Trapt vocalist Chris Taylor Brown wanted to put on a big summer rock festival that wouldn’t be too expensive for fans. So in March he began working with his agent to turn things around quickly, reaching out to bands that had hits on rock radio in the late ’90s or early 2000s but weren’t committed to a big tour this year. They wound up of with a group of six additional acts — Saliva, Alien Ant Farm, Saving Abel, Crazytown, 12 Stones and Tantric — plus some special guests that had all played with Trapt at least once. The group will share the stage again as part of the Make America Rock Again Tour, which hits H.O.M.E.: House of Music and Entertainment in Arlington Heights on Aug. 17.
“It’s always a good time to hang out with these guys,” Brown said. “We’re all out here working hard and trying to bring the best performances we can to our fans.”
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Trapt will play fan favorites that have received plenty of radio time plus some songs off their new album, “DNA,” which will be released on Aug. 19.
The album explores conflicting visions people have for the United States and how their own lives should go. Brown says the track “Human (Like the Rest of Us)” is about “trying to push back against that division and bringing people together,” while the song “Passenger” is about “taking life in your own hands and not blindly following media or agendas of the friends you have around you.”
Saliva will also be on the tour playing their hits along with a few songs from their new album, “Love, Lies & Therapy,” which was released in June.
“[Make America Rock Again] just kind of fell like a star from the sky in our lap,” said lead guitarist Wayne Swinny. “When you look at the premise of the tour and the era that all the bands had their biggest success it makes sense. Those are all our old buds from touring back in the day. It’s going to be a reunion of sorts for all of us to be back on the road again, a little older and wiser.”
With a long list of acts, the short set times means Saliva won’t have much room to play their new material while still satisfying fans, but Swinny said they’ll play “Tragic Kind Of Love,” the first single from the new album, and “Trust” which was also under consideration as the record’s debut single.
“It’s like the Reader’s Digest version for the set,” Swinny said. “It’s going to be all singles. There’s not going to be a bunch of experimental stuff from us. We’re going to be giving everyone the songs they want to hear.”
Both Swinny and Brown said they’re happy to have the opportunity to perform on the road this summer.
“If I’m home for too long I get the itch to get out and do some touring,” Swinny said. “I’m probably in the minority of musicians that would rather be on the road than at home. I’m not saying I don’t want to be home, but this is normal for me.”
Brown said he couldn’t imagine not performing.
“We make a great living out of it and the fans love it,” he said. “It’s what we’ve loved to do since we were teenagers. I don’t know why we wouldn’t do it.”
Make America Rock Again
When: 7 p.m. Aug. 17; doors open at 6 p.m.
Where: H.O.M.E.: House of Music and Entertainment, 1227 N. Rand Road, Arlington Heights
Tickets: $20
Information: www.makeamericarockagain.com