Aaron Lewis aims for genuine spontaneity

If practice makes perfect, three-time Grammy nominee Aaron Lewis is certain to have an imperfect show when he appears Jan. 9 at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino.

Lewis, lead singer of the alternative metal band Staind, has put little thought into what he’ll do when it comes time to perform acoustically and alone.

“I go onstage with no set list, no plan, no anything,” Lewis said by phone during a tour stop in Las Vegas. “I haven’t played any of these songs since the last time I played a solo acoustic show. That was (one year ago). I haven’t practiced. I have no idea what I’m going to do. I don’t have a master list. I don’t have a clue.”

But he does have a few things going for him. He’s got a catalog of songs by his multiplatinum-selling band, plenty of acoustic originals and a really good memory. Lewis said he knows at least 500 covers that range from Kermit the Frog’s “Rainbow Connection” to Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs.” He’s apt to play any song at any time.

Besides, his lack of planning is planned.

“I feel like if it were rehearsed, it wouldn’t come off as genuine,” he said. “I just go out there and deliver it.”

It’s likely he will forget some chords or a few words to his songs, he said. If so, he simply regroups and starts again.

“It’s very real, I guess,” he said.

Lucky guy

Lewis likes his reality. He’s happily married and the father of three daughters, ages 6, 3 and 1. Last August, Staind released its fifth studio album, “Illusion of Progress,” and it sold more than 90,000 units the first week. The album, behind the hit song “Believe,” has been in the Billboard Rock Top 200 charts for 19 weeks, peaking at No. 3.

Now, after a solid year of touring with Staind, Lewis is ready to do his own thing, albeit for a short time. He will be back on tour with Staind by Jan. 18 when the band begins a tour in Ireland.

“A Staind show is pretty much the same thing every night,” he said. “We’re not a jam band, so we don’t change songs around. In that sense, the solo acoustic show couldn’t be more of a polar opposite. It’s just me sitting on a stool with my acoustic guitar.”

Lewis cherishes the opportunity to be real onstage.

“People have been trying to change me my whole career,” he said. “People want me to be a more animated frontman, change my style, whiten my teeth, get rid of my friends. Those are pressures I’ve felt and heard since I began playing.

“Now, here I am, 10 years later, 15 million records sold later, and I’m still the same person they were trying to change in the beginning.”

Lewis remembers the days when he would meander around stage and stare at his shoes.

“That was as forced as it could be,” he said. “That’s not what I wanted to be doing at all. What I wanted to be doing is what I’m doing now — which is standing behind a microphone with a guitar in my hand and delivering the song. I’m not an entertainer. If you need to be visually stimulated, you might be disappointed.”

But if you want to spend an intimate evening with a singer-songwriter, Lewis’ show likely will fill the bill.

“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “People are laughing. They’re having a good time. They’re yelling out requests. I’m trying to play them. I’m failing miserably. It’s all good, you know. I’m not taking myself so seriously that if I (mess) up I will crawl in a hole and die. There’s nothing wrong with a little self-deprecation.”

Make no mistake, however. Lewis appreciates his lot in life.

“This is my career,” he said. “This is what I chose to do with my life. Or, let me rephrase that. This is what chose me in life. Plenty of people who are just as talented, if not more talented than I am, will never get a shot. So I feel like it chose me rather than me choosing it. I’m just a lucky guy.”

A little Staind

The Massachusetts-based band had a three-song sampler, “Tormented,” that was heard by Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst in the late 1990s. Durst helped the band with connections and, after securing a slot on the Vans Warped Tour, Staind released its first major studio album, “Dysfunction” in 1999. Extensive touring, including opening gigs for Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock, helped build a following.

The second album, “Break the Cycle,” reached No. 1 on the rock charts. The disc included hits such as “It’s Been a While,” “Fade,” “For You” and “Epiphany.” Success continued with the release of “14 Shades of Grey” in 2003, “Chapter V” in 2005 and “Illusion of Progress” in 2008.

Lewis said he’s a little surprised by Staind’s continued success.

“We’re certainly not the flavor of the week,” he said. “I don’t know that we’re cool any more. We’re probably a little too old for the youngsters. I don’t know. I try not to think about that stuff too much.”

Lewis said Staind likely will slow down on its touring schedule, so he can spend more time with his three young daughters.

“It’s extremely important for daughters to have good relationships with their father,” he said. “It’s so very important because that’s going to dictate that girl’s behavior for the whole rest of her life.”

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