8 Hour Concert... :D Concert Report
OK, time for the uber update post concert. Holy shit the show was bad ass. We got there early for the meet and greet with Iced Earth. We got our swag and waited some more. We got VIP passes, poster, shirt, stickers. It was cool that we were up in the front of the line for the meet and greet. We met a couple of really cool guys, while we were in line for the meet and greet, and ended up hanging out with them all night up on the balcony by the stage. By the end of the night, we had already added each other on Facebook. Another thing I thought was so funny was in between bands, when they were switching out instruments and everyone was taking a break, it was like the crowd below the balcony lit up with phones & almost everyone was on facebook lol
When we got up stairs I handled getting Rod's stuff all signed while he gave the guys from the band the necklaces that he had made for them. I made the viking knit chains that he put them all on. I didn't get the last one finished until 4pm yesterday before the concert. Cut it way close. All the guys were really impressed with the carvings Rod did for them.
For Jon, he did a rattlesnake head out of antler that said "Don't tread on me" on the chin, he said it was "totally bad ass."
For Stu, he carved a bone Thor's Hammer with Odin's face on it & his name in runes. When he saw it his response was "Holy Shit, that is awesome."
Freddie Vidales was next up, and by this point Rod had gone all fanboy, and almost gave him the wrong pendant...Doh. He did a Mountain man head in antler that looked alot like him, with a bandanna around his head and a raven skull on the back of it. He said "Thanks Brother, no one has ever given me anything like this before."
Troy Seele is up next, Rod made for him a carved bone guitar pendant, The body of the guitar was a tusked skull. He said "Holy shit, that is Bad F'ING Ass, Thank you Brother."
Last in the line up was Brent Smedley, the drummer. He made him a Tribal Wolf's Head, outta antler. He immediately put his on, with an uttered "Bad Ass."
After the meet and greet, they were up on the balcony comparing their pendants, and putting em on. While Rod was outside smoking, I was sitting up in the little balcony with Armando & his dad. The guys from Symphony X were going their meet & greet. As the lead singer, Russell, came down the stairs near us afterwards, Armando got all fanboy. *laughs* Russell was looking at him funny and so I said "Dont mind him, he's just idolizing" And he looked at me and said "So what am I to you, chopped liver?" So I got up and went over there and gave him a big hug & said "No, you're damn awesome". It amused him, Armando shook his hand and he went on his way.
Warbringer started out the night, They were good but daaaaamn I was sitting close to a speaker! lol
Then Symphony X up next. They did do one of my favorite songs which I was happy for. Russell is a lot of fun to watch on stage. At the end of their set, he looked up at me & Armando and pointed and him then blew me a kiss. That was badass. LOL
Rod decided that he would try to get a guitar pick or a drum stick from the show, so he worked his way up front during Iced Earth while I stayed up in the balcony handing out with my brother, Armando and his dad. Early in the first set Troy looked out at Rod in the audience and pointed at him, and then his pendant he made for him, and gave a thumb's up and mouthed "Bad Ass." Rod worked his way up to 2nd row, and close to the end of the show he got into a wrestling match over a drum stick. That was funny.
Iced Earth played a few songs off the new album and other songs that I just LOVE. They did Watching Over Me & even Dante's Inferno! Armando and I were just rocking it through the whole set. I ended up with the set list signed by Stu at the end of the night :D Rod ended up with Troy's guitar pick.
After the show, I ended up talking to John Kevill the Vocalist for Warbringer. He was a really cool guy, After we called Liz to come pick us up we were standing outside waiting, and ended up talking with Jon Schaffer for a bit and that was really cool. We both got our pics taken with him, and got another "thanks for the Bad Ass pendant." After that we spent a few minutes talking with Troy Seele, and got another thanks from him too. He put his arm around Rods shoulder and pointed at his necklace saying "You see this Mother Fucker, I ain't taking this shit off of my fucking neck. Thanks brother, and just remember, we don't have shit without brotherhood." I got a pic of him and Rod together with him wearing the necklace. He got to talk to Freddie Vidales for a couple of minutes too. He asked how long his necklace took me to make. He said they were all really killer, and they meant alot to all of them, They had never gotten anything like that from a fan before.
All in all The night Rocked hardcore, and I am still totally stoked, and I am OMG sore today. I can barely speak above a whisper & my ears are still ringing, but Hell F'ing Yeah. I would do all of it again in a heartbeat.
Pics will be forthcoming later. I hafta get my father to get the pics off his camera.. Apparently the card reader on my laptop doesnt accept that kind of card. Go figure.
Check these bands out, not only are they bad ass musicians, but they are some really nice guys as well.