I watched "10 Things I Hate About You" again on Saturday afternoon, and found myself liking the film even *more* than i already did. For one thing, i somehow forgot or failed to realize that it's set and filmed in Seattle (my favorite city in the US). I guess it's been a long time since i've watched 10 Things all the way through, because i was amazed at how many scenes i recognized from having seen the places with my own eyes. The opening sequence with the city skyline and Mt. Rainier in the background - i've taken that classic photo myself. The paintball scene, i believe, was at Gasworks Park. Taking a boat out onto Lake Union - done that. And the best of all - the troll under the bridge (with the VW bug under his giant stone hand); Shawn & Becky took me there when i was in town last summer. Awesome.
Then Saturday night i went over to hang with some friends, and we ended up watching Batman Begins (i'm itching to see the second one but haven't made it out yet). Man. I hadn't seen it in a few years (rented it with Laurie & Shannon a few summers ago), and the impact of this viewing was just as intense as the first time around. Fucking amazing film in so many ways.
Today was Nefaur's bbq, which was good; met/caught up with various people and ate way too much food - as it should be.
So it seems that this weekend had its highlights, despite how bad Friday night was, and the mindset it placed me into. As an update on that, i eventually did manage to pack away those photo albums (along with many other key items). And in a real box this time (not just shoved into a cabinet); labeled it "Shards Of Neilam's Heart" and stowed it away.
This morning i secured my ticket to see James Blunt perform in San Francisco in August (only 2 days before the 29th, which is a delicious coincidence). Good thing i logged in the minute tickets went on sale; looks like the date sold out pretty quickly. So now i have 5 shows (and counting) to look forward to in the next two months:
7/25/2008 - Stone Temple Pilots
9/27/2008 - James Blunt
9/12/2008 - Nightwish
9/21/2008 - Children of Bodom
9/25/2008 - Bullet For My Valentine
(Latest up-to-date concert calendar can always be found on my facebook profile; let me know if you're interested in any of the shows & want to come with).
You know, i really enjoy having James Blunt in my otherwise metal-dominated concert list. It's kindof like when people find Avril Lavigne on my cd shelf. Anyway, unlike James, most of my metal shows don't sell out right away, so i haven't picked up tickets for Nightwish, Bodom, or Bullet yet. I'm thinking about making a trip up to the city to hit the box offices directly. This would save me $30-40 of handling fees, which would more than pay for gas or Caltrain, and give me the satisfaction of keeping my money away from Ticketwanker.
So in review: Yay for good films, social gatherings, and concerts. Boo for falling off the wagon and regressing emotionally back to late-2007. Last week was a bust; i'm looking to make this week at least a little better.
Oh, and one last thing - Dr. Horrible will be online for another 2 hours, so anybody who hasn't already seen Joss Whedon's bloody brilliant web musical should head over to drhorrible.com straight away.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Come Clarity
Most of my life has been shrouded in the feeling that no matter how hard i work, how much progress i make, i'm still failing to find what i want; unable to get to where i need to be. But a few recent developments and the past couple of weekends have made me realize that i'm getting there - i'm just a number of years behind schedule.
...
My experience at Michigan State University was awesome in that it was an escape from the prison that was my parents' house. I was finally able to breathe; to take a look at myself and the world around me. But i did not make the most out of my undergrad years, partly because i didn't know what to go after, but also because i just wasn't ready.
After i graduated and moved to Champaign-Urbana, i (eventually) started doing some of the things that i should have done when i was in college. I became active with a student group. I discovered my passion for dance, and continued to explore music. I slowly made a lot of great friends (mostly students). I connected with the University of Illinois' campus and grew to feel at home there. Don't get me wrong, i'll always bleed green and white; MSU is *mine* and i absolutely loved living in East Lansing. But C-U was just different somehow. I think i took better advantage of living in a college town (and appreciated it more) the second time around.
This timeframe was also when i finally experienced my first serious relationship. Falling in love was the best thing that ever happened to me; it was everything i'd wanted and so much more. With other things going so well, being with her made my whole life shine! Unfortunately, things ended rather badly. The breakup hurt me more deeply than anything else ever has, leaving me with a set of wounds which still haven't really healed (maybe they never will).
But i digress.
So living in C-U was almost like a second chance at undergrad. Obviously it wasn't a "do-over" by any means, but i did catch up on a few things that i'd missed before. I was able to focus on myself as a person and start making improvements. I started up an effort to eat better and exercise more. I cut down on wasted time and instead sought out "useful stuff" to do. And above all else, i'm so pleased to have connected with *people* - made so many awesome friends - and become more confident, outgoing, and just *better* with social situations. A world of difference compared to the Neilam from his own undergrad years.
Sideber: I have to thank the UIUC Swing Society because my involvement with the organization is what led to a lot of the above. Even now, i'm amazed at the way i went from being a fledgling dancer to a regular in the scene, and then to TAing lessons and teaching (!) classes. Social dancing brought out a whole new side of me and became a huge source of positive energy. And it's a good feeling to have a place where you truly belong.
...
Once my time in Champaign-Urbana came to an end, i moved out here to Cali and started on some of the things i should have done when i first got out of college. Make some new friends, try out new activities, fill nights and weekends with fun stuff. The transition, while difficult, ended up being a great step for me. It was almost as though i really was a freshout - new job, new town, a whole new set of opportunities.
I've been meeting a lot of great people out here (huge thanks to Facebook for facilitating the connections). I've continued working on myself, slowly fixing things that i don't like. I quit watching tv entirely (except for streaming episodes of Lost and Heroes online) and reallocated a lot of that time to activities that i find to be more meaningful. Metal concerts. Rock climbing. Hiking (there are mountains everywhere!). Reading more. Refocusing my healthy lifestyle goals. Checking into the local lindy scene (actually i've been delinquent for the past few months, but i'll make it back at some point). And i started up an exciting personal project which i think is going well so far.
The developments on the social front have been immensely encouraging. I can hardly believe how quickly things have snowballed. It really is about a starting point; once you catch a break - if you have the right attitude - recursion takes over.
I am improving. It took me several years to settle into C-U; to start building a life for myself and make the place my home. This time around it was more like 7-8 months (different scale, i suppose, but similar developments). Maybe when i move to Seattle in 2011 (abstract plan), the transition will be even faster still.
...
So maybe i've just had a late start on life. And maybe that's ok. Right now (most) things are going great. I mean, i am missing the one thing that i want more than anything else, and i've run out of ideas on how to find it. Sometimes this missing piece seems to overshadow the rest of the puzzle. But the rest does seem to be coming together (albeit slowly, but late > never, right?). And who knows; maybe one day i'll catch a break.
...
My experience at Michigan State University was awesome in that it was an escape from the prison that was my parents' house. I was finally able to breathe; to take a look at myself and the world around me. But i did not make the most out of my undergrad years, partly because i didn't know what to go after, but also because i just wasn't ready.
After i graduated and moved to Champaign-Urbana, i (eventually) started doing some of the things that i should have done when i was in college. I became active with a student group. I discovered my passion for dance, and continued to explore music. I slowly made a lot of great friends (mostly students). I connected with the University of Illinois' campus and grew to feel at home there. Don't get me wrong, i'll always bleed green and white; MSU is *mine* and i absolutely loved living in East Lansing. But C-U was just different somehow. I think i took better advantage of living in a college town (and appreciated it more) the second time around.
This timeframe was also when i finally experienced my first serious relationship. Falling in love was the best thing that ever happened to me; it was everything i'd wanted and so much more. With other things going so well, being with her made my whole life shine! Unfortunately, things ended rather badly. The breakup hurt me more deeply than anything else ever has, leaving me with a set of wounds which still haven't really healed (maybe they never will).
But i digress.
So living in C-U was almost like a second chance at undergrad. Obviously it wasn't a "do-over" by any means, but i did catch up on a few things that i'd missed before. I was able to focus on myself as a person and start making improvements. I started up an effort to eat better and exercise more. I cut down on wasted time and instead sought out "useful stuff" to do. And above all else, i'm so pleased to have connected with *people* - made so many awesome friends - and become more confident, outgoing, and just *better* with social situations. A world of difference compared to the Neilam from his own undergrad years.
Sideber: I have to thank the UIUC Swing Society because my involvement with the organization is what led to a lot of the above. Even now, i'm amazed at the way i went from being a fledgling dancer to a regular in the scene, and then to TAing lessons and teaching (!) classes. Social dancing brought out a whole new side of me and became a huge source of positive energy. And it's a good feeling to have a place where you truly belong.
...
Once my time in Champaign-Urbana came to an end, i moved out here to Cali and started on some of the things i should have done when i first got out of college. Make some new friends, try out new activities, fill nights and weekends with fun stuff. The transition, while difficult, ended up being a great step for me. It was almost as though i really was a freshout - new job, new town, a whole new set of opportunities.
I've been meeting a lot of great people out here (huge thanks to Facebook for facilitating the connections). I've continued working on myself, slowly fixing things that i don't like. I quit watching tv entirely (except for streaming episodes of Lost and Heroes online) and reallocated a lot of that time to activities that i find to be more meaningful. Metal concerts. Rock climbing. Hiking (there are mountains everywhere!). Reading more. Refocusing my healthy lifestyle goals. Checking into the local lindy scene (actually i've been delinquent for the past few months, but i'll make it back at some point). And i started up an exciting personal project which i think is going well so far.
The developments on the social front have been immensely encouraging. I can hardly believe how quickly things have snowballed. It really is about a starting point; once you catch a break - if you have the right attitude - recursion takes over.
I am improving. It took me several years to settle into C-U; to start building a life for myself and make the place my home. This time around it was more like 7-8 months (different scale, i suppose, but similar developments). Maybe when i move to Seattle in 2011 (abstract plan), the transition will be even faster still.
...
So maybe i've just had a late start on life. And maybe that's ok. Right now (most) things are going great. I mean, i am missing the one thing that i want more than anything else, and i've run out of ideas on how to find it. Sometimes this missing piece seems to overshadow the rest of the puzzle. But the rest does seem to be coming together (albeit slowly, but late > never, right?). And who knows; maybe one day i'll catch a break.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Arch Enemy - Tyranny & Bloodshed Tour
Arch Enemy with Dark Tranquillity, Divine Heresy, Firewind
5/29/2008 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
It's rare for a bill to to be 100% for me; usually i'm at a show for one or two of the bands, and end up yawning through the opening acts. But in the week leading up to the Tyranny & Bloodshed tour, i found myself getting excited for all four bands on the bill. I love Arch Enemy. I love Dark Tranquillity, and had been waiting forever for my chance to see them live. Divine Heresy is the new band of Dino Cazares, former guitarist from Fear Factory (one of my favorites from the old days); anything that involves Dino has my interest by default. Firewind is a band i hadn't heard of before, but a trip to their myspace page revealed that they're pretty awesome!
I arrived at Slim's way early, walked past the long line of kids and got in the shorter line for will call. While waiting, i noticed a tall, dreadlocked gentleman walk out of the club and head towards one of the tour busses. I wondered if he was in one of the bands or (more likely) part of the road crew. Just a random moment. Once i had my ticket in hand, i went back to the end of the big line to wait for doors to open (which happened late, as usual).
After getting inside i stepped into the head to retrieve my camera, and then went to check out the merch booths. I've been griping about overpriced merch recently, so i was pleased to find reasonably priced shirts and cds. A couple of Arch Enemy shirts caught my eye, but i decided to hold of for the time being. I then headed over to the other merch booth where i found...DINO CAZARES himself, selling stuff and meeting-and-greeting. Holy crap! I shook his hand, told him that i loved his work in Fear Factory & was really looking forward to his set. His bass player, Joe, was there as well; both really nice guys. They signed my cd and took a photo with me - awesome!
...
Firewind started their set while i was meeting Dino & Joe, so i slipped into the crowd near stage right as soon as i was done. They sound pretty awesome live & i immediately felt it. I'm not quite sure how to describe them; new-school power metal, maybe, with elements of thrash, and a down-to-earth feel (i.e. not cheesy). Warm & upbeat tunes, clean vocals, and stunning guitarwork. Oh, and they're from Greece. I'm thinking about getting a map of Europe and sticking pins in the home countries of all of my metal bands. There would be lots of pins in Sweden, obviously, but also Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, England, Italy, now Greece, and more.
There was a rather tall dude standing near me who was also grooving to the band's first song; we exchanged grins & guy-head-nods. I recognized the intro to Firewind's second tune and yelled in response. My tall friend said "Hey, do you want to get in front of me?", indicating an open space. "You don't mind?" "No dude, go ahead!" "Thanks, man!" Just a small act, but it was one of those moments in life that make you appreciate the simple courtesy of others, and makes you want to do the same thing yourself.
From my new vantage point i saw that Gus G (the band's founder & awesome axeman) was perched right there at stage right. Watching him play was just awesome; he's quite skilled technically, but i also really admire his showmanship. It's clear that he's having a blast up there; grooving, shredding, a big smile on his face the whole time.
I was pleasantly surprised that i recognized so many of the songs they played (yay for the internet), including "Head Up High" and "Mercenary Men". But the real highlight was when they busted out "The Fire and the Fury", which is a kick-ASS instrumental track way back from 2003. All of the elements of a great instrumental, including a surprise - the keyboard player strapped on a guitar for some passages, and went back to the keys for a back-and-forth with Gus.
Love these guys. The only problem is that i love songs from at least 3 of their albums, so i'm not sure where to start. Maybe i'll hit up Century Media mailorder and splurge.
Firewind wrapped up their set to a huge reception from the crowd, getting the evening off to a great start. Best opening band i've seen in a long time.
...
Sidebar: While reading up on the band today, i realized something - i MET Gus G once! I just didn't know who he was at the time. He was filling in as Arch Enemy's touring guitarist in 2005 (while Chris Amott was temporarily away); i saw them play at Ozzfest that summer & met the band after their set. Check it out!
With Angela and Daniel:
Sharlee on the left, and who's that on the right? Yep, it's totally Gus G! Same thumbs-up sign and everything!
...
Next up, Divine Heresy. They exploded into their set with all of the aggression and heavy riffing that i'd expect from a Dino project. He plays an 8-string guitar, by the way. Solid set overall, but i didn't really dig the vocals (or vocalist). Reminiscent of a hardcore style, which i'm not really a fan of. And i don't have the whole story, but basically Dino had to fire their original vocalist early on this tour after an altercation on stage. So they have this other guy filling in for the rest of the tour. I mean he's going full force and doing his job, but i personally don't respond well to commands like "I WANNA SEE A BIG FAWKING MOSH PIT! C'MON, DON'T BE A PUSSY!" Whatever, man; don't tell me what to do. He even called for a Wall of Death, but only like 4 people participated - haha, weak.
So in terms of songs, Divine Heresy was my least favorite band of the evening, but it was still cool to see Dino up on stage again; he's a monster with that guitar of his. Joe (bass) is a solid player as well, and Tim (drums) is pretty intense. Really; these guys have a tight sound overall; i'd like them a lot more if they'd switch up the style of their vocals.
...
Dark Tranquillity took the stage next; one of my favorites from Sweden - the stronghold for melodic death metal (In Flames, Arch Enemy, Opeth...the list goes on). As soon as they launched into "Terminus", i knew we were in for a great set. I know i've been saying this a lot, but i mean it every time - these guys sound awesome live. Perfect blend of guitars & keyboard, heavy rhythms, lovely melodies, and Mikael's smooth growling vocals tying everything together.
Point of trivia - Anders Friden (vocalist of In Flames) was the original vocalist for Dark Tranquillity; he was on their first album, "Skydancer". After Anders left the band, Mikael Stanne switched from guitar to take over vocals. And ironically, Mikael recorded the vocals for In Flames' first album, "Lunar Strain", as a session musician because In Flames didn't have a vocalist at the time. There are other ties between the bands as well; it's like an extended metal family <3
Oh, by the way, the tall guy with the dreadlocks i saw outside before the show? Turned out to be Martin Henriksson - one of Dark Tranquillity's guitar players.
So of course a couple of guys had brought a Swedish flag to show some love. They were all the way up front & held it up near the beginning of the set. Mikael seemed to be pleasantly surprised; he got this huge smile on his face and spread his arms out as if to say "Awww, you guys!" They handed the flag up to him and he held it up & hugged it before handing it back. I'm sure people bring Swedish flags to a lot of their shows, but he really looked like the gesture had made his day.
The band played several songs off of their latest album, Fiction, of course, including "The Lesser Faith", "Focus Shift", and "Misery's Crown". But they didn't neglect the old, playing "Final Resistance" and "The Treason Wall" from Damage Done, "My Negation" from Character, and even going all the way back to Gallery for "Punish My Heaven". Great set, although it felt too short (maybe 40 minutes?). I would have liked a few more songs, especially from Character; hopefully i'll get to see them on a headlining tour at some point.
...
Taking a break between sets, i stopped by the merch booth again. I've gotten rather picky about shirts, but i really liked one of the Dark Tranquillity tour shirts, and decided that if they stocked a size Small, i'd be willing to fork over the $25. They did, and i did. Yay! It's not as "small" as it could be, but with so much writing on the back (it lists out all of the tour stops including city, date, and venue), i can understand why they needed the extra real estate.
I also considered picking up an Arch Enemy shirt, but most of the designs didn't quite do it for me. I did like the full-sleeve "Tyranny" shirt, as well as the classic tee with the simple logo on the front and "PURE FUCKING METAL" in huge letters on the back. I was both attracted to and cautious of a shirt that brandishes the F-word, but ultimately decided that the shirt isn't going anywhere and i'd spent enough money for one night.
...
Arch Enemy. After what felt like forever, the intro music started up, the band members slipped onto the dark stage one by one, and then EXPLODED into their visual and sonic assult. Oh man, this is what i live for! I thought they were amazing the last time i saw them live, and they've managed to not only live up to the memory, but exceed it. InTENSE rhythm section, amazing dueling guitarwork, and Angela's ungodly vocals and powerful allure & stage presence.
Ok, look. It's not just because she's hot. There's just something about this woman that is hard to put into words. Her vocals alone are awesome - powerful deep-throated growls, with a few screams in the mix. Add to that her aggressive grace; the way she throws herself fully into her performance. She radiates confidence and strength, balanced by a down-to-earth sentiment and a great sense of humor (some of her remarks between songs were hilarious). Oh, and her lovely accent certainly doesn't hurt (the band is Swedish, but Angela herself is from Germany) :-)
It was pretty awesome to see the Amott brothers (Chris and Mike) reunited (since Chris was away the last time i saw them play). Really awesome guitar players, both of them. Sharlee (love his name, by the way) was his rock-solid self on bass. And Daniel just *rips* up the drums. He played a hot solo spot during one of the interim segments; i really enjoyed.
Great set overall, representing all of the Angela-era albums. "Nemesis", "My Apocalypse", "Taking Back My Soul" (all from Doomsday Machine), several from the new album (which i hadn't picked up yet). A few from Anthems of Rebellion, including "Dead Eyes See No Future" which was incredible live. And from the awesome album "Wages of Sin" they rocked "Enemy Within", and "Ravenous" - the latter of which compelled me to charge forward and dive into the pit before i even knew what was happening.
The pit was of the mass-shoving variety - not my favorite, but not too bad. I got in my share of thrashing, then shifted over a little so i could focus on the band without getting kicked in the ribs. I'm weird; i usually can't get fired up for a show without being up front, surrounded by action. But recently i've found myself paying closer attention to the musicians as they play, especially the fretwork of the guitarists. Which is hard to do when you're getting shoved around and have to keep your guard up to protect your flanks. *shrug*
Oh yeah, and there were a couple of crazy girls down in the pit! It can get pretty intense, even out in the crush zone; at one point i ended up with a handful of one girl's hair loose in my hand and then all tangled in my camera strap. (Benefit #5 of my Jasmine-braid: Prevents hair from getting ripped out at concerts.)
Towards the end of the set, Angela announced "This next song is for all of the brokenhearted here tonight!" Me: "YEEAAAHHHH!" Angela: "Because 'You...Will Live...Again!'" *Awesome* new tune. Next she said that they were down to their last song of the night..."But maybe, just *maybe*...if you guys are really fucking loud, we'll come back and play some more." Yeah, the usual pre-planned encore, but it's all good. They wrapped up the set, we were really fucking loud, and they came back to play the anthem "We Will Rise". Naturally (it being an anthem and all) we all screamed out the chorus together, which was a bloody great feeling.
...
...
The show over, i headed out and got on the road home. I have to say, Slim's has become one of my favorite concert venues. Great little place, relatively painless parking situation (sorry, Chicago, i love you but parking on your streets is brutal), easy access to the freeway. And a non-Ticketmaster box office (handling fee for this show was $3). Rock.
I spent the drive home, as usual, with the radio off, replaying the highlights of the show in my mind, and contemplating how much i enjoy living only 45 minutes (plus traffic) away from the city. As intensely as i miss Champaign sometimes, i most likely would have missed this amazing tour if i were still living there (the 3-4 hour trip to Chicago precluded driving up on a random weeknight). Hell, that's why i hadn't seen Dark Tranquillity before, and had to miss so many other shows. I'm pleased that i've been able to catch so many of my bands on tour in the past 8 months.
Driving home, physically exhausted, mentally satisfied...a rare moment of contentment.
5/29/2008 - Slim's - San Francisco, CA
It's rare for a bill to to be 100% for me; usually i'm at a show for one or two of the bands, and end up yawning through the opening acts. But in the week leading up to the Tyranny & Bloodshed tour, i found myself getting excited for all four bands on the bill. I love Arch Enemy. I love Dark Tranquillity, and had been waiting forever for my chance to see them live. Divine Heresy is the new band of Dino Cazares, former guitarist from Fear Factory (one of my favorites from the old days); anything that involves Dino has my interest by default. Firewind is a band i hadn't heard of before, but a trip to their myspace page revealed that they're pretty awesome!
I arrived at Slim's way early, walked past the long line of kids and got in the shorter line for will call. While waiting, i noticed a tall, dreadlocked gentleman walk out of the club and head towards one of the tour busses. I wondered if he was in one of the bands or (more likely) part of the road crew. Just a random moment. Once i had my ticket in hand, i went back to the end of the big line to wait for doors to open (which happened late, as usual).
After getting inside i stepped into the head to retrieve my camera, and then went to check out the merch booths. I've been griping about overpriced merch recently, so i was pleased to find reasonably priced shirts and cds. A couple of Arch Enemy shirts caught my eye, but i decided to hold of for the time being. I then headed over to the other merch booth where i found...DINO CAZARES himself, selling stuff and meeting-and-greeting. Holy crap! I shook his hand, told him that i loved his work in Fear Factory & was really looking forward to his set. His bass player, Joe, was there as well; both really nice guys. They signed my cd and took a photo with me - awesome!
...
Firewind started their set while i was meeting Dino & Joe, so i slipped into the crowd near stage right as soon as i was done. They sound pretty awesome live & i immediately felt it. I'm not quite sure how to describe them; new-school power metal, maybe, with elements of thrash, and a down-to-earth feel (i.e. not cheesy). Warm & upbeat tunes, clean vocals, and stunning guitarwork. Oh, and they're from Greece. I'm thinking about getting a map of Europe and sticking pins in the home countries of all of my metal bands. There would be lots of pins in Sweden, obviously, but also Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Portugal, England, Italy, now Greece, and more.
There was a rather tall dude standing near me who was also grooving to the band's first song; we exchanged grins & guy-head-nods. I recognized the intro to Firewind's second tune and yelled in response. My tall friend said "Hey, do you want to get in front of me?", indicating an open space. "You don't mind?" "No dude, go ahead!" "Thanks, man!" Just a small act, but it was one of those moments in life that make you appreciate the simple courtesy of others, and makes you want to do the same thing yourself.
From my new vantage point i saw that Gus G (the band's founder & awesome axeman) was perched right there at stage right. Watching him play was just awesome; he's quite skilled technically, but i also really admire his showmanship. It's clear that he's having a blast up there; grooving, shredding, a big smile on his face the whole time.
I was pleasantly surprised that i recognized so many of the songs they played (yay for the internet), including "Head Up High" and "Mercenary Men". But the real highlight was when they busted out "The Fire and the Fury", which is a kick-ASS instrumental track way back from 2003. All of the elements of a great instrumental, including a surprise - the keyboard player strapped on a guitar for some passages, and went back to the keys for a back-and-forth with Gus.
Love these guys. The only problem is that i love songs from at least 3 of their albums, so i'm not sure where to start. Maybe i'll hit up Century Media mailorder and splurge.
Firewind wrapped up their set to a huge reception from the crowd, getting the evening off to a great start. Best opening band i've seen in a long time.
...
Sidebar: While reading up on the band today, i realized something - i MET Gus G once! I just didn't know who he was at the time. He was filling in as Arch Enemy's touring guitarist in 2005 (while Chris Amott was temporarily away); i saw them play at Ozzfest that summer & met the band after their set. Check it out!
With Angela and Daniel:
Sharlee on the left, and who's that on the right? Yep, it's totally Gus G! Same thumbs-up sign and everything!
...
Next up, Divine Heresy. They exploded into their set with all of the aggression and heavy riffing that i'd expect from a Dino project. He plays an 8-string guitar, by the way. Solid set overall, but i didn't really dig the vocals (or vocalist). Reminiscent of a hardcore style, which i'm not really a fan of. And i don't have the whole story, but basically Dino had to fire their original vocalist early on this tour after an altercation on stage. So they have this other guy filling in for the rest of the tour. I mean he's going full force and doing his job, but i personally don't respond well to commands like "I WANNA SEE A BIG FAWKING MOSH PIT! C'MON, DON'T BE A PUSSY!" Whatever, man; don't tell me what to do. He even called for a Wall of Death, but only like 4 people participated - haha, weak.
So in terms of songs, Divine Heresy was my least favorite band of the evening, but it was still cool to see Dino up on stage again; he's a monster with that guitar of his. Joe (bass) is a solid player as well, and Tim (drums) is pretty intense. Really; these guys have a tight sound overall; i'd like them a lot more if they'd switch up the style of their vocals.
...
Dark Tranquillity took the stage next; one of my favorites from Sweden - the stronghold for melodic death metal (In Flames, Arch Enemy, Opeth...the list goes on). As soon as they launched into "Terminus", i knew we were in for a great set. I know i've been saying this a lot, but i mean it every time - these guys sound awesome live. Perfect blend of guitars & keyboard, heavy rhythms, lovely melodies, and Mikael's smooth growling vocals tying everything together.
Point of trivia - Anders Friden (vocalist of In Flames) was the original vocalist for Dark Tranquillity; he was on their first album, "Skydancer". After Anders left the band, Mikael Stanne switched from guitar to take over vocals. And ironically, Mikael recorded the vocals for In Flames' first album, "Lunar Strain", as a session musician because In Flames didn't have a vocalist at the time. There are other ties between the bands as well; it's like an extended metal family <3
Oh, by the way, the tall guy with the dreadlocks i saw outside before the show? Turned out to be Martin Henriksson - one of Dark Tranquillity's guitar players.
So of course a couple of guys had brought a Swedish flag to show some love. They were all the way up front & held it up near the beginning of the set. Mikael seemed to be pleasantly surprised; he got this huge smile on his face and spread his arms out as if to say "Awww, you guys!" They handed the flag up to him and he held it up & hugged it before handing it back. I'm sure people bring Swedish flags to a lot of their shows, but he really looked like the gesture had made his day.
The band played several songs off of their latest album, Fiction, of course, including "The Lesser Faith", "Focus Shift", and "Misery's Crown". But they didn't neglect the old, playing "Final Resistance" and "The Treason Wall" from Damage Done, "My Negation" from Character, and even going all the way back to Gallery for "Punish My Heaven". Great set, although it felt too short (maybe 40 minutes?). I would have liked a few more songs, especially from Character; hopefully i'll get to see them on a headlining tour at some point.
...
Taking a break between sets, i stopped by the merch booth again. I've gotten rather picky about shirts, but i really liked one of the Dark Tranquillity tour shirts, and decided that if they stocked a size Small, i'd be willing to fork over the $25. They did, and i did. Yay! It's not as "small" as it could be, but with so much writing on the back (it lists out all of the tour stops including city, date, and venue), i can understand why they needed the extra real estate.
I also considered picking up an Arch Enemy shirt, but most of the designs didn't quite do it for me. I did like the full-sleeve "Tyranny" shirt, as well as the classic tee with the simple logo on the front and "PURE FUCKING METAL" in huge letters on the back. I was both attracted to and cautious of a shirt that brandishes the F-word, but ultimately decided that the shirt isn't going anywhere and i'd spent enough money for one night.
...
Arch Enemy. After what felt like forever, the intro music started up, the band members slipped onto the dark stage one by one, and then EXPLODED into their visual and sonic assult. Oh man, this is what i live for! I thought they were amazing the last time i saw them live, and they've managed to not only live up to the memory, but exceed it. InTENSE rhythm section, amazing dueling guitarwork, and Angela's ungodly vocals and powerful allure & stage presence.
Ok, look. It's not just because she's hot. There's just something about this woman that is hard to put into words. Her vocals alone are awesome - powerful deep-throated growls, with a few screams in the mix. Add to that her aggressive grace; the way she throws herself fully into her performance. She radiates confidence and strength, balanced by a down-to-earth sentiment and a great sense of humor (some of her remarks between songs were hilarious). Oh, and her lovely accent certainly doesn't hurt (the band is Swedish, but Angela herself is from Germany) :-)
It was pretty awesome to see the Amott brothers (Chris and Mike) reunited (since Chris was away the last time i saw them play). Really awesome guitar players, both of them. Sharlee (love his name, by the way) was his rock-solid self on bass. And Daniel just *rips* up the drums. He played a hot solo spot during one of the interim segments; i really enjoyed.
Great set overall, representing all of the Angela-era albums. "Nemesis", "My Apocalypse", "Taking Back My Soul" (all from Doomsday Machine), several from the new album (which i hadn't picked up yet). A few from Anthems of Rebellion, including "Dead Eyes See No Future" which was incredible live. And from the awesome album "Wages of Sin" they rocked "Enemy Within", and "Ravenous" - the latter of which compelled me to charge forward and dive into the pit before i even knew what was happening.
The pit was of the mass-shoving variety - not my favorite, but not too bad. I got in my share of thrashing, then shifted over a little so i could focus on the band without getting kicked in the ribs. I'm weird; i usually can't get fired up for a show without being up front, surrounded by action. But recently i've found myself paying closer attention to the musicians as they play, especially the fretwork of the guitarists. Which is hard to do when you're getting shoved around and have to keep your guard up to protect your flanks. *shrug*
Oh yeah, and there were a couple of crazy girls down in the pit! It can get pretty intense, even out in the crush zone; at one point i ended up with a handful of one girl's hair loose in my hand and then all tangled in my camera strap. (Benefit #5 of my Jasmine-braid: Prevents hair from getting ripped out at concerts.)
Towards the end of the set, Angela announced "This next song is for all of the brokenhearted here tonight!" Me: "YEEAAAHHHH!" Angela: "Because 'You...Will Live...Again!'" *Awesome* new tune. Next she said that they were down to their last song of the night..."But maybe, just *maybe*...if you guys are really fucking loud, we'll come back and play some more." Yeah, the usual pre-planned encore, but it's all good. They wrapped up the set, we were really fucking loud, and they came back to play the anthem "We Will Rise". Naturally (it being an anthem and all) we all screamed out the chorus together, which was a bloody great feeling.
...
...
The show over, i headed out and got on the road home. I have to say, Slim's has become one of my favorite concert venues. Great little place, relatively painless parking situation (sorry, Chicago, i love you but parking on your streets is brutal), easy access to the freeway. And a non-Ticketmaster box office (handling fee for this show was $3). Rock.
I spent the drive home, as usual, with the radio off, replaying the highlights of the show in my mind, and contemplating how much i enjoy living only 45 minutes (plus traffic) away from the city. As intensely as i miss Champaign sometimes, i most likely would have missed this amazing tour if i were still living there (the 3-4 hour trip to Chicago precluded driving up on a random weeknight). Hell, that's why i hadn't seen Dark Tranquillity before, and had to miss so many other shows. I'm pleased that i've been able to catch so many of my bands on tour in the past 8 months.
Driving home, physically exhausted, mentally satisfied...a rare moment of contentment.
Friday, May 23, 2008
Gigantour 2008
Gigantour 2008
5/19/2008 - SJSU Event Center - San Jose, CA
...
Since moving to the bay area, i've attended a number of concerts up in San Francisco, but this was my first show in my own backyard. This was awesome because (1) i was able to go directly to the box office and pay face value for my ticket (no ticketwanker fees), (2) the venue is 4 miles from my apartment, as opposed to the hour+traffic drive up to the city, and (3) i was able to use the light rail & avoid dealing with parking.
I arrived at the venue right around 17:30 (showtime) and worked through the reasonably fast-moving line. Just a partial patdown & i was through the doors (i swear, this lax security is spoiling me; it might be rough going back to Slim's next week).
High On Fire, the first band, was already playing when i got inside, so i went straight down to the floor to check them out. The band didn't do much for me. Like many other opening acts, they had a lot of energy on stage, but they just felt flat; no dimension. All of their songs sounded the same to me, using the same slow-churn riffing and drumming that makes me yawn. I couldn't help rolling my eyes when a mosh pit opened up. I must be getting old, because i couldn't suppress the thought of "Man, these kids will mosh to anything."
Toward the end of their set, i finally got bored enough to wander around and have a look at the merch booth. Even though i should be expecting the $35 and $40 t-shirts by now, they still renewed my gripe about overpriced tour merchandise. I realize that merch sales are important because the bands actually get most of the proceeds (as opposed to profit from music sales which go mostly to the labels), but still. These shirts have got to cost pennies on the dollar to manufacture; sell them for $20 and stop exploiting your fanbase. And start stocking smaller sizes while you're at it, bitch.
Wandering around the arena, i decided that it's actually a decent venue. I mean my favorite venues are the mid-size theaters (e.g. the Aragon in Chicago, the Pageant in St. Louis, Bogart's in Cinci). But for an arena, the SJSU Event Center isn't bad at all; nice open floor, enough space to wander around, but the place isn't too huge (pro basketball stadiums are on my blacklist). It reminded me a little of the place in Springfield where i saw Slipknot/Shadows Fall/Lamb Of God back in 2005. As a bonus, there were tons of drinking fountains, which really helped me stay hydrated through the night.
...
Job For A Cowboy was up next. Watching their crew set up and soundcheck gave me hope for the band. I don't know why, but the sight of a slick double-bass drumkit up on a riser invokes optimism. The house lights went down, the band started up and...meh :-( I mean their drummer was good, and i liked them better than the first band, but their set still really dragged for me. I passed the time by laughing as the kids ran in terror when the floor opened up, and then rolling my eyes at the moshers' inability to maintain a decent form. (Move in a *circle*, you idiots, not back and forth in a horizontal line! It's a mosh *pit*, not a mosh *gap*.) I also contemplated possible names for the genre of metal bands who just play the same, slow-churn riffs over and over, with no buildup and no dimension. I came up with "Snore-core". [Remember, you heard it here first - it's going to be a thing!] I also decided that "The Sword" (quintessential snorecore band) should be renamed to "The Anvil" because they're heavy, but dull.
After Job For A Cowboy wrapped up, i went wandering again to kill time during the set change. As i passed by the merch booth again, some kid came up, looked at the shirts, and announced "DAMN? Oh wait...nope, still damn - i don't want any of those." HA! Oh, and i saw some girl wearing a Threadless shirt! It was the grey shirt with the Cthulhoid-creepy-crawly guy. Yay Threadless!
...
Children Of Bodom, from Finland, were up next. Finally, a *good* band! They exploded onto the stage with "Sixpounder"; one of the few tracks i actually recognized in their set, because i'm not too familiar with their catalog (i only have one of their albums). Really enjoyed their set; these guys play fast, brutal, intense. They are very good at what they do; lightning fast riffs, machine-gun drumming, great vocals over layers of rhythm. And the keyboard adds a nice dimension to their sound. I also like that Janne mounts his keyboard tilted back almost 90 degrees (so that the keys all point towards the ceiling and he reaches over them to play). Definitely need to check out more of their albums.
So i decided to position myself in front of the moshing, but behind the crush zone (just some residual shoving), which put me in this nice pocket of energy, not far from the stage. At one point i looked behind me and was amazed at what i saw - a mosh *channel* running front to back (i.e. perpendicular to the mosh gap from earlier). Like, what the bloody hell? I mean, props for showing me something new and weird, but seriously, what are you guys doing?
At the end of their set, Alexi announced that they had "one more brutal motherfucking song" for us and asked the man on keys to "hit me with something" (several of their songs start with a keyboard intro). Janne obliged by launching into..."Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. Oh hell yeah! I love these guys. It was a great synthy sound, too; made me want to dance. I was tempted to moonwalk through the empty space left by (now idle) pit. After about a minute of fun, he switched to their closing song and they barreled through the end of their set. Awesome.
(Sorry for the crappy photos, btw; cheap disposable camera + low light conditions; better than nothing, though. Click on these to see the larger versions).
...
In Flames, the band i was *really* there to see, were up next. These guys never disappoint, taking the stage by storm and delivering their blend of powerful riffs, clear melodies, and intense emotion. They played many of my favorites, including some old-school classics like "Clayman" and a track off of "Black Ash Inheritance", as well as their newer hits including "The Quiet Place", "Leeches", and a great performance of "My Sweet Shadow", which sounds so awesome live! And of course they played several songs from their new album, "A Sense Of Purpose", which i hadn't picked up yet, but planned to soon.
Anders once again delivered his charismatic and amusing comments between songs. After "Come Clarity" (a power ballad of sorts), he said "I know you guys love that soft-ass stuff, so we're going to do another slow one." He was joking, of course, and the band launched into "Take This Life" which is the opposite of slow. And at another point he supplemented the usual "Is everyone having a good time tonight?" with "How are you old people doing up there?" (referring to the nosebleed seats), and then "How about all you parents way up there in the back - doing ok?" Ah-hahaha, i love this guy!
Update on the pit: This time it actually was a circle (and correctly moving counter-clockwise) but i was amazed to see a group of guys *standing* in the middle of the pit, and everyone swirling around them. Bloody hell! I've never seen anything like that before! It was a mosh pit...with a *nucleus*? Weirdly fascinating.
...
After In Flames, i went to hit the head and drink a ton of water, and then did some stretches and sat down by a wall to enjoy some downtime. I like going to shows where "my" band plays second-to-last, because it reduces how tired i am when they go on (fewer bands to wait through, especially on a larger bill like this one). I can give my band everything i've got, and then take it down a notch for the closing act. Or...sometimes i'm pleasantly surprised. Like last December in LA; i was more interested in Killswitch Engage, but Lamb of God fucking blew me away. I'd fully expected to slip my ticket stub into my copy of "As Daylight Dies", but after the show i realized that it belonged in "Sacrament".
[Sidebar: For those who don't already know, i save all of my ticket stubs; after each concert, i slip the ticket into my copy of the appropriate band's latest album. This is typically the band which headlined, but may instead be the band i'm most into or the band which performed best that night. The latter case involves a judgement call based on how i feel; sometimes it's an easy decision, other times it's not. Sometimes things go the way i'd expected (e.g. Rob Zombie/Lacuna Coil, 2006), other times i'm surprised (Disturbed/Stone Sour, 2007).]
This was one of the cases where i was surprised.
I'd lost interest in Megadeth (and mainman Dave Mustaine) a good 7-8 years ago. I haven't heard their last 3 albums, and wasn't overly impressed with the new singles. It pissed me off when Dave recut & rereleased his entire catalog. And the lineup changes only pushed me further away. Yes, i was that guy: "*My* Megadeth was Dave, Dave, Nick, and Marty. *This* is more likes the 'Dave Mustaine solo project'. Without Marty it's not really Megadeth. Blah blah blah." I hereby eat my words.
Megadeth were fucking SPECTACULAR!!
Dressed simply in black t-shirt and jeans, his signature mop of orange hair wild about him, Dave Mustaine took the stage, wielding guitar and microphone like he always has. His new bandmates stormed the stage with him and demonstrated that they're not just some band for hire. In particular, Chris Broderick is not only a worthy filler of Marty's shoes, he's a spectacular guitarist all his own, staking his claim on the stage and the band. I hope he stays around; i like this guy. James LoMenzo was a solid backbone on bass (and, i found out later, is no newcomer to the world of rock and metal). And Shawn Drover - powerhouse drummer; i have nothing but good things to say about this dude. And i think he's a lefty; i noticed that he keeps time on the hi-hat with his left hand and hits the snare with his right. Ditto the ride (which was mounted to the left, near the hats). Interesting.
As they launched into their first song, i yet again felt immensely grateful for my earplugs. They had the amps cranked up so loud that i could feel my arm hairs vibrating. Also, the balance was off. Just like Disturbed (Peoria, IL) last year, the kicks were too heavy and obscured everything else. Fortunately (unlike at Disturbed) they fixed it up by the second song, at which point the sound quality (through my plugs, at least) was superb. I later heard people complaining that it was too loud; that they couldn't hear any of the vocals. Wear earplugs, kids. It'll save your hearing *and* make the shows sound better.
I thoroughly enjoyed every single song that they played. This rarely happens for me; in fact, i don't think it's ever happened before. No matter how much i like the band, no matter how amp'd i am about the show, there's always a few moments in every set where my energy level drops; a less-than-favorite song, or a sequence drags somehow & i find myself waiting for things to pick back up. Not tonight. Even the songs i didn't recognize were a joy to experience.
The early portion of the set focused on the newer material, but they soon hit a long series of one song after another that had me screaming my lungs out in excitement. "Trust", "Symphony Of Destruction", "Skin O' My Teeth", "A Tout Le Monde" (to which the Dave let us sing the chorus; man that felt good). The ever-hilarious "Sweating Bullets", the old-school classic "Peace Sells", several shred-fests from the killer album "Rust In Peace". And of course, "Hanger 18" was fucking amazing. The stage was shrouded in green light, alien images displayed on the background screen. For the breakdown jam that kicks halfway through the song, Dave and Chris started on opposite corners of the stage, trading solos, and eventually converged at stage center to duel it out.
In general, i really liked their stage presence and movements. Dave, of course, would step away from the mic and traverse the stage to take his solos, but i liked how he shared the stage so comfortably with the guys. When Chris was shredding, Dave would step back and let him have the spotlight. At other times the two axe-men would stand side-by-side, ripping in tandem, or face off for a dueling exchange. James got his share of spotlight time as well, and one of the guys would frequently hang back to jam with Shawn.
Another nice touch was a mini-solo spot for each member, each of which led into a song. Chris treated us to some jaw-dropping ubershredding, with both hands on the frets. And when it was Shawn's turn, the cranked up the fog machine around his drumkit and he had some LEDs or something that lit up his sticks as they flew across the skins; very cool.
Oh yeah, and i'd almost forgotten how Megadeth performs their sets - one song after another with little or no break in between. No bantor before songs, no rests; all business. Finally, towards the end of their set, Dave took 30 seconds to mention "Yeah, we don't like to talk much; we just play. You know how some bands like to talk and talk and talk and talk *makes the wanking gesture*...we prefer to spend that time playing more songs." Later he briefly introduced his band members "We have Chris Broderick on guitar...James LoMenzo on bass...Shawn Drover on drums...and you all know meeee! Dave Mustaine!"
After closing out the set, they waited the token few minutes before coming back to rock us with their encore - "Holy Wars" Oh hell yeah! Flawless execution through the verses into the mid-song breakdown, and the jam, of course, was on fire, just like the rest of their performance. A perfect end to a perfect set.
The night over, the band members basked in our screaming ovation, waving, tossing out picks, then met at center stage for the classic group bow. Dave took up the mic one last time, the way he does at the end of every Megadeth show (which i'd forgotten until that moment). "You guys know how it goes. *singsong* You've been great! We've been Megadeth! Good night!"
...
Needless to say, i'll be picking up a copy of "United Abominations" (Megadeth's latest) and making it home to my ticket stub. Sorry, In Flames; you guys were awesome, but Megadeth made my night and reclaimed their position on my Tier-1 list. But not to worry; Anders mentioned that In Flames will be coming back around on a headlining tour this fall, so "A Sense Of Purpose" may get its own ticket stub after all. Yay! And RAAWRRRR! \m/ \m/
5/19/2008 - SJSU Event Center - San Jose, CA
...
Since moving to the bay area, i've attended a number of concerts up in San Francisco, but this was my first show in my own backyard. This was awesome because (1) i was able to go directly to the box office and pay face value for my ticket (no ticketwanker fees), (2) the venue is 4 miles from my apartment, as opposed to the hour+traffic drive up to the city, and (3) i was able to use the light rail & avoid dealing with parking.
I arrived at the venue right around 17:30 (showtime) and worked through the reasonably fast-moving line. Just a partial patdown & i was through the doors (i swear, this lax security is spoiling me; it might be rough going back to Slim's next week).
High On Fire, the first band, was already playing when i got inside, so i went straight down to the floor to check them out. The band didn't do much for me. Like many other opening acts, they had a lot of energy on stage, but they just felt flat; no dimension. All of their songs sounded the same to me, using the same slow-churn riffing and drumming that makes me yawn. I couldn't help rolling my eyes when a mosh pit opened up. I must be getting old, because i couldn't suppress the thought of "Man, these kids will mosh to anything."
Toward the end of their set, i finally got bored enough to wander around and have a look at the merch booth. Even though i should be expecting the $35 and $40 t-shirts by now, they still renewed my gripe about overpriced tour merchandise. I realize that merch sales are important because the bands actually get most of the proceeds (as opposed to profit from music sales which go mostly to the labels), but still. These shirts have got to cost pennies on the dollar to manufacture; sell them for $20 and stop exploiting your fanbase. And start stocking smaller sizes while you're at it, bitch.
Wandering around the arena, i decided that it's actually a decent venue. I mean my favorite venues are the mid-size theaters (e.g. the Aragon in Chicago, the Pageant in St. Louis, Bogart's in Cinci). But for an arena, the SJSU Event Center isn't bad at all; nice open floor, enough space to wander around, but the place isn't too huge (pro basketball stadiums are on my blacklist). It reminded me a little of the place in Springfield where i saw Slipknot/Shadows Fall/Lamb Of God back in 2005. As a bonus, there were tons of drinking fountains, which really helped me stay hydrated through the night.
...
Job For A Cowboy was up next. Watching their crew set up and soundcheck gave me hope for the band. I don't know why, but the sight of a slick double-bass drumkit up on a riser invokes optimism. The house lights went down, the band started up and...meh :-( I mean their drummer was good, and i liked them better than the first band, but their set still really dragged for me. I passed the time by laughing as the kids ran in terror when the floor opened up, and then rolling my eyes at the moshers' inability to maintain a decent form. (Move in a *circle*, you idiots, not back and forth in a horizontal line! It's a mosh *pit*, not a mosh *gap*.) I also contemplated possible names for the genre of metal bands who just play the same, slow-churn riffs over and over, with no buildup and no dimension. I came up with "Snore-core". [Remember, you heard it here first - it's going to be a thing!] I also decided that "The Sword" (quintessential snorecore band) should be renamed to "The Anvil" because they're heavy, but dull.
After Job For A Cowboy wrapped up, i went wandering again to kill time during the set change. As i passed by the merch booth again, some kid came up, looked at the shirts, and announced "DAMN? Oh wait...nope, still damn - i don't want any of those." HA! Oh, and i saw some girl wearing a Threadless shirt! It was the grey shirt with the Cthulhoid-creepy-crawly guy. Yay Threadless!
...
Children Of Bodom, from Finland, were up next. Finally, a *good* band! They exploded onto the stage with "Sixpounder"; one of the few tracks i actually recognized in their set, because i'm not too familiar with their catalog (i only have one of their albums). Really enjoyed their set; these guys play fast, brutal, intense. They are very good at what they do; lightning fast riffs, machine-gun drumming, great vocals over layers of rhythm. And the keyboard adds a nice dimension to their sound. I also like that Janne mounts his keyboard tilted back almost 90 degrees (so that the keys all point towards the ceiling and he reaches over them to play). Definitely need to check out more of their albums.
So i decided to position myself in front of the moshing, but behind the crush zone (just some residual shoving), which put me in this nice pocket of energy, not far from the stage. At one point i looked behind me and was amazed at what i saw - a mosh *channel* running front to back (i.e. perpendicular to the mosh gap from earlier). Like, what the bloody hell? I mean, props for showing me something new and weird, but seriously, what are you guys doing?
At the end of their set, Alexi announced that they had "one more brutal motherfucking song" for us and asked the man on keys to "hit me with something" (several of their songs start with a keyboard intro). Janne obliged by launching into..."Billie Jean" by Michael Jackson. Oh hell yeah! I love these guys. It was a great synthy sound, too; made me want to dance. I was tempted to moonwalk through the empty space left by (now idle) pit. After about a minute of fun, he switched to their closing song and they barreled through the end of their set. Awesome.
(Sorry for the crappy photos, btw; cheap disposable camera + low light conditions; better than nothing, though. Click on these to see the larger versions).
...
In Flames, the band i was *really* there to see, were up next. These guys never disappoint, taking the stage by storm and delivering their blend of powerful riffs, clear melodies, and intense emotion. They played many of my favorites, including some old-school classics like "Clayman" and a track off of "Black Ash Inheritance", as well as their newer hits including "The Quiet Place", "Leeches", and a great performance of "My Sweet Shadow", which sounds so awesome live! And of course they played several songs from their new album, "A Sense Of Purpose", which i hadn't picked up yet, but planned to soon.
Anders once again delivered his charismatic and amusing comments between songs. After "Come Clarity" (a power ballad of sorts), he said "I know you guys love that soft-ass stuff, so we're going to do another slow one." He was joking, of course, and the band launched into "Take This Life" which is the opposite of slow. And at another point he supplemented the usual "Is everyone having a good time tonight?" with "How are you old people doing up there?" (referring to the nosebleed seats), and then "How about all you parents way up there in the back - doing ok?" Ah-hahaha, i love this guy!
Update on the pit: This time it actually was a circle (and correctly moving counter-clockwise) but i was amazed to see a group of guys *standing* in the middle of the pit, and everyone swirling around them. Bloody hell! I've never seen anything like that before! It was a mosh pit...with a *nucleus*? Weirdly fascinating.
...
After In Flames, i went to hit the head and drink a ton of water, and then did some stretches and sat down by a wall to enjoy some downtime. I like going to shows where "my" band plays second-to-last, because it reduces how tired i am when they go on (fewer bands to wait through, especially on a larger bill like this one). I can give my band everything i've got, and then take it down a notch for the closing act. Or...sometimes i'm pleasantly surprised. Like last December in LA; i was more interested in Killswitch Engage, but Lamb of God fucking blew me away. I'd fully expected to slip my ticket stub into my copy of "As Daylight Dies", but after the show i realized that it belonged in "Sacrament".
[Sidebar: For those who don't already know, i save all of my ticket stubs; after each concert, i slip the ticket into my copy of the appropriate band's latest album. This is typically the band which headlined, but may instead be the band i'm most into or the band which performed best that night. The latter case involves a judgement call based on how i feel; sometimes it's an easy decision, other times it's not. Sometimes things go the way i'd expected (e.g. Rob Zombie/Lacuna Coil, 2006), other times i'm surprised (Disturbed/Stone Sour, 2007).]
This was one of the cases where i was surprised.
I'd lost interest in Megadeth (and mainman Dave Mustaine) a good 7-8 years ago. I haven't heard their last 3 albums, and wasn't overly impressed with the new singles. It pissed me off when Dave recut & rereleased his entire catalog. And the lineup changes only pushed me further away. Yes, i was that guy: "*My* Megadeth was Dave, Dave, Nick, and Marty. *This* is more likes the 'Dave Mustaine solo project'. Without Marty it's not really Megadeth. Blah blah blah." I hereby eat my words.
Megadeth were fucking SPECTACULAR!!
Dressed simply in black t-shirt and jeans, his signature mop of orange hair wild about him, Dave Mustaine took the stage, wielding guitar and microphone like he always has. His new bandmates stormed the stage with him and demonstrated that they're not just some band for hire. In particular, Chris Broderick is not only a worthy filler of Marty's shoes, he's a spectacular guitarist all his own, staking his claim on the stage and the band. I hope he stays around; i like this guy. James LoMenzo was a solid backbone on bass (and, i found out later, is no newcomer to the world of rock and metal). And Shawn Drover - powerhouse drummer; i have nothing but good things to say about this dude. And i think he's a lefty; i noticed that he keeps time on the hi-hat with his left hand and hits the snare with his right. Ditto the ride (which was mounted to the left, near the hats). Interesting.
As they launched into their first song, i yet again felt immensely grateful for my earplugs. They had the amps cranked up so loud that i could feel my arm hairs vibrating. Also, the balance was off. Just like Disturbed (Peoria, IL) last year, the kicks were too heavy and obscured everything else. Fortunately (unlike at Disturbed) they fixed it up by the second song, at which point the sound quality (through my plugs, at least) was superb. I later heard people complaining that it was too loud; that they couldn't hear any of the vocals. Wear earplugs, kids. It'll save your hearing *and* make the shows sound better.
I thoroughly enjoyed every single song that they played. This rarely happens for me; in fact, i don't think it's ever happened before. No matter how much i like the band, no matter how amp'd i am about the show, there's always a few moments in every set where my energy level drops; a less-than-favorite song, or a sequence drags somehow & i find myself waiting for things to pick back up. Not tonight. Even the songs i didn't recognize were a joy to experience.
The early portion of the set focused on the newer material, but they soon hit a long series of one song after another that had me screaming my lungs out in excitement. "Trust", "Symphony Of Destruction", "Skin O' My Teeth", "A Tout Le Monde" (to which the Dave let us sing the chorus; man that felt good). The ever-hilarious "Sweating Bullets", the old-school classic "Peace Sells", several shred-fests from the killer album "Rust In Peace". And of course, "Hanger 18" was fucking amazing. The stage was shrouded in green light, alien images displayed on the background screen. For the breakdown jam that kicks halfway through the song, Dave and Chris started on opposite corners of the stage, trading solos, and eventually converged at stage center to duel it out.
In general, i really liked their stage presence and movements. Dave, of course, would step away from the mic and traverse the stage to take his solos, but i liked how he shared the stage so comfortably with the guys. When Chris was shredding, Dave would step back and let him have the spotlight. At other times the two axe-men would stand side-by-side, ripping in tandem, or face off for a dueling exchange. James got his share of spotlight time as well, and one of the guys would frequently hang back to jam with Shawn.
Another nice touch was a mini-solo spot for each member, each of which led into a song. Chris treated us to some jaw-dropping ubershredding, with both hands on the frets. And when it was Shawn's turn, the cranked up the fog machine around his drumkit and he had some LEDs or something that lit up his sticks as they flew across the skins; very cool.
Oh yeah, and i'd almost forgotten how Megadeth performs their sets - one song after another with little or no break in between. No bantor before songs, no rests; all business. Finally, towards the end of their set, Dave took 30 seconds to mention "Yeah, we don't like to talk much; we just play. You know how some bands like to talk and talk and talk and talk *makes the wanking gesture*...we prefer to spend that time playing more songs." Later he briefly introduced his band members "We have Chris Broderick on guitar...James LoMenzo on bass...Shawn Drover on drums...and you all know meeee! Dave Mustaine!"
After closing out the set, they waited the token few minutes before coming back to rock us with their encore - "Holy Wars" Oh hell yeah! Flawless execution through the verses into the mid-song breakdown, and the jam, of course, was on fire, just like the rest of their performance. A perfect end to a perfect set.
The night over, the band members basked in our screaming ovation, waving, tossing out picks, then met at center stage for the classic group bow. Dave took up the mic one last time, the way he does at the end of every Megadeth show (which i'd forgotten until that moment). "You guys know how it goes. *singsong* You've been great! We've been Megadeth! Good night!"
...
Needless to say, i'll be picking up a copy of "United Abominations" (Megadeth's latest) and making it home to my ticket stub. Sorry, In Flames; you guys were awesome, but Megadeth made my night and reclaimed their position on my Tier-1 list. But not to worry; Anders mentioned that In Flames will be coming back around on a headlining tour this fall, so "A Sense Of Purpose" may get its own ticket stub after all. Yay! And RAAWRRRR! \m/ \m/
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