Purple Reign

I woke up this Thursday excited for my one and only concert of the week-another acoustic performance from Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis. I'd gone to his solo show last July at the Turf Club in St. Paul and had a great time, and got to meet Corey after the show, so I was looking forward to another great time. Little did I know at the time what was about to happen that day.

Just as I was getting ready for my lunch break at work that day, I started seeing news reports that local pop music icon Prince Rogers Nelson had been found dead at his Paisley Park recording studio at the age of 57. While I wasn't a fan of his music, I had to give him credit for his influence on so many other musicians, and the fact that he had a big had in putting Minnesota music in the national spotlight at times.

Prince played a lot of shows at First Ave, and I started hearing rumors that there were going to be streets blocked off around the venue that night. I later heard about an all-night dance party outside the venue later that evening. After coming home from work and having a quick supper, I made it to First Ave in time to join a few friends for the show just as workers were starting to set up for the dance party.

Shortly after 7 pm, ticketholders for the sold-out show were allowed into the building. I made my way to the front row. There was a large screen pulled down over the stage, where staff started projecting images of Prince as some of his songs began to fill the speakers overhead. Very appropriate, given the circumstances.

Shortly after 8 pm, Taylor took to the stage launching into a fitting cover of "Purple Rain." Corey live streamed this song and it has so far reached 10 million views and counting. Corey admitted the Purple One's influence on him as well.

Corey played several Stone Sour hits and the Slipknot classic "Snuff," dedicated to his late bandmate Paul Gray. Stone Sour guitarist Christian Matrucci joined Taylor onstage for several of their hits and a few more covers by the Buzzcocks, Creedence Clearwater Revival, the Cure, Johnny Cash and several others.

After an intermission/"pee break," Corey returned to close out the show with a few more numbers, closing out with "Little Red Corvette." I think the crowd was pleased that he started and ended the show with Prince classics.

As the house lights went up, I turned around to see the crowd of people outside the front doors-there was no way we could get out there. Instead, the staff directed us all to exits at the side doors. I walked into a sea of people. I had wanted to get a picture of Prince's star on the First Ave wall, but there were just too many people crowded around. I had to work the next day, so I made my way back to my parking spot and headed home, ready for another adventure the next night.

Friday night I went to Corey's book signing at Magers and Quinn bookstore on Hennepin Avenue in Minneapolis. After navigating some rush hour and road construction traffic, I made it to the bookstore in time to buy a copy of his latest effort, You're Making Me Hate You and find a seat next to my friend.

Shortly after 7 pm, Corey took to the podium to talk a bit and answer questions from the audience. I got to ask him who his dream list of musicians to work with would be - some of his answers would probably surprise you!

Afterwards, we were directed to another area of the bookstore for a meet and greet and photo op. Corey's wife was standing by ready to take photos and I got to chat with Corey again and get a photo with him for the first time. For someone who's in some of the biggest rock bands in the world, he really is one of the nicest people I've ever met. Great to meet artists who are so humble!

Afterwards, I hung out with a couple of friends and got to meet and have a nice conversation about music with Christian Matrucci. Before long, I made my way back to my parking spot, noticing a few nice tributes to Prince on the way.

It turned out to be a great weekend for music and displays of "Minnesota Nice," an entertaining and somewhat unexpected pleasure. Next show is a battle of the bands for the right to play at Northern Invasion on Friday. Until then, have a great week, everyone!

Loud & Local Showcase at the Park: Antistar CD release

I just got home in the wee hours of the morning today, tired but very happy after a fantastic free all-local rock show with about three dozen good friends. This time, it was the CD release show for my friends in Antistar, with special guests Ritual Mayhem, My Zero and Gabriel and the Apocalypse.

I got to the Park in Fridley about 20 minutes before the first act Ritual Mayhem started the show. Another band I knew nothing about, but I thought they did a good job with their original songs and covers. The crowd for the most part wasn't really into their set, but the night was still young, and it was a free show, after all.

The next band My Zero soon took the stage for one of their first-ever performances. Lead singer John Wheeler admitted it wasn't a perfect show, adding the fact that their bass guitarist's axes were both broken! They still soldiered on, and I enjoyed hearing their original cuts, noticing the influences from Nine Inch Nails, Faith No More and Depeche Mode in their works. I grabbed a setlist after their set so I could familiarize myself with their songs, although I'm kicking myself now for not grabbing one of their free sampler CDs after the show!

I ran into more and more friends in time for local favorites' Gabriel and  the Apocalypse's set. I hadn't seen this group since the Halloween show at Pov's but they kept up their energy right where I left off! They really had the audience enthralled, which was great to see.

Finally it was time for my friends in Antistar to celebrate their CD release show. They treated the crowd to a full performance of their new album along with a  few fan favorites. By the time the show was over, it was hard for us to leave the venue. I spent some quality time catching up with good friends old and new before finally calling it a night.

Next show probably won't be until the Corey Taylor solo acoustic show at First Avenue in downtown Minneapolis on the 21st. Until then, have a great week and keep on rockin', everyone!

Killswitch Engage at the Skyway Theater

Last night was my first concert of March-hard for me to believe, but it's been a busy month. I made my way to the Cowboy Jack's restaurant in Plymouth on a cloudy March evening for good food and good conversations with some concert friends before the Killswitch Engage concert at the Skyway Theater in downtown Minneapolis.

We caught up over pizza and drinks and I drove my friends to the venue. I didn't mind driving as long as my copilots didn't mind navigating! We got to the former movie theater just in time to hear the heavy sounds of the first opening act, Toothgrinder. I was surprised to see the venue mostly full. This was also the first time I'd been to the Skyway since I won my electric guitar at the Immoralis show back in January.

Next up were the Alaskan metalers 36 Crazyfists. This was my first time seeing the band in a year, and they have a quite a loyal following. The mosh pit during their set was insane! I was glad my friends and I steered clear of the craziness and were able to enjoy their set.

After that set, we wandered to the lobby for a breather. There we found a friend in local band Emergent, who took the time to sincerely thank us for our ongoing support, especially since their lead singer recently decided to depart the band. I'm sure they will be back better and stronger than ever sooner than we know it!

After our breather, it was time to enjoy live rock from Southern rockers Memphis May Fire. Another band I knew nothing about, but really enjoyed, especially their closing track "Vices," a song written about the power and pull of addiction.

Finally about 10 pm it was time for headliners Killswitch Engage to take the stage. I had just bought their new album Incarnate, and they played several tracks from it, along with some fan favorites. They did a great job of keeping the energy up throughout their set, even when it was time to slow down during the track "Always" in paying tribute to a fallen friend.

We got out of the venue about an hour later and I drove my friends back to Cowboy Jack's where we said our goodbyes for the evening. A much needed night of fun with great friends!

Well that's all for now, next shows probably won't be for a couple of weeks. Until then, have a great Easter weekend, everyone!

Great Music for a Great Cause at the Doghouse Bar & Grill

Last Saturday was a busy day for me: I got up in time to help out at my hometown Friends of the Library book sale fundraiser, ran to St. Cloud for my weekly guitar lesson, and then headed back home after a quick lunch to get ready for another show. This time it was for a great cause: a memorial concert for my friend Tommy's dad, who lost his battle with cancer last fall. Portions of the proceeds were going to help his family pay for medical bills. I decided to go because a lot of my friends were going to be there, and it was helping a very worthwhile cause.

I got to my hotel on a spring-like afternoon (60 degrees in February in Minnesota? Who knew?), and had time to unpack and unwind for a little bit before heading to the venue. I got there just in time to catch up with some friends and hear the funk & roll sounds of my friends the GoodBars. They put on another fun set, the first of five bands to hit the small Doghouse stage.

Next up were The WaywardBoyz Club and then the Regenerators. While I didn't know much about these bands, I had fun enjoying their music and getting caught up in the festivities with my friends. Following the Regenerators' set was a very nice video tribute to Tommy's dad featuring songs by Black Stone Cherry, Firehouse, and one of Tommy Sr.'s favorite bands, Poison.

Soon, it was time for my friends in Antistar to launch some more spacey riffs onto the audience. They also debuted some new music, and were very thankful to the people gathered together for the benefit show. I hadn't seen this band in a while, so it was good to see them back to their great live performances again.

The final band, Ashes from Stone, put on a longer and very emotional set. One of their guitarists broke his arm in band practice earlier in the week, but he wasn't about to let that setback stop him from rockin' out on stage and also singing a tender tribute to his late grandfather.

Tommy Jr. was the original drummer in Ashes from Stone, and an announcement was made during Ashes' set that he would be returning to the band fulltime! This got the crowd excited, along with several other tributes to his dad, capped off by the finale, Poison's hit "Nothin' But a Good Time," played with a lot of special friends and guests either onstage or in the front row.

I got back to the hotel that night happy that so many people paid tribute to what was obviously a very important man. Next show will be TBD, so until then, take care, peeps! Have a great week!

The Search for Sasquatch: Sunday Fun Day at the Park

Last night, I caught up with a lot of good friends at the Park in Fridley, MN for a low dough rock show featuring locals Cold Kingdom and Sleep Signals and my friends in the Omaha, Nebraska band Screaming for Silence. The first time I met the guys in Screaming for Silence was at a free show at the Park on my birthday last year. I also caught up with them on the last day of Rockfest in Cadott, WI later that month. I hadn't seen them since, so I was looking forward to enjoying another great night of great music with some great people.

I got to the venue a little early, in time to catch up with the members of Screaming for Silence and some close friends. I felt kind of bad that one of the band members was a little under the weather, and even went to the nearby Wal-Mart with a friend to pick up cold medicine for him. By the time we got back, the venue was starting to fill with more familiar faces and some new friends, including one from overseas who travels the US for shows.

Before too long, local favorites Cold Kingdom took to the stage with another powerful set. This band has built up a loyal fan base in the last couple of years, and their performances are always memorable. This was also an all-ages show, so it was good to see families being able to enjoy the music together.

The show was the CD release party for local band Sleep Signals, one of the few MN rock groups I didn't know anything about. I thought they did a good job keeping the crowd entertained. I also made a mental note to pick up a CD or two of theirs for a friend out of state who enjoys local rock.

As I caught up with more and more friends, the guys in Screaming for Silence quickly set up their gear during the intermission, and put on another fantastic show! Even though it was a little shorter set than anticipated, they still put on an amazing performance, and had the audience bouncing along with every note.

This was one of the shows on Screaming for Silence's "Searching for Sasquatch" show, and they even brought along a prop, which my friend and I simply had to take our usual concert selfie in front of. I was impressed by the number of friends who came out on a beautiful February day to support the local upper Midwest rock scene.

Looking forward to enjoying more fun with members of my tribe next Saturday at the Doghouse Bar in Maplewood for the Tommy Donohue Sr. benefit. Until then, have a great week, everyone!

Adelitas Way Live at The Park

Last Tuesday night, I went to another rock show at The Park in Fridley, MN, this time featuring headliners Adelitas Way. I hadn't seen the band in about five years, but I was really going to the show to hang out with some good friends. I ended up having more fun than anticipated!

I started the morning consoling a good friend who wanted to come to the show from out of state. Unfortunately, snow showers in Iowa made those travel plans impossible. I felt bad, but reassured her that her safety needs to come first, and that there'd always be other shows. Not wanting her ticket to the show go to waste, I put a call out on social media and soon had it claimed.

It was a good but busy workday, and before I knew it, it was almost showtime! I got to the Park in Fridley just in time to hear the last song by local openers Via. They were a last minute addition to the bill after Failure Anthem had to drop out of the tour. I'd just heard the band at the Triple Rock Social Club in downtown Minneapolis last month, so I wasn't missing much, but was glad the dedicated fans were there to support them.

The next band was Late Night Fights, another local group but one I'd never seen before. I missed their show at the Fine Line Music Cafe in December because I was at the Saliva show at the Red Carpet Nightclub in St. Cloud, so I was glad I could finally see what all the hype was about.

Soon it was time for openers Eye on Attraction to take the stage. The Scranton, Pennsylvania natives did a good job of entertaining the crowd with their pop-rock songs. I had the opportunity to chat with a few of the band members after the show and learn more about this up and coming group.

The next band, Through Fire, was new-kind of. The band was formerly known as Emphatic, one of the bands I'd seen along with Adelitas Way at the Carnival of Madness tour stop at the Minnesota State Fair five years ago. They were rocking some new songs from their upcoming debut album, capped off with the first single "Stronger." I got to chat with a few band members after the show and made a mental note to keep an eye out for the new disc.

Shortly before 10:30 p.m., Adelitas Way took to the stage, launching into their hit song "Sick." They played for about an hour, showcasing songs from their first three studio albums and the new song "Bad Reputation" from their new album coming out later this month. I'd purchased a band T-shirt at the merch table before their set, which came with a free meet and greet with the band.

All of the band members (except for drummer Tre Stafford) showed up, and it was great getting to chat with them about music and sports. I left for home that frosty evening with a couple of drumsticks, a couple of guitar picks, a napkin signed by 3/4ths of Adelitas Way, the band T-shirt and some great photos and memories.

Well that's all for now until Feb. 21st, when I'll return to the Park for a low dough show featuring Cold Kingdom and Screaming for Silence. Until then, have a fantastic February, everyone!

LA Guns at the Red Carpet

I wasn't planning on going to a show last night, but I heard on Friday that national rockers LA Guns were playing at the Red Carpet Nightclub in downtown St. Cloud. A few friends were going, so I decided to join them-I ended up having more fun than anticipated!

I got to the Carpet just in time to buy a ticket to the show and snag a free T-shirt in my size from one of the deejays from one of the local rock stations in town. I got in after the doors opened and wandered around, running into an old classmate and nearby neighbor of mine. A few minutes later, I ran into another friend who I was finally getting to meet in person for the first time.

We spent some time catching up before going back to the concert area shortly before the opening act Arena took the stage. A Twin Cities band, they offered up a good mix of original and classic "hair metal" cover songs. I was surprised how well the audience responded to them, leaving them thoroughly anticipating the headliners.

By that time, my friend and I were hanging out on the side of the Red Carpet with other members of the local rock radio station. There I ran into another former classmate and  fellow metalhead. We spent some time catching up just before LA Guns took the stage. There are two versions of this band: one featuring original guitarist Tracii Guns (the "Guns" of Guns N' Roses) and one with classic lineup singer Phil Lewis. This was Phil Lewis' version, one that has been to the Red Carpet several times before.

For my first time seeing LA Guns in any incarnation live, I thought they were excellent! Great hearing some of the classic songs that were part of my later high school years, as well as some older, deeper cuts. The crowd was eagerly waiting more at the end of their set, but they soon crowded up near the band entrance after the guys in the group promised to hang out after the show.

My friends and I didn't wait that long, however. Instead, we chatted for a while and decided to grab a bite to eat at the nearby Perkins before calling it a night. We made our seperate ways home that night on some icy streets, but it was well worth it for a fun night.

Next show is Adelitas Way at the Park in Fridley on Tuesday. Until then, take care and have a great week!