Top 10 ProgPower USA sets

I don't think I've ever seen 10 sets in all the years I've attended. :( My favorites:

Diablo Swing Orchestra
Riverside
Ark
Zero Hour (in that shithole in Chicago)
Pain Of Salvation (same shithole location)
Circus Maximus (1st and 2nd time)

Honorable mention to Spiral Architect. The sound man annihilated them but I felt like I witnessed history.
 
1.) Weapons of Mass Destruction - This personified what a set should be in my mind, holy shit. And I agree, closest I will unfortunately ever get to seeing Savatage live
2.) Stratovarius - I was like a child all over again during this set... I remember literally jumping up and down for joy when they played Father Time.
3.) Primal Fear (PP8) - First time I had ever gotten to see them and I was ridiculously stoked about this set. I'll never forget the Angel In Black Motherfuckers! sign...
4.) Iced Earth - They have been one of my favorites for a long, long time, and seeing them in that kind of atmosphere was just amazing. Seeing them with Bill Owen and Dave Abell made it even more special. I'm glad those two were finally able to make their peace with Jon.
5.) Pagan's Mind (PP10) - What can I say? These guys absolutely crush and bring it live every time they play.
6.) Freak Kitchen (PP7) - Had never seen anything like it before in my life, and to this day I remember everything about that set. What an awesome band.
7.) Mercenary (PP7) - They kicked ass at 4, but I didn't know anything about them then, so I will go with this one for it's sheer amount of power.
8.) Brainstorm (PP5) - Amazing set, Andy is a frontman in a league of his own.
9.) Sabaton - I knew next to nothing about this band, other than having The Art Of War on cd, and holy shit, this was an amazing set, and I can echo the sentiments in this thread. I wanted to go to fucking war.
10.) This one is a tie: Theocracy (PP7 Showcase) and Cage (PP10) - I am friends with both bands, having known Theocracy since their very first show at a bar in Athens, and having known Cage since Swordlord brought them here. To see both of those bands up on that prestigious stage, pouring their hearts out, made me infinitely happy for them. Theocracy is finally making a name for themselves in the world, and Cage, already having a name for themselves, have been foaming at the mouth for years to come destroy Atl. It was a lot of fun.

Brent
 
Of those I saw:
1. Pain of Salvation V
2. Edguy at V
3. Freak Kitchen at VII
4. Fates Warning at X
5. Evergrey at VII

What I most regret missing/wish I could go back in time:
1. Conception
2. Spiral Architect
3. Angel Dust
4. Angra at III
5. Jag Panzer
6. Nightingale
 
I can't do in order (like picking a favorite kid), but in general:

Evergrey - IV
POS - V
WMD - V
Orphaned Land - VI
Mercenary - IV
Stride - IV
Symphony X - II
 
My faves:
1. Manticora/Gamma Ray/Helloween - The best time I have ever had in Atlanta.
2. Angra - In my opinion the best performers of both years they played. Those guys flat out kicked everyone's ass both times.
3. Rob Rock - Longtime fan of this guy and he brought the hammer as usual.
4. Edguy - Really fun time.
5. Brainstorm - A great set
6. Jorn Lande - The dude rules.
7. Iron Savior - The coolest guys in the room.
8. Pagan's Mind - Still the best sounding band I have seen at PP.
9. Sabaton - Awesome.
10. Primal Fear - Ralf is God!

Special mentions: Cage, Firewind, Leatherwolf & St. Deamon
 
1.Silent Force (3)
2.Pink Cream 69 (6)
3.Rob Rock (9)
4.Royal Hunt (10)
5.Angra (3.6)
6.Edguy(3.5)
7.Primal Fear (8.10)
8.Gammaray (3.9)
9.Firewind (8)
10.Stratovarius (6)
and I'm going to go ahead and say Hammerfall,Nocturnal Rites for this year! Oh yeah and like my pal Dr.metal8 said Helloween,and Gammaray show at 9 was amazing!
 
How dare I forget the All Star Jam and the Crimson Glory show? I had to pick my jaw up off the floor both times. Mind-boggling.
I try to describe these sets to friends who weren't there but there are no words. You just had to be there.
 
01. Sabaton (X)
02. Brainstorm (V)
03. Therion (VI)
04. Primal Fear (VIII)
05. Firewind (VIII)
06. Raintime (VIII)
07. Epica (VII)
08. Orphaned Land (VI)
09. Nightwish (IV)
10. Elvenking (IX)
 
there is a tear in my eye each time CONCEPTION set is mentioned. my apartment burned down a few weeks before the fest so i was unable to attend that year. the only thing i regret from that time period and the fire is missing that reunion set. i had a ticket and everything! :(
 
Very difficult but off the top of my head:

Weapons Of Mass Destruction (V)
Evergrey (II) and (VIII)
Crimson Glory (X)
Pagan's Mind (X)
Steel Prophet (II)
Tad Morose (V)
Redemption (VIII)
Firewind (VIII)
Stride (IV)
 
First two in that order, but no particular order for the others.

Weapons Of Mass Destruction (V)
J.O.P (IX)
Mustasch (IX)-Holy COW!!!!!!!! did not know anything about them, one of he funnest sets I have ever seen.
Brainstorm (V)
Sabaton (X)
All-Star Jam (VIII)
DSO- (X)
P.O.S (V)
 
1. Therion (VI)
2. Amorphis (IX)
3. Riverside (IX)
4. Fates Warning (X)
5. Symphony X (IV)
6. Sabaton (X)
7. Mercenary (VII)
8. Vanden Plas (IV)
9. Pagan's Mind (VIII)
10. Epica (VII)


DAMN! WHAT A LIST.... Lets put that together for XII hahaha Piece of Cake...
 
1) CONCEPTION - this one is not even close...I never imagined I would ever see these guys, not even at ProgPower. With the highest of expectations, they still blew me away.
2) ANGEL DUST - I was already a huge fan when I saw there was going to be some festival in Atlanta with Angel Dust playing, and I remember thinking "yeah, right...that'll happen" :lol: They were also the coolest guys we've hung out with in all these years of the festival (though Edguy was a close second).
3) BRAINSTORM (V) - they absolutely KILLED.
4) PAGAN'S MIND (VIII) - I've loved these guys every time, but this one was the best.
5) WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION - I've been a SAVATAGE nutswinger since '85, and was fortunate enough to see them four times with Criss...give me Jon and Doc onstage together again, and I'm a happy guy.
6) ARK - I figured this would be the only time in my life I'd ever see Tore Østby play...little did I know I would see him a couple more times four years later.
7) EVERGREY (VII) - "String quartet! String quartet!"
8) VANDEN PLAS - after being aggravated by the no-show at II, they more than made up for it when they made it over for IV...little did I know this would be the last time I would ever see them :lol:. I think a cover band featuring Pete Way and Osama bin Laden has a better chance of making it in to this country :mad:.
9) TAD MOROSE - I just started getting in to these guys a couple of months before they played, and I've been spinning their discs ever since. Man, I would REALLY love to have the chance to see this set again.
10a) SYMPHORCE - I enjoyed their set almost as much as Brainstorm the year before.
10b) SABATON - I really wasn't expecting much, I didn't buy in to all the hype...and then they ended up owning the entire festival. Had I not been so stubborn and familiarized myself with their material ahead of time, I'm sure they would have ranked higher on my list.
 
9) TAD MOROSE - I just started getting in to these guys a couple of months before they played, and I've been spinning their discs ever since. Man, I would REALLY love to have the chance to see this set again.

Pretty much exactly how I feel about having seen them open for Edguy in NYC just a few days prior. Man, that was an incredible show.

By the way, this is the absolute most depressing thread for someone who has never been to the festival, haha. :)
 
My favorites:

1. Freak Kitchen - 1st and 2nd time
2. Rob Rock
3. Spheric Universe Experience
4. Mindflow
5. Redemption
6. Krucible
7. Redemption
8 Primial Fear
9. Circus Maximus - all times
10. Threshold

Honorable Mention

IE guitar clinic
Drew Creel guitar clinic
Casey Grillo drum clinic
EBS
Mindcrime
 
By the way, this is the absolute most depressing thread for someone who has never been to the festival, haha. :)

Haha, I feel pretty close to the same way Jeff, having only been to VIII. Had a ticket for IX, though...

That said, I can't really rank a top-10 PP performances having only been to VIII. I would like to note, though, that After Forever and the All-Star Jam probably rank in my Top 10 Favorite Sets of all time, and Pagan's Mind that year sits at the top of that list as #1.
 
Fates Warning
Redemption
Vanden Plas
Amorphis
Riverside
Nightwish
Pagans Mind
Orphaned Land
All star jam
Redemption-first time