Just getting back to blogging after another busy month. June is almost over, and it was one I'll never forget, full of highs and lows. The best parts for me were the quality times I spent with family - my blood relatives on both sides of the family and part of my rock and roll family.
May ended on a sour note, with the news of a beloved aunt's passing. Her memorial service was on June 1st in St. Paul. I attended the service with my parents and brother, and it was really more of a celebration of life than a somber gathering. It was great seeing my aunts, uncles and cousins that I hadn't seen in person in years. Several memory boards were set up inside the church, and it was great to see all the amazing pictures and to be able to reflect back on so many great times. My aunt was one of my first inspirations, and her children were close to me in age, so we spent a lot of quality time in my youth both in St. Paul and on the lake in Cold Spring. Toward the end of the service, a singing group led us in song to celebrate the good things we liked about my aunt. It was a wonderfully positive note to end the service on. I know everyone who attended left the church with a smile on their face.
I spent Father's Day weekend travelling west, en route to my godparents' 50th wedding anniversary in Idaho Falls, Idaho. I flew from Minneapolis to Phoenix and then to Salt Lake City, Utah. From there, I rented a car and drove three hours north to my hotel, arriving at my hotel on a rainy evening. The next afternoon, I drove around Idaho Falls for a while before meeting my family at my godparents' senior living apartment complex. I smiled widely as I greeted my cousins who I hadn't seen in person in over a decade. My aunt has Alzheimer's, but I know she enjoyed seeing me. Her husband is also doing quite well for his age (he's still driving his Corvette), and it was a nice service with plenty of time for photo opportunities.
Later that evening, I joined my cousins at my godparents' house in town. Sitting out on the patio sharing stories and catching up, I noticed my cousin's kids swinging on the same swing set that we played on when my family and I made our first trip to Idaho almost 40 years ago. I was glad to get some quality time with my relatives and catch up before calling it a night.
I returned to the senior apartments the next afternoon for brunch, sitting next to my uncle and his eldest daughter and their family, catching up with them and letting them know about my next trip the following weekend. I made the 3-hour drive back to Salt Lake City that afternoon to catch my connecting flight to Phoenix and then back to Minneapolis on another gorgeous day.
I got home early Monday morning, and had time after work to admire the hundreds of family photos that one of my cousins had scanned onto a flash drive for me. The next day, I started preparing for my next trip: attending one of Sevendust's 20th anniversary concerts at the Palladium in Worcester, MA.
I worked the late shift on Friday and didn't get a lot of sleep, as I caught my shuttle bus from St. Cloud at 3 a.m. on Saturday. My flight to Boston was leaving in a few hours, and I made sure I was there in plenty of time. I got into Logan International Airport on a rainy afternoon and after a wait at the car rental booth, I was soon driving past Fenway Park and the Boston Bruins home, Warrior Ice Arena, on my way to my less than quality hotel reservation in Worcester. I didn't complain, though, because I wasn't going to be staying in the hotel very long.
My friends from Rhode Island picked me up at the hotel and we sat down to a nice dinner, full of good food and a lot of laughs as we spent time finally getting to know each other in person. My friends then drove me to Newport, Rhode Island, a nice town right on the Atlantic Ocean. We navigated our way down the crowded streets, and stopped into a small tavern to enjoy live music for a little while before calling it a night.
I slept as much as I could, but I was too eager for the concert to get much rest. I drove 10 minutes from my hotel to the Palladium, to get there in enough time to meet my friends before the pre-show soundcheck and meet and greet with Sevendust. I stopped at a nearby record store to window shop, and when I headed back to the Palladium to meet my friends, one of the first people I met was my friend, Sevendust rhythm guitarist John Connolly. Close behind him were my Sevendust friends.
We decided to head down the hill to a Mexican restaurant with plenty of outdoor seating. Looking out for passing showers, we placed our lunch orders and as we were talking, we noticed Sevendust drummer Morgan Rose and some of the road crew headed our way. They greeted us before they entered the restaurant, and Morgan soon stopped by to talk to all of us. We were stunned by the kind gesture, but it just goes to show how cool all of the guys in the band are.
After lunch, those of us partaking in the pre-show meet & greets got in line for the experience. I made my way to the front of the stage, making sure I gave lead singer Lajon Witherspoon the Star Wars T-shirt I had brought him from Minnesota. We hung out to hear the soundcheck jams "Shine" and "Too Close to Hate" before getting in lines for our photo ops with the band and then chatting with them a bit to get our posters signed.
Afterwards, we had time to get back to our cars and stop by another restaurant for a bit before the show, looking for a few more of our friends to arrive. We didn't have long to wait, though, because early entry was at 6:30. We got back in line just as lead guitarist Clint Lowery was walking by to get something to eat. He stopped to talk to us and pose for a few photos.
My Sevendust friends and I made our way to the front of the barricades, and I entrenched myself in my spot. People started crowd surfing from the first song by the first opening band, local rockers Fantom Farewell. I liked their energy, and made a mental note to check their music out online later.
I wasn't impressed by the next opener, Never My Zero, but they had the crowd rocking steady throughout their set. I liked the energy and rhythms of the next act, He Is Legend. They played about ten originals and teased a Soundgarden cover before ending their set. They had a kind of Rob Zombie feel to them with some good melodic tracks.
As soon as the first note to Sevendust's hit song "Black" started playing at 10 pm, the crowd went nuts! The energy from the band and their fans continued throughout their set and never really let up until the end of their encore. I was proud of our group for keeping everyone safe, making sure everyone was ok, they were hydrated, were able to take breaks when needed, and allowed space for our friends who arrived a little later.
It was great hearing the first album classics "Black," "Bitch," "Terminator" and "Too Close to Hate" and geting to hear deeper tracks "Wired," "Speak," "Face" and the very first pre-Sevendust song "My Ruin" live for the first time. Sevendust never lost their energy or composure, and seeing Lajon kneel and pray during the song "Prayer" was one of those moments that will forever remain stuck in my mind.
After the final encore song "Thank You," my friends and I finally had time to regroup, smile at each other, pose for a few photos and reflect on what we had just experienced. There was no air conditioning in the venue, and the packed house made for a hot, sweaty night for all of us. The security staff at the Palladium did a great job of keeping people safe and hydrated. I was even able to get one of them to give me one of Clint's guitar picks that I saw in front of me on the other side of the barricade. It was fun to see a few of them rockin' out to Sevendust's set, too.
Shortly after the show, I bought my customary concert T-shirt and spent more time with my friends before the post-show bus hang. This wasn't my first Sevendust bus hang but it was the first time I got to see the entire inside of their tour bus. We went to the back of the bus to chat for a bit, before I ended up talking major league baseball again with Morgan and posing for a photo.
Before long, I headed to the back for more chats with Morgan, Lajon, John, Clint and bass guitarist Vinny "The Boss" Hornsby before posing for a photo and making my way back to join my friends. One of my friends wasn't feeling well, and some friends took her in to the emergency room, so we said our goodbyes with smiles on our faces. It really was an amazing, unforgettable experience with a lot of incredible people.
I didn't get much sleep that night, still feeding off the energy and the excitement of the evening. Before long, I had to shower, change, grab a quick breakfast before checking out of the hotel and drive back to Boston for my flight home. I caught the connecting flight to O'Hare Airport in Chicago with one of my friends and we reflected a little more about the week (he and another friend attended all 5 Sevendust anniversary shows) before I had to head back to Minneapolis.
I'm still on cloud 9 from that show. The last 2 weekends were wonderful! It was great spending quality time with so many great family members and friends who are always going to be family to me. Can't wait to see them again at another show!
Well, folks, that's all for now. My next show will be getting to see Sevendust for the 22nd time at Rockfest in Cadott, WI along with many other great local and national rock bands my birthday weekend. Until then, have a very happy and safe holiday weekend!
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