Nitro, reaching No. 174 on Billboard's Top 200. Three years later, "Sing the Sorrow," was released on major label DreamWorks, reaching No. 5 on the same chart. The latest release, "Decemberunderground," hit No. 1.

Despite its growing popularity, the band has not changed the way it views its fans, Havok said. The members continue to appreciate their fans and try to connect with them through blog updates and meet-and-greets before all their shows.

The band also tries to stay loyal to its pioneering fans by releasing music on vinyl, he said. While many people believe it is antiquated, the band knows a subgroup of its fans like to collect vinyl. It also connects the band to its hardcore and punk roots, genres often associated with vinyl.

Any fan, new and old, will be able to connect with the band on Tuesday. hHile the band is expected to mostly play songs from its last two albums the passionate and energetic performances remain the same.