Partied With the Rock Stars

I have to admit that July has been a great month for me so far. I was humbled by the kind acts and treats from my coworkers the week before my birthday, I got to enjoy a few days last weekend enjoying the beautiful scenery of northwestern Minnesota, and endured the heat, humidity and lousy Minnesota Twins pitching with my brother at Target Field on my birthday last Sunday.

When I was searching online for fun things to do during my birthday month, I saw that one of my favorite bands, Sevendust, was playing at the legendary First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis a few days after my birthday. Remembering all the great times I'd had at their shows six times before, I immediately bought a ticket. I was suddenly a bit giddy with anticipation, looking forward more to this show than to my milestone birthday!

I arrived in downtown Minneapolis on Thursday and found a spot in a parking ramp near Target Field, so close that I could see the seventh inning stretch festivities on the Target Field displays from my car. As I walked downtown, I strolled by First Avenue just in time to hear a great track called "World is Dead" from Sevendust guitarist Clint Lowery and drummer Morgan Rose's new side project Call Me No One being rehearsed. I knew right then and there that I was in for a great night!

I arrived early enough to grab a sandwich and bottle of water and enjoy them outside of Target Field just as the Twins gave the game away to the Orioles. Before the disappointed crowd could exit en masse, I decided to head down to Nicollet Mall and lose myself in a good book or two before heading to the show.

A few hours later, I arrived back at First Avenue just as the first few dedicated fans began lining up outside. While I considered myself a Sevendust "veteran" going to my seventh Sevendust show, I met a few more loyal fans outside the arena, including one who was going to his 36th Sevendust concert that night.

Before too long, the doors opened and I met up with my new acquaintances after buying a VIP pass so I could attend the meet and greet and the after show a few blocks down the road at the Pourhouse. I had never heard of the opening acts Black Oxygen and 3 Pill Morning, but was looking forward to hearing new music. I chatted with some more Sevendust fans as we took our spots front row center before the show.

Shortly before 6:30 p.m. the first opening act Black Oxygen took the stage. Their look and sound reminded me of "nu-metal bands" like Puddle of Mudd and Hoobastank, but I liked some of their originals and made a mental note to find out more about them in the near future.

The second opening act, 3 Pill Morning, then followed, and included a few songs from their newly released second album Black Tie Love Affair. The Minnesota natives did a good job of getting the crowd warmed up for the headliner Sevendust.

After another set change, Sevendust amped up the crowd with the song "Inside" from their seventh studio album "Chapter VII: Hope and Sorrow." It was great to hear the band perform with great energy, especially on classic tracks like "Black," "Denial," and "Splinter." It was also nice to hear songs like "Waffle" that I hadn't heard in a while in their sets. One of my favorite Sevendust songs is the ballad "Angel's Son," and I said a silent prayer to my late Uncle Felix as Lowery began the familiar opening chords on electric guitar.

It was a fast 14-song set, packed with hits from all of their studio albums, closing with the popular encore song "Face to Face." As the house lights went up and my new-found friends and I had time to decompress, we took time to savor the great music we'd just heard before heading to the after show party just a few blocks over.

About an hour after Sevendust finished their set, the gang joined the VIP concert-goers on the second level of the Pourhouse. I was standing by the door chatting with new friends as the band entered, so I got to shake hands and congratulate each of them on another outstanding show. I also got to chat with each band member individually, express my interest in their side projects Call Me No One and Projected (by guitarist John Connolly and bassist Vince "Vinny" Hornsby) and even get a few photo ops with Clint, John and frontman Lajon Witherspoon before deciding to call it a night.

The band is playing a few shows, including today at Rockfest in Cadott, WI, and then will be taking a break before getting back together to start recording their ninth studio album. I still don't understand why Sevendust isn't as popular as similar metal bands like Disturbed and Godsmack - they make great music, their concerts are memorable and affordable, and they treat their fans like royalty. All the more reasons for me to catch them at their next show in town!

Sevendust set list:
1. Inside
2. Denial
3. Bitch
4. Black
5. Waffle
6. Driven
7. Splinter
8. Praise
9. Angel's Son
10. Suffocate
11. Forever
12. Pieces
13. The End is Coming
14. Face to Face