Seether and Friends at the Myth

My ears are still ringing (the one thing I forgot at home were my earplugs) from Friday night's Seether show at the Myth in Maplewood, MN. That and my sore calves are the only "battle scars" from the show, another fantastic night of music and good friends.

My email from the VIP coordinator told me I had to be at the venue by 4 pm for the pre-show meet & greet, so I left work a little early in time to meet other fellow Seether fans. Shortly before 5 pm, the coordinator rounded us up to head upstairs to the 2nd floor of the Myth for our meet and greet. I got to shake each band member's hand twice and I got to chat with Sevendust lead guitarist Clint Lowery again for the first time since their 20th anniversary show in Worcester MA this June.

After the photo op, we headed downstairs to pick up our hand-signed posters and set lists inside Seether merch bags and our Poison the Parish T-shirts before going back outside to wait in line for the show to start. Those of us with VIP passes got into the venue a little earlier, and I found my spot along the front rail with my friends in line.

Right at 7 pm, local favorites Sleep Signals took to the stage. I enjoyed their set, but wished they had been given more than 12 minutes to perform. I guess that was because the 2nd opener, Dallas natives Big Story took to the stage right at 7:30 pm.

The final opener, Lettters from the Fire, was a band I'd last seen open for Nonpoint at the Fine Line Music Cafe in downtown Minneapolis a few years ago. They've had some lineup changes since, including a new singer, and have a totally different sound. That's a good thing, and I loved their energy. They really kept the crowd involved in their set. I made a point to buy a CD after the show, and also bought a T-shirt and talked with singer Alexa Kabazie after the show.

Shortly after 9 pm, Seether took to the stage, kicking off their 15-song set with the new single "Stoke the Fire." I really felt the crowd push against me from behind, but I stood my ground as always. I didn't like how some of my friends to my left eventually had to give up their spots, as the pressure from the crowd behind them was too much.

Patience has its rewards. Midway through Seether's set, I was fortunate enought to get one of bass guitarist Dale Stewart's guitar picks that a friend picked up, and I exchanged nods and smiles with Clint during their set. By the time the band closed their set with the hit "Remedy" (and their drum tech taking Scott Humphrey's place behind the drum kit), I was ready to move around a bit after standing in the same spot for 5 hours. I also took the time to catch up with some of my Twin Cities friends and wander the merch tables before calling it a night.

It was good to hear some of my Seether favorites like "Fine Again," "Save Today" and "Rise Above This" (which frontman Shaun Morgan wrote in memory of his brother) and also catch up with one of my new friends from the front row in the pit in the parking lot after the show. I came home with some cool souvenirs, but more importantly made some great new memories and friendships.

Already looking forward to more shows in the coming months - you'll just have to wait and see after I blog about them. Until next time, have a great week, everyone!