MUSIC

Verizon Wireless Theater presents Aaron Lewis. (of Staind).

Aaron Lewis paves his own path. It's a path that he's forged with honest, heartfelt lyrics, resounding guitar chords and an unmistakable voice. It's a path that sits somewhere between Johnny Cash's classic Americana and Layne Staley's epic grunge soul. Along that path, Lewis and Staind sold nearly 13 million albums over the course of six full-length releases, and they penned one of the most-played rock song of the past decade, "It's Been Awhile." Lewis's path broadened in 2004 when he embarked on his first solo acoustic tour. The acoustic tour has become a tradition for the singer as he traverses the country playing Staind classics and solo tunes every winter.

Playing acoustic is nothing new for the Staind frontman. In fact, his career began with an acoustic guitar and a dream. He explains, "The solo shows bring things full circle for me. It's something that I used to do before I ever met the guys in Staind. It was a way that I put money in my pocket since I was 17. The first song that I ever recorded for Jordan Shur was one of my acoustic songs. That song, 'Black Rain,' was played for Jordan over the phone, and he inevitably gave us a record deal with Flip Records. From that point, doing a solo project, when the time came, was always talked about."

The acoustic tour began with Lewis playing the Golden Nugget in 2004, and now it has evolved into a hugely successful yearly run with sold-out shows across the country. During his 2009 stint, he sold more than 8000 tickets at Mohegan Sun alone. When he's alone on stage with just an acoustic guitar and a microphone, Lewis connects with the audience intimately. "The songs’ lyrics are front and center during the solo shows, and I find that most rewarding," says Lewis. "The words often get buried under all of the instrumentation. In the solo shows, there's nothing else to pay attention to but the lyrics."

Those lyrics continue to resonate with fans. Staind has had four consecutive albums debut in the top 3 on the Billboard 200 due to the strength of hits such as "Outside," "It's Been Awhile," "Epiphany," "Right Here" and "Believe." Those singles continue to translate flawlessly in the acoustic setting as well, because performing acoustically comes naturally to the singer. He continues, "An acoustic is all I ever had. My dad got a new nylon-string classical guitar when I was seven, and I got his old guitar. I realized that the guitar was the best instrument for me because I could accompany myself singing in a solo fashion without needing anything else. In junior high, I found the poetry I was writing could be put to song too. That was it."

One acoustic holds a special place in the singer's heart. It's a 1951 Gibson Southern Jumbo. Now, he's got his own Aaron Lewis signature Gibson guitar modeled after his most prized instrument. "This guitar has been in the making for almost five years," he explains. "We decided that we would model the signature guitar after my Southern Jumbo. I insisted that the guitar be built with hot hide glue because they would've used hot hide glue back in the day. I insisted that they used the hand-carved scalloped braces too, and that Gibson's Ren Ferguson serve as master luthier. When you pick the guitar up, it's as light as a feather, and it already sounds like it's 50-years-old. My name being on this guitar is just a bonus; it stands all on its own. To be one of ten people, mostly deceased, that has a signature Gibson acoustic is incredible."

On the road alone, Lewis has crafted some heartfelt tracks. "Tangled Up In You," from Staind's The Illusion of Progress, was born during one of his acoustic sound checks, while he wrote the solo cut "Anywhere But Here" in a parking lot in Sioux Falls, South Dakota during his 2008 jaunt. The most recent song to come as a result of the solo tour is his latest track, "Country Boy." Lewis debuted "Country Boy" during a benefit with 3 Doors Down in Biloxi, and it immediately became a staple of his set.

"It's a true story," exclaims the singer. "It's one of those songs that covers phases of my life. I did grow up down an old dirt road in a town you wouldn't know. We were the only house on a mountain. I've had pieces of the lyrics for awhile, and it's in the tradition of Hank Jr.'s 'Country Boy Can Survive.' My mind was thinking country when I wrote it, but it's my story."

Keeping with his roots, Lewis is featured on Drury Outdoors' popular Outdoor Channel Series, Dream Season Celebrity, a reality hunting show that follows competing teams from across the United States. A lifetime outdoorsman and avid hunter, Lewis's participation in the series will raise money for the Catch-A-Dream Foundation, which grants once-in-a-lifetime hunting and fishing experiences to children with life-threatening illnesses.

He explains, "Hunting is the ultimate escape. It truly has been a dream season for me because of the show. I've hunted places that I only dreamed of hunting before. I was able to go hunting more than I have in a very long time. Hunting, fishing and the outdoors are personal family traditions. I still live in a town of 1200 people. I like the country life, and I like the simple life. I can hunt right in my backyard. When I'm hunting, most of the time I'm home, and that's heaven to me."

Aaron has always been a storyteller, and he continues that tradition with the solo material. "For the most part, the stories are personal tales of mine. Once in awhile, they're observational. I don't know how to write fiction. My songs always explored that glimmer of hope that I was so desperate to attain. I'm lucky and honored to say that my music has affected many people. I can say everything that I need to say in a song, and everybody gets to have his or her own personal take on it."

Ultimately, Lewis continues to build a legacy that fans can share and believe in. "I'm truly living the American dream. I took my story of struggle and turned it into something that changed my life and my children's lives. We'll see how far it goes. I started with nothing, and I turned a thought into a dream career. That's the beauty of this country that we have."

That's the beauty of the road Aaron's made and continues to travel with Staind and solo.