Jacoby Shaddix clearly is in a good mood.

Sitting outside the night's venue in Green Bay, Wis., "chillin'" as he says, in Papa Roach's tour bus, the group's frontman and lyricist is up to the challenge of any question, from the serious to the lighthearted.

At one point, he volunteers, playfully, "I love being a rock star. I'm good at it," he says, laughing. "Also, I'm a nice guy."

Shaddix, and his bandmates have earned the right to have a little fun with their role in rock. Twelve years on, not quite half of those in the national spotlight, Papa Roach continues to find a way to keep on keeping on and, this is a vital distinction doing it their way.

"It's about heart and soul and passion and really believing in what you are doing," says Shaddix who, at the beginning of the band's career was using the stage name of Coby Dick.

Papa Roach is deeper than just sound and vibration, he assures. "It's an experience and a lifestyle. That's one thing fans can latch on to. People can relate the lyrics to their own lives.
If someone can connect with our music on a real life level, and see themselves within the song, that's what makes it really powerful and translates and connects with people."

This is the band that came out of the self-proclaimed Onion Capital of the World (Vacaville, Calif.) to make its presence felt as an unsigned act.

The band released several CDs on its own, starting with 1995's "Caca Bonita." Then it signed with DreamWorks and hit the mother lode with its 2000 debut.

"We went from being just a small garage band to touring around the world and supporting at arenas," he says. "We never really did like the theater touring circuit, which is what we are doing right now. We're just totally rocking the f out of them."

It's a great environment for the band and the fans, Shaddix says. "It's a great vibe and everyone has a good seat and leaves having a good time," he adds.

"It's big enough to be big rock and intimate enough to feel personal. It's the best of both worlds, and we're able to meet fans after the show."

Next on their agenda: the Staircase in Pittston at 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22, with Skindred

Shaddix is candid in admitting that not all the fans have stuck with the band through the years. When Papa Roach blew out of the gate in such a big way in 2000 "there was a fair amount of fair weather fans," he explains. "We came in on a big hype."

People who become fans of a band just because of hype aren't necessarily in it to stay, he suggests. There is a core that has embraced the evolution of the band, he says.

"We've always stuck to our guns and pushed things forward musically and played music because we loved to play music," he says.

"When we first began, we really didn't care about song structure or even sounding good. We just wanted to get in the garage and make some noise and have some fun. It kind of evolved from that, trying to write the greatest songs we possibly could, and push ourselves creatively and artistically. We just like to try something new, go to where the music takes you."

This time Papa Roach has been taken to the music on its latest album, "Getting Away With Murder."

Shaddix hopes listeners find a sense of liberation and hope from this CD.

"If it inspires people to talk and think about things, that's awesome. We found people want a message and to hear people saying something. We're not trying to shove our opinions down people's throats, but we're also not trying to be silent about what we think."

The album most definitely represents growth for the band, says Shaddix.

The band has evolved to a bit more of a straight-ahead rock band, he says.

"For us, the only thing consistent about the band so far, is we keep changing. That's kind of what we do. We don't really settle. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future. This record is a really very important record to our band's career. I think it will solidify us for the next few years."

Even if it doesn't, the sheer forcefulness of music just might.

Music, says Shaddix, is a powerful thing. "It gives me the freedom my soul has been seeking my entire life."