Hi everyone,
Last year I didn't do a year in review column because I'd just had ankle surgery a couple of days before 2023 began. This year, I thought I'd write about how last year went for me. It was full of ups and downs like most years, but it ended on a positive note (for the most part) and enough good momentum heading into 2024.
My surgery was on December 29th, 2022. I was pretty bummed that I had to miss the Sevendust New Year's Eve show in Green Bay. I cancelled my hotel reservation and gave my concert ticket to a member of the Sevendust Facebook family so that they could take their son to the show. I wore a cast, splint or brace on my right ankle until late March 2023. I wasn't medically cleared to drive until then, so it put a damper on any plans until spring.
I attended my first rock show of 2023 in late May at the 7th Street Entry of the legendary First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. It was great to see my friends in Cold on their 20th anniversary tour for their classic Year of the Spider album. Oddly enough, it wouldn't be the only 20th anniversary album show I'd see that year.
In June, some of my relatives from the West Coast came to MN to visit. We had a nice gathering on a very warm day at one of their favorite metro restaurants. It was good to see everyone, especially since it was the last time I got to see my Aunt Nettie in person.
The Minnesota Twins had a surprisingly good season in 2023. They clinched the American League Central and broke a couple of long playoff losing streaks in the postseason. I attended a couple of games in July, sandwiched around my birthday (the first was a 6-2 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, and the next was a 3-2 win over the division rival Chicago White Sox, with a buddy of mine from IL in attendance). In 2002, I invited friends for an impromptu lunch, which 1 person showed up for. In 2023, I announced my birthday dinner plans 3 months in advance, and no one showed up. I don't blame people who live out of the area or who already had prior plans, but those events definitely made me rethink certain friendships.
I also went to my first comedy show in years, at the Red Carpet Nightclub in downtown St. Cloud in July. Headliner Steve Hofstetter and his 4 openers did a great job of keeping the crowd thoroughly entertained during their sets. I also caught sets by Collective Unconscious, Slip Twister and others during an Alzheimer's benefit just a few blocks from my home on a nice fall day. Slip Twister were the regular house band at the Carpet for years, and although they don't play nearly as often anymore (the group members are also in the Fabulous Armadillos), hearing their original songs was a real trip down memory lane (I still want one of those cassettes, by the way).
I attended my first Sevendust family reunion of 2023 (and 41st Sevendust show overall) at the new Fillmore theater in Minneapolis, just a few short steps from Target Field. During the pre-show meet and greet, I presented drummer Morgan Rose with a onesie for his new grandson. Sevendust and MJT were on the bill supporting Alter Bridge as part of their Pawns and Kings tour that summer. All 3 bands were great, and I enjoyed catching up with different members of the Sevendust family. Sadly, it was also the last time that I got to talk with a member of the Sevendust family who lost a tough battle with cancer last month.
My next Sevendust show was in Clive IA, as part of the Machine Killer. Sevendust was the co-headliner with Static-X. It was my first time seeing Static-X, Dope and Lines of Loyalty live in concert. I had a great time hanging with members of the Sevendust family on an unseasonably warm fall day.
My next show was Alice Cooper guitarist and Mammoth WVH in First Avenue's main room. I bought a ticket and found my way to the front rail. I didn't buy any merch and didn't have any of the groups' music, but still had fun enjoying their stage presence and hearing songs that the crowd really got into. The last time I saw Wolfgang Van Halen was when he played bass in his father's band at Target Center more than a decade ago. He writes, records, sings and performs all of the songs on his solo albums, so I have to give him a lot of credit for his talent and hard work.
In November, I made the trek to the Quad Cities area of IA/IL for my first Instamix session in years. I got the bad news that I lost my job about an hour after checking into my hotel. I was understandably bummed, but my friends tried to cheer me up when we caught up at the casino the night before the event, and I'm very thankful for that.
The next day, I was at the Attic in Geneseo, IL as Jose Urquiza (3 Years Hollow), Morgan Rose (Sevendust), Barry Stock (Three Days Grace) and Shaun Foist (Breaking Benjamin) created a new song from scratch before our eyes. A few hours later, most of us stayed for the listening party for the quartet's new album as Table 9. All eleven songs (and a bonus cover track) were excellent! I was proud of what they'd produced, and it was interesting hearing how each song evolved and the project itself surfaced from an earlier Instamix session. All 4 guys stayed to answer questions and pose for photos before we retreated to the casino for games, refreshments and good conversation.
Last year, I missed the Sevendust New Year's week tour because of my ankle injury. This year, I was determined to catch at least one show. I made it to Green Bay on December 30th the night before the New Year's Eve show at the Epic Event Center. It was cold but warmer than the same day in 2023. The guys did a brief mini-tour in IL and WI for the 20th anniversary of their album Seasons. I got to catch up with Morgan and lead guitarist Clint Lowery for a few minutes after the meet and greet soundcheck and photos, and went to a local bar & grill to catch up with other members of the Sevendust family before the show. It was my first time hearing South Dakota natives Core, but I was familiar with the other openers, Bloomington, IL residents Burden of the Sky and 10 Years, another favorite band of mine. Sevendust played through the entire Seasons album along with a trio of songs in the encore after the New Year's Eve countdown was over.
I got home yesterday in the late afternoon hours. I also received the unfortunate news that my aunt Nettie had unexpectedly passed away while I was in Green Bay the day before. I was sad to hear this, but I know that my aunt lived a very long full life, and made the most of her 92 years. I'll deal with the service when it's held along with a few upcoming job interviews with the same positivity and focus that I had at the end of 2023. I know that better days are ahead for all of us in the coming months. I hope that each and every one of you had a happy holiday season and have a prosperous 2024.
Well, that's all I have for now. Until next time, have a great week, everyone!
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