Ok sorry for the delay but I had to develop my film and see Yes sat night and PPtree last monday so it's been a busy 10 days or so...lol and I have 2 concerts next week as well and 1 the week after. Hot Tuna, Planet X, Blind Guardian/Symphony X all coming up.
Anyway as for PPUSA:
Zero Hour kicked ass..set was too short IMO.
Subteranean and
Stratagem were the big highlights for me as well as the new unreleased material. I am becoming a ZH fanatic now since I picked up the rest of their work including solo and side projects.
Great guys too.
Silent Force: I was talking to ZH for most of their set..although regrettably I walked in while they were doing 1 song i knew from Royal Hunt
River of Pain. O well..not a ton of buzz about them..but not bad...it's DC Cooper afterall.
Edguy: were very entertaining but not exactly my thing since i'm not much for Powermetal. Also the fact I had been up almost 29 hrs straight at that pt and knew I had to be conscious for PoS I wound up sitting way back and resting my eyes between songs..crowd loved them though. Tobias alos sings on the debut of Shaman too.
Blind Guardian: Very entertaining and cool in the middleearth choir vox. a Powermetal band with a keyboardist who doesn't do obsessive fast chops...And many of the fans got into them..their 1st US performance ever. I am looking fwd to seeing them next week. But I dunno if I will ever get their stuff to the pt I love them. But they are great at what they do..can see why many fans are hardcore into them...they did a long encore I guess they had to fly out to Montreal soon after but were the actual headliner so they di the encore they shoud have as well.
Pain of Salvation: well of course the highlight. 3rd show ever in the US. Daniel flew in from the Flower Kings gig hrs b4 since he's on tour with them now as well. They did everything they did from
Lansing,IL PPUSA. The crowd ..many got into them..but too bad many BG fans left and missed them :Smug: . Many were surprised by seeing Daniel do the bassline-sounding intro to
People Passing By..myself included. Daniel told a story between songs on his flight about how he was forced to watch the crappy movie "scooby-doo" and some child being a rather unpleasant distraction..anyway it was good humor and personl..although since there was no encore for them b/c BG and time..it might have been better if he hadn't and they performed 1 or 2 more tunes. Setlist:
Spirit of the Land
Inside
Of Two Beginnings
Ending Theme
Fandango
People Passing By
Undertow
Song For the Innocent
Falling
The Perfect Element
!
Used
In the Flesh
Ashes
Johan Hallgren and Fredrik Hermannson
Kristoffer Gildenlow and Johan Langell with me on Saturday.
The rest of my pics are for now
here on my yahoo photo album ..some Enchant photos are there of course in a different album..hehe.
Saturday:
I was so tired after having dinner at 3am (
mentioned Enchant to some girl who said she hated them and Shadow Gallery and most progmetal..lol..apparently a big death and doom metal fan as well as Gamma Ray, Edguy ..women?..:Smug:). But I missed Threshold and Reading Zero..really regret missing Threshold..most people were raving about their drummer esp..o well it I will not forget about that if given the chance again to see them. just hope they are not forumulated progmetal like i thought from hearing 3 or 4 mp3's.
Devin Townsend: Was very good..albeit saying stuff like "I may not be like many other bands in the format here..but I think you guys can still like this stuff"..I really dig him..he's totally different than anything I've ever heard. Atmospheric throat-metal..he really is cool..and live he was very good..some work was a little too power-chordy..but the
Ocean Machine material and the 1 song off
Infinity I totally like. Most the crowd..even people who had known his work going in didn't go for him..too bad..2nd show ever for his band live. He also has a band called Strapping Young Lad..unsure if he did any music from them. I am getting totally into Ocean Machine now though.
Gamma Ray: Pain of Salvation was signing during their set. I didn't hear..heard they were good but similar to Edguy for my tastes. They di do 1 song by helloween which might have been cool..
Angra: well I am into Andre Matos..but still great to finally hear some material that i have spun for over 5 yrs. The crowd loved them. They are now touring the States as well. The song from the Andre era they did:
Nothing to Say, Metal Icarus, Angels Cry, Carry On were the highlights for me. I sang my throat out trying to be Andre. Edu hit a lot of Andre's parts. The new work is ok..melodic..keys are nice..but it's still different. They di not even do my fav song from
Rebirth..which is
Running Alone...but they di a cool drumjam thing which I went for. Still a highlight to finally see them albeit 2/5..hope next yr they get Shaman though.
interviewing Zero Hour and Johan Hallgren from PoS was a huge thrill sat night at the Fairfield....guys from Everygrey were hanging too and Kirk from Death Machine (
side project with Jasun and Troy from ZH). I mentioned the NF show and Sean to those guys a few times..would be great if they could toru with Enchant or a show together in the bay even. Jasun even talked about the places they play/ed in the bay. Some club became a dance club or something they used to play?..and they opened for LA Guns in LA actually...anywa huge thrill to hang with them for a bit.
Porcupine Tree/Greg Howard: Well I recovered and trekked 5 1/2 hrs in-the-dark. But Shank Hall is a wonderful place to see a show. Great sound..etc. The sound and videos for PPtree was perfect. not too crowded actually..for better or worse..the pending Spring tour may justify much larger venue for them...so its probably good 100 or so were only there since it may be the last type show to see them like that. They did mostly songs from
In Absentia..a few songs from
Lightbulb Sun..and
Dark Matter.
Greg Howard: was great...4th chance to see him..got there a little bit inot hi set..did a cool beatles medley I guess I missed but he just keeps getting better..the
All Along the Watchtower he does on Stick is just fantastic..said he should be recording it soon. Great guy too. everytime i talk to him..he says he wants to come play in Minnesota soon too..PPtree's people said the same ..here's hoping for myself
.
Saturday night Yes: great to see them with Rick Wakeman again. They did
Awaken, Siberian Khatru, Southside of the Sky, We Have Heaven, Close to the Edge for highlighst..esp with Rick. He was playing a true vintage Synthesizer and jumping to and from his various setup..bending all over the place. I'd say for big Yes fans try and see them..and try and afford too..hehe I paid $20 from some guy who left after
Don't Kill the Whale since he didn't feel well. 7th row tix too hehe.
anyway a long review lots of shows..shows coming up too, lol..hope to do a nother Enchant show review someday
Kyle
