What drew you to ProgPowerUSA the 1st time?

[TwizstedJesus]

So many killer stories!
I've just recently started to get into the "social" aspect of ProgPower in the past 2 years. Since 2003 I've only missed two of them, and over the 8 or 9 that I've been to I think I've only met maybe 5 or 6 people that I talk to every year. In 2014 I met 3 cool people that I hope to see again in 2015, and theres one other that I've recently started talking to online that I want to have a drink with this year.

Maybe this year in the months leading up to ProgPower I will strike up a chat or two with some of you and we'll share a drink or two in Atlanta.

 

[Mardoch]

So many killer stories!
I've just recently started to get into the "social" aspect of ProgPower in the past 2 years. Since 2003 I've only missed two of them, and over the 8 or 9 that I've been to I think I've only met maybe 5 or 6 people that I talk to every year. In 2014 I met 3 cool people that I hope to see again in 2015, and theres one other that I've recently started talking to online that I want to have a drink with this year.

Maybe this year in the months leading up to ProgPower I will strike up a chat or two with some of you and we'll share a drink or two in Atlanta.

Same on the social. I'd talked to some people I'd recognize year over year, but it wasn't until I finally shared a room with someone that I really started to meet folks. That just makes it awesome^awesome.

 

[djjello]

Freak Kitchen, 2006. That was it for me.

 

[NorseBlood]

Last year was my first ProgPower. I had never heard of ProgPower prior to Chris Kinder (aka Kong) making a posting about Jon Oliva's Pain playing the event on the JOP web site. (BTW, thanks Chris.) Jon Oliva's Pain is one of my favorite bands, and so when I found out that Stratovarius would also be there then the decision was automatic. I HAD TO GO TO THIS FESTIVAL! So I did, and in the process discovered some other great bands and of course discovered all the great people hanging out here. The day Glenn stops doing this will be a sad day indeed, because I know we all plan on going to as many more of these as we can. There is simply nothing else like it.

 

[Heavymetalzombie666]

Just hearing about it through various hard rock and heavy metal news sources got me into it over a decade ago.

 

[dreadsbear]

First time was Blind Guardian... they had come to México, but only drew like 200 or 300 people, so at that moment I thought they weren't coming back any time soon... and I saw that they put on their webpage that they were making their US debut at PPIII, and I figured it was easier to go to Atlanta than Europe (years later I would have the privilege of seeing them at Wacken... one of the best concerts I've ever witnessed), and that time they didn't sound so good, but after them, Pain of Salvation just made me a fan... so for PPV I returned for Pain of Salvation, for PPVI it was Orphaned Land... for PPVII I took my wife (at that time gf), and we went mainly for Epica, Evergrey, Freak Kitchen and Circus Maximus... for PPVIII we went for After Forever, Sonata Arctica and Freak Kitchen... then because of the wedding, and choosing to go to European festivals, I had not returned, but this year I will be taking 2 first timers, and can't wait to see a lot of bands, but mainly Falconer, Anathema and Persefone... I wish I had heard of PPII, definitively would've gone for Nightingale and Spiral Architect

 

[Mardoch]

I love how many stories are coming out of the woodwork for this thread. It's really fun seeing what pulled others to make the plunge.