From Yesterday

Went down to Chicago yesterday for a concert, The Night We Stole Christmas show with 30 Seconds to Mars, Queens of the Stone Age, Foals, Alt-J, and Grouplove. It's been a little while since I've been to a show. I do believe it was Halloween in fact. Spent the better part of the afternoon at Shoeless Joe's Ale House, which is only a short walk from the arena. Pretty solid craft beer selection, though I did notice that they only had two stouts, and one of those was Guinness. The beer list was comprised mostly of IPAs. Not a problem for me as I enjoy IPAs greatly.

The show was at the Allstate Arena. This was my first time at this location. It's very similar to the BMO Harris Bank Center (Formerly known as the Bradley Center) with general admission floor (no seats) and seating around the sides. Not a bad place for a concert, but I'm not a huge fan of arena shows. Coming into this show, I was excited to see Queens of the Stone Age and 30 Seconds to Mars. I was not that familiar with the other bands, though I would discover that I knew some of there songs from radio play.

Grouplove was the opening act. A young five-piece band, they have a really good pop sound. The one female in the group is a spaz. She certainly danced like no one was watching. It turned out I knew their last three songs, Tongue Tied. Ways to Go, and Colours. The next band was Alt-J, another young pop band, but these guys have more of a Celtic sound and style and reminded me of Mumford & Sons. I've mentioned before how I like to watch the drummers. Both of these bands had solid drummers and were much better live than their songs would indicate. I really enjoyed them.

The night was off to a pretty good start, but it was not to last. Foals was the third band up. I'm not impressed at all. Not only did I not connect with their music, but I felt their performance was lackluster. Perhaps they should have been the opening act. If I had to describe Foals...I might say if the Cure and Oingo Boingo had a musical love child, it would be Foals. That's a shame too, because I like the Cure.

Up next was a band I had yet to see live, Queens of the Stone Age. I love it when bands come right out and start jamming right away. Just straight up, kick you in the face rock n roll. That is exactly what Queens did. They played a nice ten song set that included favorites like No One Knows, If I Had a Tail, Go With The Flow, and Song For the Dead. A great live band!

Headlining the evening was 30 Seconds to Mars. This is the third time I have seen them. First time was at Summerfest. Second was at The Rave with Breaking Benjamin. Each time, the show has gotten better and better. You have to hand it to Jared Leto, he knows how to perform. Maybe it's the acting experience that helps with that, but it works. The music rocks too. I was a little disappointed that he didn't play From Yesterday, but he made up for it with tons of energy and fan interaction. He performed an acoustic version of The Kill, which was really good, and a cover of Rihanna's Stay. Finished the night up with Kings and Queens and Up In the Air, during which he go about 30 people up on stage with him. A really great show! I hope they come back to Summerfest! The lighting wasn't the greatest for picture taking, but I managed to get a few decent shots.

In case you missed it

It's been a hell of a month. Went to a book signing for Eddie Trunk, host of VH1 Classic's That Metal Show, on October 1st. That guy lives the rock fan's dream. Really cool too. Real busy at work, but we aren't talking about work here. I watched my Boston Red Sox battle their way to become the 2013 World Series Champions. It was such an awesome series!

Last week, Halloween night, I went to a rock show. I got free tickets to see Filter. They were there with Fight or Flight, We as Human, and Emperors & Elephants. When the show was announced, I was undecided on whether to go or not. But when presented with free tickets, the decision was easy...absolutely! I really wanted to see Fight or Flight and Filter usually puts on a good show.

There was only about 150 people there. I suppose with it being Halloween and all, most are at parties or trick or treating with their kids. Fine with me as I was able to saddle right up to the stage. The first band was Emperors & Elephants. They weren't bad at all. An interesting collections of musicians. Not sure if you do, but sometimes I look at a band and wonder how they met or how they got together. Some bands look like people from separate, distinct lifestyles, yet are drawn together in a band. It's an interesting phenomenon. The drummer was a big guy, almost too big for the drumset. One of the guitarist was probably his brother. The bass player looked like a cast off from a Lynyrd Skynyrd cover band. The singer seemed several years younger than everyone else. Most notable though, was the lead guitarist, who looked like he was straight out of the 80's with the cliche long, crimped hair blowing from the fan that he was playing in front of. I can't believe I wrote this much about the first band of the night. They were good though. I've certainly seen worse opening acts.

Next up was We As Human. Not a whole lot to say about these guys. Solid band. I liked them better than Emperors & Elephants. The lead singer appeared to be the happiest guy in the club, smiling and laughing. Normally rockers tend to be more serious...tougher. During the set, I noticed Dan Chandler standing in the back of the room. Of course, I had to meet him again. He seemed a little surprised that I recognized him, but was very cool.

Third band up is the band that I most wanted to see, Fight or Flight. The band is a side project of Disturbed guitarist, Dan Donegan, and includes fellow Disturbed bandmate, drummer Mike Wengren, Ra bass player, Sean Corcoran, Bellevue Suite guitarist, Jeremy Jayson, and Evans Blue frontman, Dan Chandler. I'm a big fan of Disturbed and Evans Blue, so I was looking forward to this night. Their debut album, A Life by Design?, is really good. I recommend you check it. Take a listen here.

While waiting for Filter to take the stage, Richard Patrick happened to walk right past. So we shook his hand. I've seen Filter several times over the years and this night's show just might be my favorite of them all. One thing you can count on is Richard giving 100% every time. No disappointment here. Right after the third song or so, the bass player's bass broke. So while he and the tech were working diligently to fix it, Richard proceeded to fill the gap in music with stories and talking to the crowd. He was quite funny and entertaining. Apparently one guy from the tour put cheese or something on his microphone. It was a great show. I like the new album. Here's a song from it.

Did I mention it was Halloween? There were a few costumes in the crowd. I thought one guy was dressed as Ace Frehley, until I got closer and realized he was a green Power Ranger. There were a few other costumes, but the winner was the "person" dressed in a full leather, dominatrix outfit. Wasn't really sure the gender, but think we did see an Adam's apple. Even Richard enjoyed the costumer and asked the person to get closer to the stage.  All in all, it was a fun evening with great music.  I look forward to the next show.  

It's the end of the Summer

 Summers don't last long here in Wisconsin, so you have to squeeze as much as you can out of the warmer weather as you can before the cold freeze sets in. That's exactly what I've been doing since I last wrote. I hadn't even realized that it's been nearly two months since my last post. I need to be better at this. Let's catch up...

I've continued staying active, working out and running. Played on a volleyball team with coworkers. We were the best last-place team in the league. We had a lot of fun though. Another coworker coerced me into playing ultimate frisbee. I hadn't played that since high school gym class. I really wasn't sure what I was getting into, but I was up for it. Pretty much all sprinting, which took a toll on my old legs. Great time though! One thing you can count on during the Summer months is drinks on patios throughout the city. Gorgeous views of the river or the lake with tasty, cool beverages.

Once again, I went to the Milwaukee Firkin Craft Beer Festival for my third straight year. It's such a great festival with over 100 beers to sample from some of the finest craft breweries in the Midwest and elsewhere.

I took my friends on Beer Snob Tour 3.0, the third installment of a creation of mine that takes us on a road trip to visit some of Wisconsin's fine craft breweries. Normally we visit three, but this time we hit five - Grumpy Troll Brew Pub, Vintage Brewing Company, Karben4 Brewery, Ale Asylum, and Delafield Brewhaus. Who knows where 4.0 will take us?

On my way out of the Rave after Gigantour, I was given a couple of free tickets to see Godsmack on August 4th. FREE tickets to see Godsmack? Of course I went! Always an awesome show!

For my birthday weekend, I bought VIP tickets to WIIL Rock Fest, an all day rock festival featuring Volbeat, All That Remains, Nonpoint, Trapt, Smile Empty Soul, Hurt, Red Line Chemistry, Art of Dying, SOiL, Wayland, and several local bands. Amazing day, though I probably should have used sunscreen. When we got to the car to leave, there were free tickets to see Nonpoint at the Rave.  Why not?!

Well, before that show, I broke up the string of hard rock shows to see Mumford & Sons. What an outstanding show they put on too. Such fantastic musicianship.

The last weekend of August was Harley-Davidson's 110th Anniversary party here in WI. I went to a couple of the street parties and had the pleasure of seeing two great free shows...Sick Puppies and P.O.D.

This past weekend was Doors Open Milwaukee, where dozens of historical buildings open their doors to the public and provide free tours to parts of the buildings that normally aren't accessible. I visited a couple of places, including one of six Frank Lloyd Wright American System-Built homes. Designed in 1915 with the intent of making architect-designed homes available to all Americans, these homes never really took off due to World War I. The architecture, and the concept, were certainly ahead of the times. It was quite interesting.

So while it is the end of the Summer, that certainly doesn't mean it's the end of good times and fun things to do. It just means the weather is getting colder and I may have to find things to do indoors. One thing is for sure, there is always something fun and interesting happening here in Milwaukee. Stay tuned for more adventures.

Music fuels the soul...Metal music sets it on fire

This post is way long overdue. I haven't written much since Summerfest 2013 finished, but that certainly doesn't mean I haven't been enjoying Summer here in Milwaukee. Let me catch you up on what I've been up to...

The weekend after Summerfest, July 14th, I saw Trapt at The Rave. I love this band. Hailing from California, they are a really great rock band who are probably most well known for their 2003 hit Headstrong. That's only one of many great songs they have. Before I continue, let me tell you a little about this great venue I see many of my concerts at, The Rave. It's not only a fantastic concert venue, but it is a Milwaukee landmark. The multi-story building is divided into six different rooms, making it possible to have six different shows going on at the same time. I have certainly been there when there have been shows going on in at least four of the venues. The largest of the venues is the Eagles Ballroom, a 25,000 square foot, oval, wooden dance floor with a balcony area as well. The fact that the floor does not have seats, makes it quite conducive to mosh pits and body surfing. Metal bands love to play there. On the night that Trapt played, they weren't in the Eagles Ballroom. They actually played in one of the smallest rooms in the building, with a crowd of about 200. A band called ERA9 opened and were followed by Candlelight Red. Both were pretty good, with Candelight Red obviously a more polished band. I was there to see Trapt though and I wasn't disappointed. They only played about a twelve song set, but included many of their greats like Contagious, Echo, Still Frame, Who's Going Home With You Tonight?, and one of my favorites, Black Rose. Great show!  Check out the pictures.

That following Friday, July 19th, I saw what may have been the most epic gathering of metal bands that I've seen in a long time. I'm not going to say this was the best show I've seen this year yet, but it was pretty, freakin' awesome. This day, my friends, Gigantour came to The Rave with Megadeth, Black Label Society, Device, Hellyeah, Newsted, and Death Division. I remember it being so freakin' hot in The Rave that I was dripping with sweat no sooner than the first song started. They split the six bands up with the first four playing downstairs and the last two playing in the Eagles Ballroom upstairs. It was my first time seeing Death Division. They were decent. Apparently Dave Mustaine's son manages the band. Newsted killed it though. Jason's new band only played five songs, but he absolutely got that crowd primed for a night of heavy metal music. The second song was Soldierhead and they finished with a fitting cover of Metallica's Whiplash. Outstanding!

Newsted Setlist

Third up was Hellyeah. They are a great Texas, metal band whose members include former Damageplan and Pantera drummer, Vinnie Paul, and Mudvayne's volcalist Chad Gray. You can definitely hear the influences of Pantera and Mudvayne in Hellyeah's music.

Hellyeah Setlist

The last of the four bands to play downstairs was Device, the new side project of Disturbed singer, David Draiman. He's an amazing metal singer with a powerful voice. All of these songs are new to me, but they did a great cover of Close My Eyes Forever from Ozzy Osbourne and Lita Ford.

Device Setlist

After Device finished, I headed upstairs for the main two bands. This was to be my first time seeing Black Label Society and I was looking forward to it. Huge wall of Marshall amps lined the stage. BLS took the stage and Zakk Wylde proceeded to rip our faces off with his signature guitar playing. Throw in a ten minute Zakk Wylde guitar solo and you had a recipe for one hot, metal show.

Black Label Society Setlist

That alone would have been a satisfying end to a great metal show, but there was more. Headlining Gigantour 2013 was none other than Megadeth. Eff yeah!! A member of the Big 4 of thrash metal, Megadeth came out and crushed a metal-laden performance of some of their greatest hits. Dave's blistering guitar work and signature vocals powered through a setlist that consisted of Hangar 18, Sweating Bullets, Symphony of Destruction, A Tout Le Monde, and Peace Sells. After more 30 years and countless lineup changes, Megadeth still kills it.

Megadeth Setlist

Good Lord! I'm surprised I remembered all of that. Guess one never forgets amazing shows. This brings me to last night, August 4th. On my way out the door from Gigantour, they were handing out a limited number of free tickets to see Godsmack. FREE tickets to see Godsmack?!?! Hell yeah!! I've always enjoyed Godsmack and this night they absolutely crushed it. From beginning to end, it was nonstop heavy, rock music. Shannon's thunderous drums and Sully's amazing rock vocals make up just part of the unmistakable sound of Godsmack. The setlist reads like Godsmack's greatest hits album. Every song they played got the crowd, including me, singing along. But when they broke into a brief cover of Pantera's Walk, the crowd got just a little more insane. During the first song of their encore, Whatever, Sully was telling us how much he loved The Rave for the open floor plan with no seats. He said it reminded him of going to see bands like Pantera back in the late 80's and early 90's where crowds would just go completely crazy. That's exactly what he set out to do this night. He said he saw little pits here and there, but wanted the crowd to completely lose their minds and make the entire floor move when the band came back in full swing. That's exactly what happened! People moving from one end to the other and jumping and going nuts. It was pretty cool! Another amazing show! Here are a few pics.

Godsmack Setlist

What a hell of a year it has been so far. Still a few months to go though. Stay tuned to see what show I see next.  Keep rockin'!

Summerfest 2013 Superlatives

Here we are again with another edition of my Summerfest Superlatives. I've been saying all year long that this year's Summerfest was different. Sure each Summerfest is different, but this year it was different because I was less than thrilled with the lineup. Since I started going to Summerfest, the lineups have always been stacked with bands from all genres of music. There have always been some great rock and heavy metal acts. There has always been at least one band that I was extremely excited to see. I won't count 2005 because I only went one night, my very first ever, to see Crossfade. Let's take a trip down memory lane...some of the better bands I saw in 2006 were P.O.D., Seether, and 30 Seconds to Mars. In 2007 there was Rise Against, Papa Roach, and Chevelle. 2008 brought Drowning Pool, Red, Theory of a Deadman, and Egypt Central.  In 2009 there was Rise Against, The Offspring, Judas Priest, and Our Lady Peace (among others). In 2010 I saw Skillet, Red, and the Scorpions. 2011 there was Rise Against, Sick Puppies, and Better Than Ezra. 2012 was amazing with Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, Adelitas Way, Scorpions, Halestorm, and Art of Dying. This year?  2013? I was hard pressed to find any one band that I was just dying to see. That certainly doesn't mean I didn't have a great time, nor does it mean that I didn't see some good bands. There just wasn't that one band that got me really excited to go. There's always next year, right?  But as I mentioned, I've seen plenty of great rock and heavy metal concerts this year to make up for the lack of rock and heavy metal at Summerfest and the year is still not over.

With the lack of a stellar lineup, at least in the eyes of this die-hard Summerfest-goer, I was actually able to enjoy Summerfest a little differently. So let's get right to it...

General comments and observations

• My brother, Dennis, made it back again this year. I know he had a great time and he got to see one of his very favorite bands, Rush.
• 9 days attended this year for me, which was a surprise considering the lineup. 7 for Dennis.
• The 'walk about' trend continued...again
• Record low 14 bands watched this year (read comments about the lineup)
• Five of the 14 bands were hip-hop, rap acts
• The BMO Harris Pavillion is still the best stage at Summerfest
• People watching from the Captain's Deck was new this year, thanks to a good friend for the passes
• It was noticeable how many couples actually dress alike (observed from the Captain's Deck)
• Also noticeable how many people have no clue what to wear, how to wear it, or are just completely color blind, like the guy dressed head to toe in chartreuse.  
• Didn't build a second deck on Mark's tree house, but my brother and I did some landscaping at my new house
• Last year we may have melted, this year it was definitely cooler by the lake. Certainly for the first half of Summerfest
• No Rock Band this year
• No extended stays at Mark's house. No stays at all.
• Leinenkugel's Summer Festeweizen was back again, but Lakefront Brewery had the beers of choice, mainly Fixed Gear. Water Street Brewery's Black IPA was a close second.
• Great seats are still important! Thanks again to my good friend for the 11th row, center seats at the BMO Harris Pavillion for the Go Gos and Jimmy Eat World
• Speaking of the Go Gos, the crush I had on Belinda Carlisle at 15 came roaring back. Do those teenage crushes ever really go away?

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT(S)

To be honest, there really wasn't a big disappointment this year. I really only saw 14 bands that I wanted to see. I never subjected myself to any band that I didn't enjoy. The biggest disappointment is the entire Summerfest lineup. Even the Marcus Amphitheater acts weren't that intriguing. I'm very thankful The Rave has filled in my music need!

Wait..wait...wait... I do have one...

Rick Springfield. Only because he had such an enormous ego that it was pretty annoying. Making the crowd sing him "Happy Birthday", listing out every movie and TV show he has ever been on, and telling everyone about a dozen times that he has a new album out.  Dude, get over yourself.

UTTERLY FORGETTABLE

This is tough with only 14 to choose from, but I'd have to go with... 

Citizen Zero. They were on before the Lovehammers. A Detroit band with some good sound and tunes, but nothing that special.

BUCKETLIST BANDS (SAW AND NEVER NEED TO SEE AGAIN...OR WON'T)

The Go Gos...though I would probably see them again to ogle Belinda

Styx. Damn it! Styx got this superlative twice!  

Foreigner. Same songs, but not the same band I grew up to. Where's Lou Gramm?

BIGGEST SURPRISE
LL Cool J. Quite possibly the most fun show I have seen at Summerfest. Really great!

The Go Gos. My crush for Belinda aside (How many times have I mentioned that?), they really put on a fantastic show! Loved the cover of the Ramones!

BEST PERFORMANCE
Skillet. SERIOUSLY! This year was even better than last year!  Here's what I wrote last year..."Never before, since I have been going to Summerfest, have I seen a band put on such an amazing show on a free stage with fireworks, sparklers, fire, explosions, lights, elevators, and a drum set that elevated and spins! Skillet won this award back in 2010 and they win it again in 2012, only it was better because we were closer!"  YES, it was better. I was closer. Not sure how they did it, but they added more to the stage show. Their new songs rock too!!

THE 5 HIP-HOP/RAP ACTS I SAW (In case you were curious)
Brother Ali
Far East Movement
Atmosphere
Pitbull
LL Cool J

TOP 5
5. Pitbull
4. LL Cool J
3. The Go Gos
2. Jimmy Eat World
1. Skillet

BEST OF THE REST
Lovehammers (Great band. I don't care what you think)
Foreigner

PARTING SHOTS
I am blessed, spoiled, and extremely thankful to be living in a city that hosts an 11-day event that is called the World's Largest Music Festival. Additionally, I get to see some of the world's greatest bands at local venues in and around Milwaukee. Summerfest is my Mecca. It's the one event that I have lived for each and every year since I've started going. Sure I get disappointed when the lineups don't meet my desires, but Summerfest competes with many other Summer festivals in the U.S. and in Europe. It cannot be easy to book these bands. But year in and year out, the folks at Summerfest do their best to bring some of the hottest and most successful bands to this great city for us to enjoy. My hat is off to them. Even a die-hard rock and heavy metal fan like me had another great time at Summerfest 2013!  I will wait semi-impatiently until next year's lineup is announced,  Until then...

ROCK ON!!

Summerfest's final weekend

After a fantastic 4th of July, it was cruising time right into the final weekend of Summerfest 2013. Friday, July 5, saw my brother and I take a tour of Milwaukee Brewing Company. Those that know me know that touring breweries is a favorite past-time of mine. I had been to Milwaukee Brewing Company several times, but this was a first for my brother. Couldn't think of a better way to get this Friday started. Our tour guide certainly looked, and sounded, like he had done his fair share of sampling, but I guess that is to be expected.

After the tour, we headed down to the Summerfest grounds. Met up with some friends who were going to see Rick Springfield. I wasn't sure, but tagged along anyways. Did you know Rick Springfield will be turning 64 soon? He let us know. He had the crowd sing him "Happy Birthday" too. He also felt the need to mention just about every movie and tv show he's made an appearance. Talk about an ego. The first song I didn't know. Then he played "I've Done Everything For You", after which we left for the Captain's Deck and watched Hollywood Undead for a while.

Rick Springfield

Hollywood Undead

Hollywood Undead jammed their way through some of my favorites like "City", "California", "Here Me Now", "Comin' In Hot", and "Everywhere I Go". After finishing their set with "We Are", we went back to catch Rick Springfield play the song he's most famous for, "Jessie's Girl". Good timing!

On Saturday, we spent some time at Jo Jo's Martini Lounge on the Summerfest grounds. Usually good for at least one martini every year. The band was playing some good covers. We walked around for what seemed like forever. Some friends went to see 311. We were once again up in the Captain's Desk people watching. Getting ready to settle in and watch Buddy Guy when some other friends said they had open seats next to them for Foreigner. Off we went.

Foreigner

Foreigner was pretty solid. Their setlist was like a greatest hits album, playing songs like "Feels Like the First Time", "Double Vision", "Waiting For a Girl Like You", "I Don't Want To Live Without You", and finishing with "Hot Blooded". A really great show, but it was different. Their current singer, Kelly Hansen, joined the band in 2005. I grew up listening to Lou Gramm's vocals. No diss to Kelly. His voice was just different for me.

Sunday. Day 11. The final day. Dropped my brother off at the airport at 5:30am (Yikes!) to catch his flight home to CT. After a little rest, I'd be ready to go back down for the last day. For a Summerfest lineup that I have been saying was lackluster, to say the least, I ended up going nine days anyways. What can I say? I'm a die-hard. The people watching is worth the price of admission alone...trust me. Sunday was a pretty relaxing day. Little walking around. More people watching. Some old guy thought it would be cool to dress head to toe in chartreuse, even a hat. He looked like a fishing lure. Sorry no pictures. He was kind of blinding.

As the evening rolled along, I settled in to 11th row center seats for Jimmy Eat World. I've never seen them before. Not well versed in their portfolio either, but I knew quite a few, including their biggest hits. They didn't mess around either. Not a whole lot of talking. Not a lot of stage props, just a large banner behind them. They just came out and rocked through song after song. They opened with a song from their newest album, Damage, "I Will Steal You Back" and kicked right into "My Best Theory". After "Futures" and a couple more from their new album, Jimmy Eat World did a pretty awesome cover of Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together", which was pretty sweet. Twenty-three songs in the setlist, including "Sweetness", "Heart Is Hard To Find", "Pain", "Bleed American", and their encore of "The Middle".

Jimmy Eat World

After nine days in attendance, countless beers, and immense good times, that's a wrap on Summerfest 2013. All of the pictures are posted now. Check them out.

At the end of the week, I ended up having a fantastic time at Summerfest once again. I may not have been thrilled with the lineup, but I definitely saw some great bands. Check back later to see which bands get awarded or not in my Summerfest 2013 Superlatives. I'm not quite ready to reveal which were my favorites and which were not.  I need to let this digest a little bit. Stay tuned.

I'm Awake I'm Alive

Now I know what I believe inside

Now it's my time

I'll do what I want 'cause this is my life

Of all the bands at Summerfest 2013, last night was the one show I knew was going to be awesome...Skillet. Skillet puts on, in my opinion, the absolute best show that I have ever seen at one of the side stages at Summerfest. Absolutely amazing!

Arrived on the grounds and walked around some. Got some food and a beer or two or three and then my brother went off to see Rush. I headed over to the Miller Lite Oasis stage. As I got closer to the stage, I heard a sound that I hadn't heard much of at all this year...hard rock! The speedy, finger-fretting guitars, the double bass, the growling lyrics. Oh hard rock, how I missed thee. The band was We As Humans. I've never heard of them before. They were pretty good. Near the end of their set, the singer was introducing a song that John Cooper, singer of Skillet, sang on with him. No sooner did the song start that John Cooper came out and sang it with them live. Pretty cool.

Just as the clock turned 10:00pm, I was able to squeeze in the middle of the sea of people. Skillet took the stage and commenced ripping our faces off. They kicked the show off with "Hero" followed by "Whispers in the Dark" and "Comatose". Then they played a song, "Sick of It", off their new album, Rise, which was just released a week ago. The new songs rock! Hell, Skillet rocks! Fireworks, sparklers, lights, smoke, fire, elevators, and a huge video screen were all part of this amazing performance that, as I mentioned, you just don't see at a Summerfest side stage. Of course, all of that is just icing on a cake of amazing rock music!  Their setlist included "Those Nights", "Awake and Alive", "The Last Night", "Savior", "Monster", and a couple more from their new album, "Rise" and "Circus For a Psycho". Skillet left the stage briefly. The cellist and violinist came out and performed a duet of "The Star Spangled Banner", to which everyone in the crowd provided the vocals. For their encore, Skillet killed us with "Rebirthing".

Check out more pics

Today we are doing a tour of Milwaukee Brewing Company before heading down to Summerfest again. Possible bands we might see...Hollywood Undead or Rick Springfield.  Who knows?

Have a great night!  Keep rockin'!

Vacation All I Ever Wanted

Even though, as I've mentioned, the music lineup at Summerfest 2013 isn't as good as I had hoped,  and the weather has been cooler this year, this has been a pretty awesome vacation so far. Let me catch you up on the last few days. Monday, Summerfest was closed. The weather was gorgeous, so we did some landscaping. Certainly not the typical type of fun I normally have, but it was good to hang with my brother all day. Tuesday we went back down to the Summerfest grounds. Met up with a few friends who were going to see NKOTB and the Package Tour. Not us though. Hah! No band that we really wanted to see, so we just walked around. Caught the first few songs from Styx and then we did something that I've never done before...went home early. Yikes! The combination of yard work, sun, and lack of good bands, we were beat.

Wednesday saw a return to the action. I scored some blue seat tickets, 11th row center, from a good friend of mine. Also got tickets to the Captain's Deck for the rest of the weekend. It's a balcony area above the concessions. Great place for people watching. Comes with three beers each. Very nice! Very appreciative of my friend who gave them to me!

Yes...that reads "THE GO GO'S" on those tickets. Free tickets to see Pitbull last Sunday...Why not?!  Free tickets to see The Go Go's?  Absolutely! I'll be honest, my inner 15-year-old self was drooling a little. I had a crush on Belinda Carlisle as a young teen. That crush all came back last night. Even at 55 years young, she is still beautiful! I may have screamed "I Love You Belinda" a few times.  Hahaha

But what I wasn't expecting was to see a really great show. I know many of their songs, but never saw them perform live. Rocking songs. Amazing vocals. Powerful music. Really great show. Opened with "Get Up and Go" and rolled right into "Vacation". In the middle, Belinda sung "Mad About You" from her solo stuff. They did an awesome cover of The Ramones' "I Wanna Be Sedated". Just like 4th of July fireworks, they finished with a great grand finale of "Head Over Heals", "Our Lips Are Sealed", and a medley of KISS' "Rock N Roll ALL Night" that flowed into "We Got the Beat". Absolutely glad that we went...and THANK YOU again to my friend for the sweet tickets!!   I've added pictures here.

Today is July 4th, Independence Day. I'll take a moment here to give a hearty Thank You to all of my brothers and sisters in uniform. Thank You to all who have served in the armed forces, past, present, and future. To all those serving overseas, away from their families, and those deployed to hazardous locations, be strong, be safe, and come home soon. Semper Fi!

Tonight, my brother has a ticket to see Rush. I told my brother that I wasn't a fan, so if he bought tickets, he should buy one. He'll have a great time.  I'm going to see Skillet most likely.  There's a good chance he may make the end of the Skillet show. We'll see.

Don't Stop the Party!

After hanging at a friend's house on Saturday, my brother and I went to Summerfest last night, his first night on the grounds. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed we pulled in right behind my friends, the Hansons. So we ended up hanging with them all afternoon. Another night that I wasn't sure who to see, my intention was to check out Social Distortion. Although, we could have saw Alice Cooper (saw him last year) or Silversun Pickups (again). We walked from the North end to the South end to discover that we could get in to see Pitbull with Far East Movement...FREE! FREE tickets to Pitbull?? Why not?!?!

Now, anyone that knows me, knows that, while I have a very wide range of musical likes, I have a tendency to lean towards the rock/hard rock/heavy metal genre. I do surprise people sometimes though.  But if I told you that five of the first six bands I saw at Summerfest 2013 were going to be DJ/rap/hip-hop/dance music, you would have laughed at me, right?  It's true folks!  Brother Ali, Atmosphere, LL Cool J, Far East Movement, and Pitbull. Who would have that that possible?!

Some DJ entertained us for about 20 minutes before Far East Movement too the stage somewhere around 8:30pm. I'll be honest and tell you that I really only know one song..."Poppin bottles in the ice, like a blizzard. When we drink we do it right gettin slizzard." They may have played for about 45 minutes or so, but it was energetic and entertaining. These types of concerts are new for me, so I'm not sure how to judge them. Much different than watching a rock band, because most everything is electronic and/or pre-recorded and mixed. Lot of fun though.

Right at 10:00pm, Mr. Worldwide takes the stage. Talk about a nonstop, insanely-awesome dance party!! We were that close due to the location of the FREE tickets, but it was still a pretty awesome show. The crowd went crazy!  Just like any other concert, I think I would have enjoyed it much more had I been closer. I've added more pics...check them out.

Summerfest is closed today. Not sure what tomorrow will bring. Again, not many bands I want to see.  Styx? AWOLNATION?  Damn, I sure get spoiled having this awesome 11-day festival in my backyard. Guess we'll have to see.  Until then, keep on party rockin'!!

Summerfest 2013 is here!!

Yes! Summerfest 2013 is finally here! Opening night was Wednesday, June 26, but last night (Friday, June 28) was the first night I went. Normally I would have written about Summerfest long before now, but this year was different. Though it may be different, it is still going to be one helluva time!

When the lineups were announced this year, I was less than impressed. Sure they have a lot of new, younger, pop-type bands that are very popular today, such as Fun., AWOLNATION, Atlas Genius, Imagine Dragons, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Neon Trees. They also have the classic bands from the 70s and 80s, such as REO Speedwagon, Tom Petty, Pat Benatar, Alice Cooper, and Loverboy. Mix in your country acts, jazz, your local and regional bands and you have a very impressive collection of music from all genres and all walks of life. Definitely something for everyone, but something was missing this year. Where are the rock bands?  Where's the heavy metal?

Summefest 2013 is definitely light on the hard rock and heavy metal this year. That's okay though. While there isn't any one band (aside from seeing Skillet again) that I absolutely have to see, I will still see some really good bands and hopefully discover some new ones. Personally, I am a little disappointed at the lack of hard rock and heavy metal, but that's okay. When you live in Milwaukee, like I do, and you have the opportunity to go to Summerfest at least eight days every year, you can get spoiled. I'm a die-hard Summerfest attendee and I realize how difficult it must be to book the over 700 bands that play every year, especially when Summerfest competes against dozens of other festivals both in the U.S. and overseas. I'll get off that soap box now. Let me talk about last night.

I get down to the Summerfest grounds and stopped off at the rock stage. It has another lengthy sponsor this year, so I'll just refer it to the rock stage. A young band from Detroit, Citizen Zero, was playing. I listened to a few of their songs. Good young rock band. Got my head bobbin' and my foot moving. Left the stage to get something to drink and eat. The skies were a little grey, but it wasn't raining yet. Let's hope it stays that way. Summerfest not only has great music and great food, but this being "Brew City", they have great beer too. Draft Magazine recently listed Summerfest as on of the 7 summer music festivals with great beer. I headed to the Lakefront Brewery booth and ordered me a cold Fixed Gear red ale. Excellent beer!

Back to the rock stage and to the second row awaiting the Lovehammers. Met up with a few of Lovehammers' close followers whom I met at Club Garibaldi on St. Patrick's Day this year. From Chicago, Lovehammers are at Summerfest nearly every year, with the last time in 2010 playing at 10:00pm.  Here's what I wrote about them then. They played at 6:30pm last night. Still a great show and a band every one should see. Marty even got out into the crowd during one song.

After the show finished, I walked around some. Had a Black IPA from Water Street Brewery. Stopped at the Harley-Davidson stage where Brother Ali was killing it. DJs from Minnesota, there were four guys on stage in front of mixing tables the length of the stage. They were mixing up a great mix of classic rap along with current hip hop. The stage was packed! People all over the place, dancing and singing along. It was pretty intense. Brother Ali was good, but Atmosphere was on at 10:00pm. They packed the Miller Lite stage at 6:00pm last year. They packed the H-D stage this year.

I went over to the BMO Pavillion to catch LL Cool J. That was a fun show. The new BMO Pavillion is such an awesome stage. I was 20 to 30 feet outside the stage and still had a great view because of how the stage was designed. LL got funky too, rapping some of his classics like "The Boomin' System" and "Goin' Back To Cali". I really enjoyed the show.

Check out some pictures.

My brother Dennis is back this year. Picked him up this morning. Should be another great year of fun and music!  Not sure if we'll head to Summerfest tonight or if we'll end of doing something else. Hey, the Big Gig is 11 days long, plenty of music to see.

You don't bring me pleasure

You just bring me pain and nothing in between

For the third Wednesday in a row, I saw yet another amazing concert at The Rave. First it was Shinedown and Bush, then it was Alice in Chains. Last week it was Bullet For My Valentine with special guests, Halestorm and Young Guns. If these three shows were the only concerts I get to see this year, then I can definitely live with that. So amazing! So awesome!!  The year isn't even half over yet. Summerfest is a month away. Who knows what other amazing bands will make their way through Wisconsin before year's end?!

Opening band for this night was Stars on Stereo. Young rock band with a female lead singer. I've made it no secret how I feel about female rock vocalists. Not all do it for me. This young lady was good. Band had good energy. I didn't know any of their songs, but she did a fantastic cover of Aerosmith's Dream On.

Next up was another young band out of London, Young Guns. Just two albums out, but their latest album, Bones, is a must listen for any rock fan. If Stars on Stereo had energy, these guys were on speed or had several red bulls before hitting the stage. Great set. Definitely recommend you check this band out!

After Young Guns, it was Halestorm. Saw this band for the first time at Summerfest 2012. I was quite impressed then and I'm still impressed now. I was much closer this time around than last year. The show was nonstop rock all the way through. Lzzy is still hot and has probably the absolute best female rock vocals today! And I still believe her drummer brother, Arejay, is the human version of the Muppets' Animal. Another must see band!

Headlining this evening was a band that quickly became my most favorite band since I first heard Metallica. Bullet For My Valentine have been my 21st Century "Metallica". Since I heard my first song from them, "Tears Don't Fall", I was hooked. This is my second time seeing them live. The first time being back in 2010.  Absolutely amazing metal band!

"Of Fortuna" plays just before Bullet For My Valentine take the stage. They rip right into a song of their latest album, Temper Temper, called "Breaking Point." After that is was song after killer song, including "Your Betrayal", "Waking the Demon", "Riot", "The Last Fight", all hell, checkout the setlist below. All of the songs were awesome!!

Check out pictures from the show.

Even after they bonus encore of "Begging for Mercy", I was still wanting more. But, alas, no more concerts scheduled until Summerfest. Summerfest should be a good time...it always is. But don't tell my brother that I'm not exactly thrilled with this year's lineup. Maybe I'm spoiled because I get to go to Summerfest every year, because it's in my own back yard. Maybe I'm spoiled because I get to see so many great bands at a great venue like The Rave, which is also just minutes away. I won't even mention The Riverside Theater, Turner Hall, or any of the other smaller venues. Being a diehard music lover like myself, who goes to dozens of concerts each year, even I know that there will be times that I'll be less than satisfied. You can tell my brother this though...we will have an amazing time. Summerfest is amazing and sharing it with my brother is pretty cool!

Until the next show, keep rocking!!

Into the flood again

Same old trip it was back then

So I made a big mistake

Try to see it once my way

I just watched the second of three consecutive Wednesday night concerts in May 2013...Alice in Chains. Wow! Totally rocked! Totally awesome! I wasn't sure I would see a show this year that would rival Soundgarden, but Alice in Chains certainly made it difficult to choose a favorite. After Soundgarden, Stone Sour, and now Alice in Chains, every other concert this year is icing on the musical cake. And Summerfest isn't even here yet! So about the show...

Opening band was called Bloodnstuff. I figure with a name like Bloodnstuff - if you were to judge a band by its name - would be a heavier band, maybe even a little metal. Not to be.  There was no blood. Just some stuff. They were just two guys, a drummer and a guitarist/singer. All of their songs really sounded like one very long song. They didn't catch my interest.

Alice in Chains take the stage and immediately rip into Angry Chair. Much like Soundgarden, they got out there and played no frills, nonstop rock music. A lengthy nineteen song setlist consisting of a few from their latest album, "The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here" - Hollow, Phantom Limb, Stone - , and many of their greatest hits - Your Decision, Down in a Hole, Man in a Box, Would?. Here's the setlist...

5/15/2013 at The Rave

Alice in Chains are only doing a handful of Midwest shows. Super excited that they came to Milwaukee. What an amazing show!

I know I've previously written about how I feel that the drummer is the heartbeat of a band and the drummer can make or break a band. I've also written about how I feel the lead singer is the voice, the face of a band, especially if that lead singer has an iconic voice. Layne Staley had an iconic voice that was a signature print to the sound of Alice in Chains. When he died in 2002, I know I felt that Alice in Chains would never return. When they returned, they surprised me. They found a singer in Will DuVall that had some of those same vocal characteristics. He's not Layne Staley, but Will DuVall has a very distinct sound in his vocals that really works with Alice in Chains. If this band comes to a city near you, you need to see them!

Here are some pictures from the show.

Rock on!!

The great year for concerts continues

I've been fortunate to have seen some amazing concerts so far in 2013 and the year isn't even half way over. In January, I was 'Kicked in the Teeth' by Papa Roach and Stone Sour. February 1st brought Soundgarden to The Rave after nearly twenty years away. Killer! In March, I saw the Lovehammers, from Chicago, at a small bar (Club Garibaldi) here in Bay View, WI. April brought me a couple of different shows in The Joy Formidable and The Revival Tour, which was a collection of guys from different bands, including Chuck Ragan from Hot Water Music and Tim McIlrath from Rise Against, playing each others songs acoustically. Totally amazing! Last night, May 8th, I saw what will be the first of three concerts yet in May of 2013...Shinedown with Bush and Airbourne.

Airbourne is from Australia and they look like the were dropped right out of the 80's. It was like time stood still. You could definitely hear the AC/DC influences in their songs. In fact, on a few of the songs, I thought they were going to do covers. They ended up being background music. Not completely terrible, but I'm not buying a CD either.

Airbourne

After a short intermission, Bush takes the stage. This is the 4th time I've seen them since 2011 and every single time has been nothing short of a great show. Not only do they have great songs, but I enjoy the fact that they just come out and rock your face off. No theatrics. Just performing hit after hit after hit. It was really cool to see Gavin get off stage and get up to the balcony and mingle with the fans up there, something I'm not sure I've seen any other singer do at The Rave. It's obvious he enjoys getting close to the crowd.

Bush's Setlist

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Headlining the evening was none other than Shinedown. Third time I've seen them. Once at Summerfest 2009 and the other time was an unplugged, acoustic show at the Riverside Theater. The acoustic show was fantastic! Last night was amazing!  I can remember when I first heard Shinedown on MTV years ago. It was a video for their cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Simple Man. I remember thinking that this guy had such an amazingly, powerful voice. Watching them last night only made me believe that more. Brent Smith is up there as one of the best, most powerful, rock vocalists out there. With as much talent that is out there, that's saying something. Simply amazing! Shinedown powered through fourteen songs and every one of them was solid. I look forward to seeing them again.

Shinedown's Setlist

You are probably wondering where the pictures are?  Here they are.

I mentioned that this was one of three concerts in May. Coming up are Alice in Chains and Bullet For My Valentine with Halestorm and Young Guns.  All you music lovers out there who enjoy good, new rock bands should check out Young Guns. They are good.

Until next time...ROCK ON!!

I'm gonna break my...

After nearly twenty years away, Soundgarden returned...and they haven't lost a step. Soundgarden played at The Rave in Milwaukee, WI this past Friday, February 1. Burst onto the music scene in 1984, years before the grunge era took the music world by storm, Soundgarden often got lumped into that genre. Sure there are similarities with some of the darker, mysterious lyrics, but Soundgarden definitely has more of a hippy, bluesy, rock to their sound. What an amazing show!

Leading up to the concert, I had checked out some of the setlist from their tour and saw that they were playing anywhere from 25 to 30 songs every show and changing it up every night. I knew I was in for a treat. With no opening act, Chris Cornell took the stage with the other members of Soundgarden and proceded to play no-frills, no bullshit, rock n roll for nearly two and a half hours. Twenty-seven songs in the setlist from every one of their albums. They performed many of my favorites, leading off with Been Away Too Long and playing others such as Jesus Christ Pose, Spoonman, Outshined, Rusty Cage, Fell On Black Days, and one of my favorites from their newest album, By Crooked Steps.

I did notice that the crowd was a bit older than many shows I go to, but that's to be expected. Many younger kids may not know who Soundgarden is, especially since they have been out of the limelight for some time. But everyone should know that Chris Cornell has one of the most amazing voices in rock n roll. Amazing show! Amazing band! If they come to your city, I strongly recommend you see them!  Oh and before I forget, check out some pictures from the show.

Stone Sour and Papa Roach one week followed by Soundgarden the next! Wow, what a fantastic start to my 2013 concert year.  Stay tuned to who I see next.  Keep on rockin'!

I'm looking at you through the glass...

Don't know how much time has passed

Oh, God it feels like forever

But no one ever tells you that forever

Feels like home sitting all alone inside your head

How do you feel? That is the question...

I feel freakin' awesome!! First concert of 2013 in the books...Papa Roach and Stone Sour at The Rave last Friday, January 25th. Great show! I've seen Papa Roach a few times, but this was my first time seeing Stone Sour.

Despite having some recent health issues and having had vocal surgery in 2012, Jacoby was full of energy and all over the stage. I thought his voice sounded great as he belted out some of Papa Roach's greatest hits - Scars, Forever, Getting Away With Murder, and Last Resort - as well as a few from their newest album - Still Swinging, Before I Die, and Give Me Back My Life. If you haven't heard Papa Roach's new album, I recommend you check it out.

After a short intermission, Stone Sour took the stage and proceeded to rock the house. The last time Corey Taylor was at The Rave was for his solo tour promoting his book. That's the last time I've seen him anyways. They kicked the night off with the first two tracks off their latest album, House of Gold & Bones Part 1. Later on in the evening, Corey revealed that Part 2 would be coming out this Spring. The setlist was jam packed with solid Stone Sour hits...Digital (Did You Tell), Made of Scars, and others. For the encore, Corey slowed it down a bit. He started playing the first verse of Alice in Chains' Nutshell before flowing right into Bother. Finishing the night with 30/30-150 was absolute killer!

Oh, I did take a few pictures.

Pretty awesome first concert of 2013. It's only going to get better. Coming up on February 1st...SOUNDGARDEN! That should be epic!  Other bands coming soon to Milwaukee include Alice in Chains and Bullet for My Valentine. I'm sure there will be more great shows coming and that's all before Summerfest 2013 hits Milwaukee.  Until the next show, keep rockin' my friends!!

Happy New Year!

So what if I'm more than three weeks late! It's still new and it's still Happy! In fact, there's quite a lot that has happened since my last post, which happened to be my 40th birthday and probably one of my best days of 2012. So let's catch up.

Plenty of good times were had after my 40th birthday...

...I went zip lining up in the Peshtigo River area at Wildman Adventure Ranch. That was so awesome! Definitely have to do that again! On the return trip, stopped in Green Bay to check out Lambeau Field and Titletown Brewing Company.

Titletown Brewing Company

...went to Chicago to celebrate friends getting married. Of course stopped in at Goose Island's Brewpub. Not sure where the pictures are. Good times! Congratulations Ray and Alexis!

...went to the Harvest Fair at Wisconsin's State Fair Grounds and spent time at The Micro to sample Autumn Seasonal beers from many craft breweries. I finally killed my first keg!

The Micro

The Autumn Beer List

...saw Rise Against and Gaslight Anthem at The Rave, my final concert of 2012.

...the month of September I was really busy...busy buying my new home! I finally decided to plant some roots here in WI and purchase a house. I closed on October 1. It was exciting and stressful all rolled into one. You homeowners out there know what I mean. Check out my new home. So much storage, I don't know what to do with it. It's also still quite empty, but I have plenty of time to fill it.

...I had an awesome house warming party in November. Opened up my new home to my friends and we warmed it up!

...in November, we did a small, Milwaukee-only brewery tour that I set up. Started at Milwaukee Ale House. No tour here, just sampling some of the fine beer on tap. the Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery for a historical tour of the old Pabst corporate offices. Yes, beer was included. It's very cool to learn the history of beer in Milwaukee and to also learn and see how the new owner is renovating the building. Last stop was a tour of Sprecher Brewing Company.

..each year at work, we have a two-week long employee giving campaign, consisting of many activities, raffles, and fun events to raise money. For the last seven or eight years, a couple friends and I coordinated and ran Office Olympics. We passed the torch last year and this year was the first year we were able to participate. So much fun! I ended up as Grand Champion for 2012!

...December saw a road trip to Potosi Brewing Company. It was a 2 1/2 hour drive to get there but sooo worth it. Food was fantastic and the beer excellent!

2012 finished with a low-key New Years Eve celebration at my new house. Nothing too exciting. Just a few friends enjoying some adult beverages and having a good time.

The new year is full of promise and hopefully some choice opportunities. Only three weeks into it and things look promising.  From a music perspective, some great new albums have been released and the concert scene is shaping up very nicely. Looking forward to seeing Stone Sour, Papa Roach, and Soundgarden. Also coming to town are Alice in Chains and Bullet for My Valentine, which I plan on seeing. Never a shortage for concerts. As the weather eventually starts warming up, the many ethnic and music festivals will begin.  Milwaukee is a great place to live!  Cheers to 2013!