Creed frontman Scott Stapp said Nashville has always been close to his heart, and the hearts of his bandmates. That affection led to Creed's decision to preview their new tour on Monday, July 26 at Nashville's Hard Rock Café and donate the proceeds to local flood victims.

“It’s a place we’ve gone to write and a place we feel inspired,” Stapp said of Nashville. "It’s Music City and it’s just good people. We like the vibe — and when something happened there it touched our hearts and we want to help out.”

While the venue is smaller than the arenas Creed has played in the past, the singer said the band still plans to deliver a massive rock show in the more intimate environment.

“We are a rock band in the truest sense,” Stapp said. “We’ll be up there pouring our hearts out and delivering our songs with heart and passion and musicianship. It will be a good time, and we really want to connect with our fans. They’ll see who the band is today, and we will see who they are.”

In the days leading up to the tour, Stapp was enjoying the time he had left at home with his wife Jaclyn and three children: son Jagger, 11; daughter Milan, 3 1/2; and new son Daniel, who was born on July 4. Stapp plans to take Jagger on the road with him, but the rest of the family will stay behind initially.

“I tell you it’s going to be hard to leave the two ladies that are the loves of my life,” he said of his wife and daughter. “(Jaclyn) will come out as much as she can, and as soon as we get clearance from the doctors, Daniel will be there, too. We like to do things as a family, and it’s just awesome we can do that.”

Showtime for Creed's Nashville show on Monday is 8 p.m., and tickets are $75. All proceeds go to Hands on Nashville. For tickets or more information, visit www.hardrock.com.