Ihsahn - One of my musical heroes....never thought I'd see him perform without spending incredible amounts of money.
Amorphis - One of the first bands I ever listened to with 'death growls' and a continued favorite.
Virgin Steele - A band I didn't give a rat's ass about going in and came out a HUGE fan. One of my favorite sets from PP history.
Therion - Had no clue who they were the first time I saw them and, to this day, that set remains in my top 5 sets from any band ever! Their second PP show is also in my top 5, and I'm not even a huge Therion fan....
Stratovarius - The band that introduced my (at the time) metal n00b self to PP. The rest is history.