The Year in Review: 2015 Rocked!

As I look at my brand new Star Wars 2016 calendar, it's hard for me to accept the fact that 2015 is almost over. There were plenty of highs and lows, just like any year, but the one outstanding fact this year was the number of concerts I attended. By my count, I went to 50 shows across 4 states (MN, WI, NJ and PA). Even more surprising was the fact that I didn't go to my first show of the year until March! (I usually hold off on scheduling concerts in the winter, because I never know in advance what the Minnesota weather will be like.)

March started off with the first of a dozen shows for me at Pov's in Spring Lake Park, MN with the Red concert on the 14th. Although headliners Red and favorites Islander received the top billing, I actually enjoyed the first opening acts Romantic Rebel and 3 Years Hollow more. The following week, I returned to Pov's to see Luminoth and the Gracious Sons open for 10 Years and Otherwise. This would be the first of several times for me seeing both 10 Years and Otherwise in 2015, and I enjoyed getting to chat with some of the band members after the show too. The final March concert for me was a trek to the Wicked Moose Bar and Grill in Rochester, MN to see Emergent, Scare Don't Fear, 36 Crazyfists and Nonpoint. I'll remember this show fondly, not just because of the great music by all of the bands, but also because it was the first time I got to meet a couple of great friends in person. We had a such a fun time smiling and laughing the entire evening, carrying the good times over to the North Star Bar in downtown Rochester later to continue the fun and dancing to the cover tunes played by MN favorites Gel.

The first Saturday in April rocked at the Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis with an all-local night of rock music from Arson River, Cold Kingdom, Fifth Hour and Sin City Escape. On the 18th, I made my first Wisconsin road trip of the year to Hipps Pub in Eau Claire to catch Aeous, Fifth Hour and MN favorites American Head Charge with a Wisconsin buddy of mine. I'd return to Hipps a week later with a good friend to catch Romantic Rebel and Seasons After for another great show.

May kicked off with a cancer benefit for local rocker Chris Crooker at Niesen's in Savage on the 3rd, and a rocking show from Arrows at Dawn, my buddies in Seasons After and national recording artists Flaw at Pov's on the 6th. The following weekend was my first major rock festival of the season: Northern Invasion in Somerset, WI. My friends and I braved the staggering crowds to catch bands like Cold Kingdom, Crobot, 3 Days Grace, Anthrax, Volbeat, In This Moment, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestorm, Slipknot and several others. The month ended on a high note with a show by Sin City Escape, Nonpoint and Seether at the Myth in Maplewood, MN on the 21st and Dividing Eden, Pathos Ethos, Romantic Rebel and Tantric at Pov's on the 22nd.

The first weekend in June began with an indoor rock festival at the Skyway Theater in downtown Minneapolis featuring Whither The Tide, Motograter, Dead Horse Trauma, Blue Felix, Thira, and others, headlined by national rockers Ill Nino. The following weekend, I joined several members of my tribe to see City of the Weak, Via, Arson River and Ashes from Stone during Ashes' CD release show at the Myth. After a Chicago tribute band show at Summertime by George at Lake George in St. Cloud the next week, I got to rock with friends to Emergent, 3 Years Hollow, Soil and Powerman 5000 at Pov's on the 24th before the month drew to a close.

After watching the annual Joetown fireworks from the safety of my driveway on July 3rd, I ventured to the Taste of Minnesota on July 4th in time to see national rockers Fuel and P.O.D. kick off the holiday in style. The next weekend, I got to celebrate with friends at Turtle Lake Casino at the Antistar, Ashes from Stone and Hoobastank concert. I had to hurry back home the next day, as I ended up going to see Stone Sour/Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor's solo show at the packed Turf Club on University Avenue in St. Paul (I got to meet him and shake his hand after the show). From there, I could relax and enjoy my birthday week in peace and quiet-that is, until it was time to join my friend s in enjoying a free show featuring Matrekis and Screaming for Silence at Pickle Park in Fridley, MN on my birthday! I ended the week with a few days worth of rock from KingShifter, Emergent, Cold Kingdom, Fifth Hour, Chevelle, Pop Evil and Screaming for Silence at Rockfest in Cadott, WI and another helping of Dividing Eden, AntiStar and Otherwise at Pov's. Following a quick show by Pandemic Inc, the Phoenix Philosophy, the GoodBars and Utah rockers Royal Bliss on the 22nd, I got to relax a bit the final weekend of July with my class reunion, library book sale and hometown summer festival, but wasn't about to be done rocking yet!

I began the first night of August with a show featuring Avenue Army, Mothership and Crobot at Pov's (I missed rockers Wilson that night, but I had a good reason that is another tale in itself.) Except for a quick show by Life Tragic, Ashes from Stone, Whither the Tide and New Zealanders Like A Storm at Pickle Park on the 9th,, I didn't get to rock out for a couple of weeks later when I ventured back to the Wicked Moose to catch Awaken  the Empire, the Family Ruin, 10 Years and Nonpoint on a Thursday night and Skywynd and 3 Pill Morning at Pov's on a Friday evening.The following weekend was busy with shows featuring Mortificator and Ashes from Stone on a Friday night in Minneapolis, the Foo Fighters' 3 hour show at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul on Saturday night, and Screaming for Silence and Seasons After at Hipps Pub in Eau Claire on Sunday night. No rest for the weary, and those ready to rock, I guess! The month closed out with a Seasons After headlining show at Pickle Park on the 25th.

The first weekend of September continued the rock, with a quaint acoustic show from Todd from the GoodBars and Wally from Skywynd at the Boulevard Bar & Grill in Coon Rapids on the 3rd and another drive to Hipps on the 5th for City of the Weak, Gemini Syndrome and an interesting local band called Good Men Wear Goats. The next Saturday was time for Arms for Elephants, Pinwheel, Cold Kingdom and Emergent at Pickle Park. Mid-September was time for an adventure: I flew out to Newark, NJ on the 16th looking forward to hanging out with my friends in Sevendust at Architekt Studios in Butler the next day. I woke up that morning to greet their manager George Roskos, bass guitarist Vinny Hornsby and their tour bus driver at the breakfast bar and ran into drummer Morgan Rose in the elevator after lunch. I'm glad I was able to meet up with some fellow Sevendust friends at the studio that evening, where we enjoyed gourmet food from Chef Eric LeVine before the event, got to hear the new album Kill the Flaw in its entirety, witness a four-song live performance by the band and chat with the guys in the group after the show. One of those once in a lifetime opportunities that I'm glad I decided to take the chance on.

The next day, I made the two-hour drive to Scranton, PA to chat with Sevendust's lead guitarist Clint Lowery at a meet and greet at the Northeast Music Center. I then ventured to the show that evening, where I got a free ticket from a fellow fan! Even though I'd rather have them headline instead of open for local favorites Breaking Benjamin at the Pavilion on Montage Mountain, it was still an amazing evening nonetheless. On the third day, I joined my friends in time to see Otherwise and Skid Row at the outdoor food truck festival in Clark, NJ and bond with them before Sevendust took to the stage for a powerful set. We wandered around the fairgrounds afterwards enjoying the food, more music and a lot of laughs before I flew back home the next morning.

The next Saturday, I shared my Sevendust experiences with a lot of my Minnesota friends at the show featuring Emergent, Sidewise and Sevendust at Pickle Park. This show was special to me, because I got to experience it with some valued members of my tribe. During that show, one of the 93X deejays gave me tickets to the nex night's show featuring Starset, 10 Years and Breaking Benjamin at the Myth. I enjoyed that show on a steamy summer night, and got to catch up with 10 Years' frontman Jesse Hasek for the 3rd time this year too. The last day of September ended with a show at Mill City Nights in Minneapolis by Wilson (my first time getting to see them live!), Tremonti and Trivium, another good night of music with good friends.

October started rocking with Soundgarden/Audioslave frontman Chris Cornell's solo acoustic show at the State Theater in downtown Minneapolis. A few days later, it was time to rock with Slash featuring Myles Kennedy (of Alter Bridge) and the Conspirators at Mill City Nights. After a little break, the rock resumed with music from the GoodBars, Mortificator and Loudness at Pickle Park on the 18th and Strate Jak It, UnSaid Fate, Amerikain Overdose and Mushroomhead at Pov's on the 20th. October finished with a bang, with the Kill Bill cancer benefit featuring Dividing Eden, AntiStar, Cold Kingdom, Emergent and the farewell performance by Fifth Hour at Pov's on the 30th, and Halloween Hellfest at Pov's on the 31st featuring Gabriel and the Apocalypse, Piranha, Dead Horse Trauma, Blue Felix and lots of costumed patrons.

I barely had time to recuperate from my family get-together at a cousin's house on November 1st before it was time to head to LaCrosse, WI on the 3rd, to catch Sevendust and Breaking Benjamin. I splurged on a VIP pass, and got to catch up with the guys in their brand new tour bus for a bit following my fifth Sevendust show of the year. Aside from catching a cover band with a couple of my tribe sisters in the Cities a couple of weeks later, November was rather quiet, music-wise, anyways.

December's rock began with a free fan appreciation show by Cold Kingdom and 3 Pill Morning at Pickle Park on the 6th. The following Thursday, I went to what would be my last show at Pov's featuring Strate Jak It, Arson River, Murder FM and Hed P.E. The following weekend, I caught Twin Cities rockers Lamp Shade Betty and national rockers Saliva at the Red Carpet for my annual downtown St. Cloud rock show. I saw Saliva again the next night at Pickle Park with friends and openers Strange Daze, Downtread and Ashes from Stone. That was it for me for live music for 2015, unless you count the Cold Kingdom music video premiere at the Pourhouse in downtown Minneapolis on the 19th.

It's been over a decade since I've been to so many shows in such a short period of time. I had a lot of fun, heard over 100 bands, snagged my fair share of guitar picks, setlists, front row bruises and other souvenirs, but most importantly, I made a bunch of great new friends. I can't wait to rock with them again in 2016-first shows of the year are coming up soon!

Thanks for reading this-I hope you enjoyed reading about my concert experiences as much as I enjoyed having them. Take care my friends, and have a very safe and Happy New Year! Hope to be back rockin' out with many of you in 2016!