By Carly Maitlen
Entertainment Editor

When Third Eye Blind performs at Purdue on Saturday night, whether or not the crowd is rocking won’t matter to band member Arion Salazar.

"That's not too much of a problem. We're not one of those bands that has to have those adulation factors happening for us," he said. Salazar said at a concert, even if the crowd as a whole isn’t going nuts, he knows at least 10 people in the audience are.

"It's bringing the music to people and seeing the pleasure you can give someone by doing what you love," he said.

Salazar said playing universities and colleges isn’t much different from playing other kinds of arenas. "It’s not too different unless you let it be," said Salazar.

Salazar said the audience at concerts is usually made of the same kinds of people, no matter where the band plays.

"Wherever we play, the same people make the effort to come out to see us," he said. "Hopefully, if we were playing at a crack house they would still come out and see us."

Third Eye Blind was founded by lead singer Stephen Jenkins. The band consists of members Salazar, Kevin Cadogan and Brad Hargreaves. The band's self-titled debut album went multi-platinum with such hits as "Semi-Charmed Life," "Jumper," "How's It Going To Be," and "Losing a Whole Year." Their sophomore album, "Blue," was released in November. Before making this album, the band spent 52 weeks on tour becoming musically closer.

Salazar said the band never stayed on as an opening act with a group for an entire tour. The band did two weeks of a tour as the opening act for the Rolling Stones and U2. Besides that, the members have been the headlining act for both their last tour and the new tour in support of "Blue."

When the Purdue Student Concert Committee tallied the result of its SSINFO survey, they discovered that Third Eye Blind was one of the top picks.

"I feel flattered and excited," said Salazar about the survey results. "It feels good to hear that because that means we are doing something right. I think Third Eye Blind is the kind of band that brings an intellectualism to rock 'n' roll."

He said this intellectualism plays a large role in college student's attraction to the band.

"I know the lyrics are very intelligent," he said. "They don't insult your intelligence." He said since college students are in an environment where they are trying to grow intellectually, these lyrics appeal to them.

Salazar said the tour for "Blue" has been underway for a little more than three weeks. The band is playing mainly theaters but is filling in the holes of the tour with college and universities. The tour will continue for the next year and a half.

"It’s a pretty big strain," he said. "I would never complain about it to anyone because I am very lucky to be doing this. There's nothing else I would like to do. Definitely the perks and the pleasure of being out making music and having fun make up for the long hours," he said. "And of course the throngs of groupies after each show."

Salazar said there are two songs on "Blue" that he co-wrote — "10 Days Late" and "Darwin" — which make both songs special for him.

"It was kind of a turning point," he said. "My songwriting was really nurtured by the whole group. The whole album was very significant for me."

Salazar wrote the music for both of these songs. Jenkins writes all of the lyrics.

"The music ideas come from something you feel. You just pick up an instrument and play," he said. Salazar said the music is usually written before the lyrics.

"That way the lyrics are influenced by the mood in the music," he said.

Salazar said no matter how many times one of their songs is played on the radio, the significance doesn't change.

"It’s always the same. They don't change for me," he said. "I get sick of something just like the rest of us." Salazar said there have probably been a few times he has turned the dial on the radio when one of their songs has come on.

"I still hear it every night when I play it," he said. "Not one night have I felt uninspired when I have played that song."

• Third Eye Blind will be performing at 8 p.m. Saturday in Elliott Hall of Music. Tickets are still on sale for $25 at the box office. The Cupcake will perform as the opening act.