Things finally started to get back to somewhat normal this year. Even though there were still rules and restrictions due to Covid, it was nice to get out and enjoy live music and the company of family and friends this year.
My first music event was in February during Super Bowl weekend. I made the seven hour drive to the Rust Belt in East Moline, IL for a songwriting session featuring members of Sevendust, Breaking Benjamin, Saul and Three Days Grace. The area was hit by a snow storm just days before, and even though it was cold, it was still a fun time. Some of us congregated at a nearby bar the next night to watch the big game. My team didn't make the playoffs, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a good win.
I returned to the Quad Cities area the following month for another songwriting session, this time at the Attic studio in Geneseo, IL. My friends and I attended the session and then went to cheer on session attendee and our friend Justin and his band Alborn at the battle of the bands competition at the fairgrounds in nearby Davenport, IA. Alborn won the contest and the right to open for Shinedown later in the year. Some of us went out to dinner at a sushi restaurant and even bowled a few frames at a local alley afterwards. It was nice to get together for breakfast the next morning before going our separate ways.
I bought tickets for Sevendust's three livestream shows, where the band played through their Animosity, Seasons and Home albums. I finally got to see the band play live again for the first time since 2019 during a run of four consecutive dates this summer. The first show was at the Rust Belt in East Moline. Alborne, Kirra and Austin Meade were the opening acts. I had a great time with friends who had traveled from several states to see our favorite band. I also got to catch up with rhythm guitarist John Connolly, drummer Morgan Rose and lead singer Lajon Witherspoon for a few minutes outside the arena after the show.
The next show was in Fargo, ND. I was able to head home during the off day between shows and make the trek to the concert that was held in a brewery parking lot on a very hot day. I attended the meet and greet with other fans and had another great time!
The next shows were in Iowa. The first one was at a biker rally in Algona. I reserved a room at a nearby hotel (where Sevendust just happened to be staying) and eventually found the stage and a few friends. Royal Bliss was one of the openers, and I enjoyed hearing their tunes for the first time in a few years. After finding my car in the dark, I returned to the hotel and started looking forward to meeting up with friends at the next show in Cedar Rapids.
The Cedar Rapids show was held at the beautiful Paramount Theatre. The venue itself is a work of art! I attended soundcheck and got to sit on the stage and talk baseball with Morgan for a bit. I was upfront for the show again, and grabbed one of Morgan's drumsticks that had rolled my way during the song "Denial." I hung out with a few friends after the concert before making the drive back home just before the 4th of July holiday.
I didn't see the band again until September, when they embarked on a headlining tour with Mark Tremonti's solo band as support. I returned to the Apollo Theater in Belvidere, IL for the first time in four years. I grabbed some lunch with friends after soundcheck and enjoyed another amazing Sevendust show (my 38th so far). I got a couple of guitar picks and bought Sevendust and Tremonti shirts at the theater before heading home the following day.
My first Minnesota concert in two years was in October and headlined by Cold, which was also the last band that I saw perform live before Covid. They put on a great show at the small Turf Club in downtown St. Paul. I participated in the pre-show meet and greet with the band and special guest Sierra Swan (a MN resident who sang two songs at the show) as well.
My last concert of the year was supposed to be in Florida. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. I was going to attend a show in Clearwater FL featuring Sevendust, Tremonti and Daughtry. The show was later postponed until late February due to the sudden passing of Daughtry's stepdaughter. I still had a great week in Florida. The weather was great, and it was good spending time with friends (and doggies) at the beach, a few good meals and a couple of Tampa Bay Lightning hockey wins. It was difficult returning to the frozen tundra after enjoying a week of 80-plus degree days.
These were my highlights of the year in a nutshell. Unfortunately I haven't been able to upload all the images from my Facebook page that I want for this article yet due to some file format differences. However, if you're a Facebook friend of mine, you can view those images at your leisure. 2021 was a weird year, Politics and the pandemic are still polarizing issues. I'm still hopeful that people can put aside their differences and work together to try and improve the state of our world.
I'm already looking forward to new music and adventures in 2022, even though I don't know when my first trip will be just yet. I'll be celebrating a milestone birthday, and am going to try and concentrate on doing more things that I enjoy. I also want to have a better work/life balance. We'll see how well I do at those goals by this time next year.
That's all for now. Until next time, have a safe and happy holiday weekend, everyone!
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