By Alan Sculley
Correspondent

Chris Daughtry had the kind of chart-busting immediate success that rarely happens in music these days, selling more than a million copies of his 2006 self-titled CD in the first five weeks of its release, and going on to rack up nearly 4.5 million copies sold overall.

It was quite a statement for Daughtry, who despite appearing to be one of the most popular performers on the 2006 season of “American Idol,” was voted off earlier than some expected and finished fourth that season.
Not only did his run on “American Idol” prime the pump for the release of his first CD fronting his band, Daughtry, but it seemingly gave him a taste of the life he was about to experience as one of the most popular artists on the rock scene.

But in a recent interview, Daughtry said “American Idol” wasn’t as helpful as one might expect in preparing him for the fame and recognition that has come his way.

“I don’t quite think it did (help that much), and let me explain why,” he said. “Because when you’re on that show, you have no clue what’s going on outside of that. You’re kind of in a bubble. You’re not really out in the public eye. You’re not out getting swarmed by fans or anything. You’re kind of locked in a glass case.

“You start to get a sense of that fame once you do that tour (the “American Idols Live” tour that follows each season’s final episode), because now all of a sudden all the fans are coming out and you’re doing meet and greets, and (realizing), ‘Woah, this is new.’ It’s kind of like getting thrown out to the wolves, and just the strong survive, really. You have to be very strong mentally to handle it yourself and not get caught up in believing your own hype.”

In conversation, Daughtry doesn’t come off as someone who’s toting around a rock star attitude. He certainly is aware of his popularity and understands the star-making mechanics of the music industry, as well as the musical and lyrical ingredients songs need to have mass appeal. But he seems down to earth and quite honest when he talks about surrounding himself with people who keep him from getting a big head.

Daughtry and his band members (drummer Joey Barnes, guitarists Brian Craddock and Josh Steely, and bassist Josh Paul) will probably have to remain vigilant about keeping their egos in check. If the response to the second Daughtry CD, “Leave This Town,” is any indication, the group’s popularity isn’t going to fade any time soon.

Like the first album, the second CD debuted at No. 1 on Billboard magazine’s album chart, selling 269,000 copies in the first week.

The band has been on the road since shortly after the release of “Leave This Town” last summer, and is currently on a spring/summer run of arena dates that stops at the Verizon Wireless Arena on Tuesday. The shows will come with some visual bells and whistles for fans.

“(It’s) a lot of fun,” Daughtry said. “I think it’s going to be a surprise to everybody once they see it. It’s going to be a big rock show.”

What might continue to evolve during the course of the tour is the song set.

“I don’t think we’ve figured out our perfect set list with this record yet, because there are favorites from the first record, and we certainly have favorites from this (second) one,” Daughtry said. “So we’ve got make sure we’re not playing material that’s going to put them to sleep.”

It’s pretty hard to imagine any Daughtry fan snoozing through many of the group’s songs. “Leave This Town” is similar enough to the first album that it should go over just fine with concert-goers.

Like that debut CD, “Leave This Town” finds Daughtry’s music fitting in comfortably alongside other popular mainstream rock acts, such as Nickelback, 3 Doors Down and Shinedown. It offers a mix of hard-hitting, but hook-filled rockers (“Every Time You Turn Around,” “What I Meant To Say” and “Supernatural”), as well as the occasional power ballad (such as “No Surprise” and “Life After You”)

Daughtry himself doesn’t see huge differences in the music on the two CDs, with the exception of a song or two, most notably the country-ish acoustic track “Tennessee Line” (featuring a guest appearance from Vince Gill). The 29-year-old resident of Greensboro, N.C., noted that he’s a big fan of country music, as well as rock.

“I don’t think it’s much different, because that first record was me as well,” he said. “That is the way I write. That is the sound I was going for.

“I think it’s certainly got a little more personality to it this time. I think it varies a little more. But overall, I think that is the Daughtry sound. I think it’s a little less polished and sounds more like a live band. But overall, you’ve got your big guitar choruses, and so that’s kind of what we’re about, a little bit of arena rock in there, a little sap for the ladies, a little balladry.”

Daughtry with Lifehouse, Cavo
When: Tuesday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Verizon Wireless Arena, 555 Elm St., Manchester
Tickets: $39.50, $29.50
Info: 603-868-7300 (Ticketmaster) or www.verizonwirelessarena.com