The June 2022 ProgPower USA

[NorseBlood]

This has happened on and off for the last year & it happened to me again today. It all started with my putting on Sorcerer's "The Crowning of the Fire King" in my music rotation, and it brought back a flood of good memories of the last ProgPower USA way way back in 2019. Remember 2019?

Mon dieu. I miss the festival, and I miss all my festival friends - both the ones I know, the ones I don't know but see every year, and the ones I have yet to meet. I miss buying a festival shirt as soon as I get in & I miss the merch area. Just take my money already! I miss seeing Glenn with his Hawaiian shirt and white UT Vol cap directing the show & sometimes having the time to sit back and enjoy a band or three by the mixer board. I miss taking a stroll outside the arena to see who is hanging out. Saying hello to Tom Englund in passing, who is always friendly and quick with a smile. Looking at the line of people looking to meet their favorite band or artists. I miss the day 3 video announcement of the next year's festival. Of course the Artmore Courtyard and the Reverend's deadly jello... Its like there is this huge hole in the calendar that got sucked in by a vortex. Ahh yes. The Vortex. I could go for a Vortex burger and a pint of ale to wash away the hot summer heat outside in midtown Atlanta. A Southern boy myself, I do love the heat too.

Are you guys with me? Are you missing the festival, the family, and the good times as much as I am? Can I have an amen? Its just been too too long since the last festival. I know I'm not alone. The June 2022 festival is going to be absolutely crazy. Soooo looking forward to it. 335 days left from today and counting.

 

[KingsGene]

AMEN!

I am so with you, my friend. I miss it too. Are you on Facebook? That is where much of the PPUSA discussion continues rather than this forum, but I refuse to let it die.... If you're not, I'd like to copy/paste your post above to the "unofficial PPUSA" group page.

I started going to the fest starting 2005 with PPUSA VI because I wanted to see Pink Cream 69 who rarely (if ever) played the USA. I took a week off and rode my motorcycle down to ATL from Chicago. I haven't missed one since, and is on my calendar every year. My wife is a saint who understands my "habit" and allows me to spend rather freely at the fest since my b-day is in September.

I can't believe all of the different music/bands that I have been introduced to over the years due to this festival, and to be able to realize there is more to prog metal than Dream Theater (who I love).

 

[Mardoch]

The only fest I missed since I started coming in 2008 (hell of a year to start, lol) was 2019, because I couldn't justify going to PPUSA and then immediately turning around to fly to The Netherlands to see Ayreon live, and I picked that silly hippy. I still got a shirt though, which I ordered from Jen while standing in 013 waiting for Ayreon to start

This fest is one of the only annual traditions I have, and one of the only breaks I will predictably take from work. I'm really stoked to come back, and I sure as hell hope we're on our final delay.

 

[NorseBlood]

AMEN!

I am so with you, my friend. I miss it too. Are you on Facebook? That is where much of the PPUSA discussion continues rather than this forum, but I refuse to let it die.... If you're not, I'd like to copy/paste your post above to the "unofficial PPUSA" group page.

I am on Facebook, or a better way of saying it is I have a Facebook login. Never use it, don't like the company, don't want to contribute one cent to their success & so here I am instead of on there. Thats fine. We got our own little thing going here & I'm good with that.

I am honored you consider my post worthy of sharing with the main group on Facebook. You have my total approval & thanks for asking.

I started going to the fest starting 2005 with PPUSA VI because I wanted to see Pink Cream 69 who rarely (if ever) played the USA. I took a week off and rode my motorcycle down to ATL from Chicago. I haven't missed one since, and is on my calendar every year. My wife is a saint who understands my "habit" and allows me to spend rather freely at the fest since my b-day is in September.

I can't believe all of the different music/bands that I have been introduced to over the years due to this festival, and to be able to realize there is more to prog metal than Dream Theater (who I love).

My first year to attend PPUSA was in 2014 & what brought me was seeing Jon Oliva's Pain perform Streets. Stratovarius was just icing on an already delicious cake. However, at the time it was going to be a one-off thing & wasn't planning on coming back. So the following year rolled around, and Fates Warning and Devin Townsend headlined & I found myself following all the activities from posting people had made online & realized how much I missed it. Haven't missed a year since.

We have a small group here. Seems to me we could find a way to meet somewhere & have lunch just like the forum members used to do back in the day. Or maybe plan on meeting at the Artmore courtyard after the Thursday or Friday night show, We can just meet under the Artmore entrance columns & after a little while go to the bar for some beverages or whatever.

 

[TheLongshot]

I just miss people in general. It has been tough the last 7 years, losing two music festivals and some of the community that I have. ProgPower is one of the few outlets I have left.

I've been doing this from the beginning, missing three festivals in that time. The good thing about the June start is that my son, who has gotten big into Power Metal over the pandemic, will have an opportunity to attend.

 

[EmilyHasson]

I am trying my best to attend this event.

 

[NorseBlood]

I am trying my best to attend this event.

Tickets will go on sale for the 2023 festival on September 10. You will want to get online and place your order for them very soon after they go on sale, as with a lineup like this they could easily sell out on the same day. Of course, its impossible to predict how fast it will sell out,but if past experience tells us anything... they'll go fast.

I recommending subscribing to Glenn's Twitter feed for updates feed at: https://twitter.com/progpowerusa
He updates it frequently.