Megadeth at the Myth

Megadeth's been one of those "bucket list" kind of bands - I've been a fan of theirs since the mid-Nineties, but it never worked out in my schedule to see them live until this past Saturday at the Myth in Maplewood, MN. Although the band's lineup has changed a few times in recent years, frontman and former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine has remained true to his rock roots.

The show began with a brief half-hour set by the metal band Nonpoint. A friend of mine that I'd met at a few Sevendust shows highly recommended them, and I have to admit I was impressed how quickly they engaged the audience from the first riff. Frontman Elias Soriano kept the crowd's energy up through a blistering seven song set.

Soon after followed the speed metal group Fear Factory. I liked the quick guitar pace and the vocals from frontman Burton Bell. They kept the audience warmed up after standing outside on a cold, blustery Minnesota evening. The group finished with the classic "Replica," leaving everyone wanting more music!

As the roadies assembled and moved instruments around between sets, I wondered what the large boards on either side of the drum kit were for. I soon found out as Megadeth took the stage. The large square boards were video boards, just like the rectangular one behind the drum riser. Megadeth used the video boards to their full effect as they dug into the archive to kick off their set with the track "Hangar 18."

Mustaine, Minnesota native Dave Ellefson on bass guitar, guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Grover plowed their way through an impressive hour-plus set. They played a couple of selections from the new disc Supercollider, although the set was chock-full of fan favorites like "Sweating Bullets," "Symphony of Destruction," "Trust," "A Tout Le Monde" and more. The band finished their set with the all-too-familiar bass-heavy "Peace Sells" (the intro was used for the opening to MTV News for years).

Megadeth returned to the stage for a music and video-filled rendition of "Holy Wars" before calling it a night. I enjoyed hearing all three bands for the first time, and I also enjoyed the video interludes as we were entertained by Megadeth references in movies like "Wayne's World 2" and "Silver Linings Playbook" between some of their hits.

I went into the day not knowing what to expect, but ended up having a blast. Despite the cold temperatures, it was still a fantastic day. I ran around town buying things for my new place in the morning, caught up with a very special lady friend of mine, and got to hear more amazing live music. What more could a guy want in a day, right?

Until next time, have a great night, everyone!