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Alice in Chains, reformed after the death of lead vocalist Layne Staley, comes through El Paso Wednesday at the El Paso County Coliseum.
(Special to the Times.)
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Mike Inez, the bass player for Alice in Chains, wants to make one thing clear -- "We wouldn't be out here if it didn't feel right."That must be said for any fans doubting the legitimacy of Alice in Chains touring without founding member and singer Layne Staley, who died of a drug overdose in 2002. "It's obviously tough to go on without Layne," Inez said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where the band was rehearsing. "With us, it's part of the mourning process." The grunge icons' 40-date tour starts today in Las Vegas and comes through El Paso Wednesday at the El Paso County Coliseum. It is Alice in Chains' first national tour in more than a decade. "I can't wait," said JoAna Padillas, an East Side fan. "It is not every day you have the opportunity
to see one of the bands that started the grunge movement. Even if they don't have their lead singer, it's still Alice." Alice in Chains -- Inez, bass; Jerry Cantrell, guitar and vocals; and Sean Kinney, drums -- will be joined by guest vocalist William DuVall. Talk of touring began after a 2005 benefit concert in Seattle for victims of the tsunami disaster. "That was amazing," Inez said. "Sean put it best when he said that was one of our finer moments. It was one of the greatest nights. It really clicked. It was a shining moment for us. It was one of the coolest things we have ever done." Since then, the band has played festivals in 23 countries. "It's funny, because we started out thinking we'll just play some small venues, and the next thing you know we are
playing to 120,000 people at this (Formula One) track in Germany with Guns N' Roses and Metallica. It's like 'Oh my God, this isn't small.' " Alice in Chains released a two-disc collection called "The Essential Alice in Chains," its first comprehensive retrospective release, with 28 tracks including hits "Rooster," "Man in the Box," "No Excuses," "I Stay Away," "Heaven Beside You," "Over Now" and "Would." Inez said the band takes great pride in being mentioned as a pioneer in the Seattle scene and the grunge years (1991 to 1994). "It's weird that we are part of this big cultural pop explosion," he said. "It's probably the biggest pop explosion to happen since the '60s. We were just blown away. "We were just a bunch of pothead Seattle musicians who, all of a sudden, next thing you know, they are putting Eddie (Vedder of Pearl Jam) on the cover of Time or Life or whatever it was. It was like, 'Oh, man, what's going on?' "Inez said bands such as Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Nirvana were not out to change the world, they were just playing music that sounded -- and felt -- right. "It's all about the music," he said. "That's what was cool about the Seattle scene. It was so tucked up there in the Pacific Northwest, these bands had a chance to be bands for a while. As opposed to, you get a band together down here in L.A. with a bunch of 'name' guys, get a record deal and then a tour and haven't played a lot of gigs together; it doesn't sound like a band until the second or third record. "Bands like Soundgarden
or Nirvana or Alice really grow up together, and that makes a lot of difference, to hang out with your bros," he said. "They are the only people who can understand, mentally, what we went through. Not to mention the substance abuse." Inez said the band has been too busy touring to focus on new material. "We haven't really started any new material," he said. "We haven't had any time at all. It has been real surprising to us. "But the concerts have been really good. Everybody knows the songs, and our old fans are bringing their kids now. That's what we wanted to see, how it was going to feel when we got out here. "So things are looking up for us. We are staying really positive, and we're in a good 'head space' right now. Hopefully we keep ourselves
there." Victor R. Martinez may be reached at vmartinez@elpasotimes.com; 546-6128.
makeplans
What: Alice in Chains in concert. Hurt will open the show.
When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
Where: El Paso County Coliseum.
How much: $32.50, plus applicable service fees. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster, 544-8444or www.ticketmaster.com.
Web site: www.aliceinchains.com.
Information: 533-9899. | 
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