I can't believe how much I have missed posting on this blog! Especially because this has just been the most insane year ever! So I will try and catch you up with the highlights.
Rock Fest-Cadott WI
In July my mom, sister and I flew to the midwest to attend Rock Fest in the tiny tiny town of Cadott Wisconsin. Even people from Wisconsin haven't heard of Cadott it's so small. Rock Fest is one of the funnest festivals we go to. It's 4 days long out in the middle of no where and is so chill. Every day we arrived around 1 PM. Because we invested in the VIP tickets (which are completely worth it, might I add) we got catered lunch and dinner every day, all you can drink, and some killer seats for the show. Since it was assigned seating, we always had a good spot every day. The people are always so nice and the food is spectacular. The whole reason we even went this year was because it was 1 of 3 shows that Avenged Sevenfold was playing this year. I had seen them 9 times and the OCD in me said I needed to make it an even 10. Plus if they are around, I'm going to try and find them. They put on the best show and I can't get enough of them. We also go to see bands like Godsmack, Judas Priest (not my personal favorite, but we did see them), Breaking Benjamin, Starset, Three Days Grace, Black Stone Cherry, Chevelle and many more. It was such a great weekend and we loved ever second of it.
In August the "Summer's Last Stand" tour with Slipknot, Lamb of God, Bullet for my Valentine, and Motionless in White came to my home town so naturally we were there. It was pretty epic to say that we saw Slipknot twice this year! They are insane and we love them for it. I always have a spot in my heart for Corey Taylor. That man is amazing. It was such a great concert and I feel really lucky that we were able to be a part of it.
A week or so later, Three Days Grace came to town and played a smaller venue in downtown SLC. While I miss Adam as the lead singer and will always love their older material, I have come to love Matt as well and really enjoy them now. In the beginning I was appalled that anyone thought they could take Adam's place and keep the band going. Adam has such a distinct voice, I didn't see how it was possible. But now I am happy. It could be because Adam has Saint Asonia now and so the world seems right again. It was a really great show with Like A Storm opening. They are always fun to watch. They are great and pretty nice to look at so I wasn't complaining.
In the middle of September the MASSIVE Five Finger Death Punch, Papa Roach, In This Moment, From Ashes to New tour rolled through town as well. Oh my lanta it was just amazing. I love all 4 of those bands. It was just a power house of a tour. I am so glad I didn't miss it, because I had a momentary lapse in reason and contemplated not going. They all did awesome and as always, it ended too soon.
My latest concert experience was finally getting to see the legendary AC/DC in San Francisco last weekend. For being a bunch of old farts, they still got it! They played 20 songs and it felt like the concert was over in 5 minutes it went by so fast! We had always said that if they ever went back on tour, even if they had to roll out in their wheelchairs, we would go see them. I was really excited to see them and to get to play in San Francisco. We had such an amazing weekend!
So that's my last few months in a quick recap-I will try and be better! I'm going to Rock Allegiance in Philly next weekend so that ought to be amazing!
Saturday, October 3, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
10 DAYS OF EXCESS- in review
Rock in Rio- Las Vegas Nevada
On Friday May 8th we hopped a plane and headed out for Sin City to go to day 2 of Rock in Rio's rock weekend. After playing most of the day on Saturday, we headed over to the festival grounds. The festival was held at the MGM festival grounds between Circus Circus and Stratosphere. As far as festivals go I feel like this one was the coolest setup I've ever seen. They basically built a little city! This was also the first concert I've been to that used a "cashless" system. It had its pros of cons. There was a chip in the wrist band that served as both your ticket and your wallet. So if you wanted to buy anything you had to go buy rock cash which then loaded the money on to the wristband. While I liked that I didn't have to have my wallet, the impulse shopper in me didn't like that I had to make sure I had the money already on my band before I got there. Otherwise you had to "top off" and add some more money. At the end of the festival whatever money wasn't used was refunded which was nice. The VIP experience was definitely the fanciest I have experienced at a rock festival! The meals were catered by Wolfgang Puck and it was all you could drink! Although I'm not a drinker myself, I'm sure that was a huge selling point. The bathrooms were the nicest festival bathrooms the world has ever seen. The VIP tent was ginormous and the main floor was a raised platform to see the stages over the masses of people below. While we weren't up close to the stage, the view wasn't too bad. Plus they had TVs inside streaming the whole thing. The bands included Of Mice and Men, Hollywood Undead, Sepultura, Rise Against, Deftones, Linkin Park and Metallica. They all did great despite the fact that it got frigidly cold once the sun went down. The concert went until the wee hours of the morning, and once we got back to the hotel we collapsed from exhaustion. Thankfully we stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel which seriously has the most amazing beds. Sadly we didn't get to spend too much time in them because at the crack of dawn it was time to head back to the airport. Here are some pictures from our time at Rock in Rio
California Dreamin'
On Sunday morning we caught a flight to Orange County CA. After picking up the rental car we headed straight for one of my favorite places on the planet. Six Flags Magic Mountain. This amusement park has more cutting edge, crazy scary and fun rides than any other park I have been to thus far. They are superior without a doubt in my opinion. We hit the ground running on very little sleep and by 6 or so that evening we had ridden too many coasters to count and had walked about 8 miles ( most of which were hills-they call it magic MOUNTAIN for a reason...). I was SO bummed we just barely missed Twisted Collossus opening up, but not to worry I will be back in a few weeks and will ride it then! Once we had had our fill, we hopped in the car and drove about an hour to one of my other favorite places to be. Disneyland. We stayed at the Paradise Pier Hotel which is fine. Personally I believe it is the most kid-oriented hotel so it's usually overrun with screaming 4 year olds. I don't prefer staying there, but it is on the property and about $400 less than where I like to stay ( the Grand Californian). We ran over to California Adventure and got in a few more hours (and miles of walking) before we literally couldn't keep our eyes open. So we went back to the room, got room service and hit the sack. Monday we played at both parks all day and had a blast! The weather was perfect and I was in heaven. 
Radiator Springs in Cars Land @ Disney
X2@ Six Flags
Lex Luthor's Drop of Doom @ Six Flags
NEXT STOP: OHIO!
After lots of fun in the sun it was time to begin the third and final leg of our vacation. We flew out of Columbus Ohio on Tuesday. We were feeling pretty tired at this point, but we still had so many fun things ahead that we sucked it up and kept the pace going strong. Wednesday bright and early we made the drive to Sandusky. Tommy Boy quotes were offered up in abundance as we headed to Cedar Point, yet another amusement park. Supposidly this park competes with Magic Mountain for the most roller coasters in the world, but after experiencing them both two days apart, I know for sure Magic Mountain is most definitely the better park. Cedar Point is right on the shores of Lake Erie. It was cold. Damn cold. So we layered up and rode some of the rides such as Gatekeeper and Rougarou before setting our sights on one very large blue coaster. It looked pretty intense and frankly all the rides I rode before it kind of bored me. I swear most of their rides were the same basic concept over and over. I like that the coasters at MM are, for the most part, completely different from one another. This ride we went on was called Millennium Force. It was such a great ride! With a lift hill rising to 310 feet and reaching a max speed of 93 MPH, this ride kicked some serious ass. I absolutely loved it. This was actually the only ride we rode more than once! It was actually pretty scary. But I soon came to realize that I didn't totally understand fear until I rode the next coaster. It is called Top Thrill Dragster. Let's just go over the specs on this thing shall we? 0 to 120 MPH in 3.8 seconds. Rising 420 feet at a 90 degree angle, going up and over an arch and coming straight back down. The ride takes 17 seconds to complete and it was the scariest 17 seconds of my life. This thing only has a little seat belt and a lap bar. No shoulder restraint. Which I think made a huge impact on the terror factor of this thing. Every car that we watched that day made it up and over the top. Of course the car I happened to be riding in got to the top and couldn't quite make it over so we had to roll back down and launch again. It was absolutely terrifying. Apparently it happens every so often. Something I was unaware of. I thought my heart was going to stop! When they were staging us to go again I was legitimately scared. I don't think I've ever felt fear like that on a coaster. Ever. Thankfully the second time through we made it up and over just fine. Would I ride it again? Definitely! Would it kill me? Maybe. 
Top Thrill Dragster
Top Thrill Dragster
Millennium Force
After we had as much as we could handle at Cedar Point, we decided we should make the drive to Cleveland to pay homage to the greats at the rock and roll hall of fame. I had never been before, and it was really cool to be surrounded by such music history! 
Thursday we decided to have a down day and rest up before our last set of adventures in Ohio. We visited friends while Shelly did a Pampered Chef show. It was a welcome relief to have some calm because by this point I was well past exhaustion. I knew what was to come and honestly I kind of wondered if I was going to make it! That night we made the drive back to Columbus and geared up for our favorite weekend of the year. Friday, Saturday and Sunday we went to Rock on the Range at Mapfre Stadium. This year we decided to splurge and get the ultimate ranger VIP package. The only problem is, now that we know what that entails, it looks like we will be doing that every year we possibly can! We had catered meals in the VIP lounge, private restrooms, all you could drink, access to the floor, stadium seats, and the best house viewing location (side of the stage) as well as a locker to put all your crap in at another VIP tent. It was pretty freakin great. Seeing bands like Slash and Marilyn Manson from side stage was amazing. Nothing like it. 50+ bands and 70,000 crazy rock fans makes on hell of a festival. Despite some crazy weather on Saturday and Sunday, we had so much fun! ROTR is our favorite festival and I honestly can't imagine ever missing a year! There is just something about the atmosphere of this place. The best music money can buy and seriously awesome people coming together to celebrate this crazy lifestyle we lead. People from all walks of life, from all across the country coming to prove that rock is NOT dead. It's alive and well, and it lives in Columbus. 
In This Moment
Godsmack
Sully Erna❤️
Marilyn Manson 
Slash
Breaking Benjamin 
Manson has the coolest gear
Papa Roach killing it!!
Me and my crazy cool mama!
The lineup
Volbeat
Jacoby-Papa Roach
The crowd gathering for Slipknot
IN CONCLUSION
To say this was the craziest vacation of my life would be a vast understatement. I've never been more exhausted, but I've also never had so much fun! By the time we hit the seat on the flight home 10 days after embarking on this thing, I was virtually comatose! I felt like I could sleep for a week!! Going that long, that hard, without much sleep takes its toll. I would do it again in a heartbeat! In fact, now some 10 days later, I wish I could turn back the clock and do it over again! I feel very blessed to be able to live this lifestyle. Living life to the fullest. You only live once. I intend to make the most of the time I'm given. HUGE shoutout to my kickass mama for helping make this thing a reality! I love that she wants to do this stuff with me. She's quite literally the best. Thankfully, my next adventure is never too far away. 6 days until my next concert and 18 days until my next vacation! Thanks for sticking it out to the end!
-Nicole
Tuesday, February 10, 2015
Sometimes Dreams Come True
A few months back I received an email. I get plenty of emails every day announcing concerts, tours and other things that make my wallet shutter. To the point that some emails I won't even open for fear that I won't be able to pass the opportunity by and book myself another out of town concert or something. This email happened to be about my favorite band in the entire universe. They could send me an email about what they had for lunch and I wouldn't even care. I would open it and I would be the happiest girl on earth. So what was in this email you say? Well it was announcing that Seether would be co-headlining a tour with Papa Roach and that their final stop was at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas. This in and of itself would have been fantastic news, but I then learned that they would be doing a 'meet and greet' before the show. The credit card was out and ready before I had even read the last of the email. This was it. My chance to meet the most important band in the world to me. So I bought 2 tickets and patiently waited for February 7th to roll around.
The entire drive (about 5 to 5.5 hours) to Las Vegas I just kept playing in my head over and over different scenarios for how this weekend could pan out. That is something I have done forever. I try to think of every possibility that could happen, that way no matter what actually does happen I can be ready. Or at least pretend. I was extremely excited. This band has gotten me through all my bad days and most of my good ones. Whenever I'm having a down day all I have to do is throw some of their music on and everything seems a little bit better. It's strange, but honestly 95% of their lyrics feel like they were written for me or about things I'm dealing with in my own life. To the point that it freaks me out a little how spot on they are. I can't go one day without listening to one of their songs. It just doesn't feel right. So the entire drive down I tried to think of what I could possibly say to the people that basically write the soundtrack to my soul.
We finally rolled in and checked in at the Hard Rock Hotel. I have absolutely no idea why it had taken me so long to finally stay at this hotel because it was the shit. Not too far off the strip and it was such an awesome place to stay! We walked in the doors and there sat the drum kit that belonged to "The Rev" from Avenged Sevenfold. I knew then that this was my homeland and that there would be many more nights spend in this hotel in my life time. I've always loved the Hard Rock Cafes that I've been to around the world, so I knew I would like this place. Not to mention it is where the flagship store for Affliction is located-I knew then that I was hooked for life. I refused to let myself go into the store because I knew that I would only end up leaving after spending entirely too much money. So I'm taking a rain check until May or October when I will be back.
After a day of playing on the strip and having a great time, it was time to head to the box office to do the meet and greet. As soon as I hopped in that elevator I swore I was going to pass out or throw up. I don't recall the last time I was so nervous. I'm just an average joe that has basically stalked this band for the last 5 years without their knowledge. Not to mention I am completely terrified of famous people in general. As I was waiting in line I almost regretted doing this because I was terrified and knew that no matter what I was going to botch this up. I have literally chased these guys across the country, having seen them 5 times in 5 states within the last year. I didn't want to go all "fangirl" on them and tell them how obsessed I was with them ( like I'm sure every other person there did). It almost felt like exploiting them. I guess that is just the nature of the beast. Their tour manager was really cute and a super funny and nice guy. I liked meeting him as much as I liked meeting the band. Now not only am I obsessed with this band on a "spiritual" level I guess you could say, but I also have a MEAN crush on Shaun Morgan-the lead singer (also, like every freaking girl there I'm sure). To the point that when I finally walked around that curtain and saw him standing there I thought my heart was going to stop. Like, I was pretty sure I was going to need some CPR or something. I shook hands with all the guys and was so completely terrified to even stand next to Shaun. He gave me the sweetest smile and once again I didn't want to go all fangirl on him, so I took the next best thing. Their very hot bass player. He was equally sweet and talked to me more than anyone else did. All in all it was a pretty short encounter, but it was worth every penny. I didn't talk to them as much as I wanted (or really much at all, it was more of a chat while we take your picture together kind of deal), but I hope that they could tell by the giant smile on my face how much they meant to me. Will I ever meet them again? Probably not, but a girl can dream! Another bonus of buying said VIP meet and greet package was all the sweet swag we got. A signed poster, a signed set list from that night, a drawstring bag and a pretty sweet beanie. All of which will be my most prized possessions until the day I die.
After the meet and greet it was concert time. Islander and Kyng opened the concert and did a pretty great job. I have always loved Kyng, so seeing them again was an added bonus. Seether freaking killed their set. They did such a great job and I was all too sad when their set came to a rousing end with "Remedy". Every time I see them ( I do believe this was at least my 8th time seeing them) I don't want their set to end. Ever. Shaun has so much soul for what he does and it just oozes out of him. For me, he embodies the true meaning of rock music. I love that quote by Bono that says " Pop music often tells you everything is OK, while rock music tells you it's not OK, but you can change it". Papa Roach came on to close out the night and did a stellar job as always. Jacoby may be the most energetic performer I have ever seen and I love it. He gives all he's got for every crowd at every show no matter how big or small. Not to mention how much love and respect he has for his fans. You can tell how aware he is that without the fans, he is nothing. I respect the hell out of him for that.
All in all it was a pretty spectacular weekend. One I will never forget. I can't help but feel so blessed for all the opportunities I have in life. There are so many people who keep telling me how lucky I am, and you know what? I am lucky. Out of all the people I know and lives I see, I wouldn't trade mine for anything. I have so many more awesome adventures coming my way this year and I can't wait. You only live once and I'm going to take the time that I have and enjoy every second. Life is too short for regrets. I am going to the Hellyeah/Like A Storm/Devour the Day concert this Friday which I'm completely stoked about. Then I have a month or so to recover from this last weekend's escapades before heading on my next adventure. Sadly it's not concert related, but hey I've got to keep a little balance! So the moral of this story is, if you want to know anything about me, just put on some Seether (especially the "Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray" album) and you will find out all you need to know about me. This band has changed my life and made the bad days more bearable. Check them out. I've posted a link below for one of my favorite songs. From one rockoholic to another. And remember, it's not just music-it's a way of life.
The entire drive (about 5 to 5.5 hours) to Las Vegas I just kept playing in my head over and over different scenarios for how this weekend could pan out. That is something I have done forever. I try to think of every possibility that could happen, that way no matter what actually does happen I can be ready. Or at least pretend. I was extremely excited. This band has gotten me through all my bad days and most of my good ones. Whenever I'm having a down day all I have to do is throw some of their music on and everything seems a little bit better. It's strange, but honestly 95% of their lyrics feel like they were written for me or about things I'm dealing with in my own life. To the point that it freaks me out a little how spot on they are. I can't go one day without listening to one of their songs. It just doesn't feel right. So the entire drive down I tried to think of what I could possibly say to the people that basically write the soundtrack to my soul.
We finally rolled in and checked in at the Hard Rock Hotel. I have absolutely no idea why it had taken me so long to finally stay at this hotel because it was the shit. Not too far off the strip and it was such an awesome place to stay! We walked in the doors and there sat the drum kit that belonged to "The Rev" from Avenged Sevenfold. I knew then that this was my homeland and that there would be many more nights spend in this hotel in my life time. I've always loved the Hard Rock Cafes that I've been to around the world, so I knew I would like this place. Not to mention it is where the flagship store for Affliction is located-I knew then that I was hooked for life. I refused to let myself go into the store because I knew that I would only end up leaving after spending entirely too much money. So I'm taking a rain check until May or October when I will be back.
After a day of playing on the strip and having a great time, it was time to head to the box office to do the meet and greet. As soon as I hopped in that elevator I swore I was going to pass out or throw up. I don't recall the last time I was so nervous. I'm just an average joe that has basically stalked this band for the last 5 years without their knowledge. Not to mention I am completely terrified of famous people in general. As I was waiting in line I almost regretted doing this because I was terrified and knew that no matter what I was going to botch this up. I have literally chased these guys across the country, having seen them 5 times in 5 states within the last year. I didn't want to go all "fangirl" on them and tell them how obsessed I was with them ( like I'm sure every other person there did). It almost felt like exploiting them. I guess that is just the nature of the beast. Their tour manager was really cute and a super funny and nice guy. I liked meeting him as much as I liked meeting the band. Now not only am I obsessed with this band on a "spiritual" level I guess you could say, but I also have a MEAN crush on Shaun Morgan-the lead singer (also, like every freaking girl there I'm sure). To the point that when I finally walked around that curtain and saw him standing there I thought my heart was going to stop. Like, I was pretty sure I was going to need some CPR or something. I shook hands with all the guys and was so completely terrified to even stand next to Shaun. He gave me the sweetest smile and once again I didn't want to go all fangirl on him, so I took the next best thing. Their very hot bass player. He was equally sweet and talked to me more than anyone else did. All in all it was a pretty short encounter, but it was worth every penny. I didn't talk to them as much as I wanted (or really much at all, it was more of a chat while we take your picture together kind of deal), but I hope that they could tell by the giant smile on my face how much they meant to me. Will I ever meet them again? Probably not, but a girl can dream! Another bonus of buying said VIP meet and greet package was all the sweet swag we got. A signed poster, a signed set list from that night, a drawstring bag and a pretty sweet beanie. All of which will be my most prized possessions until the day I die.
After the meet and greet it was concert time. Islander and Kyng opened the concert and did a pretty great job. I have always loved Kyng, so seeing them again was an added bonus. Seether freaking killed their set. They did such a great job and I was all too sad when their set came to a rousing end with "Remedy". Every time I see them ( I do believe this was at least my 8th time seeing them) I don't want their set to end. Ever. Shaun has so much soul for what he does and it just oozes out of him. For me, he embodies the true meaning of rock music. I love that quote by Bono that says " Pop music often tells you everything is OK, while rock music tells you it's not OK, but you can change it". Papa Roach came on to close out the night and did a stellar job as always. Jacoby may be the most energetic performer I have ever seen and I love it. He gives all he's got for every crowd at every show no matter how big or small. Not to mention how much love and respect he has for his fans. You can tell how aware he is that without the fans, he is nothing. I respect the hell out of him for that.
All in all it was a pretty spectacular weekend. One I will never forget. I can't help but feel so blessed for all the opportunities I have in life. There are so many people who keep telling me how lucky I am, and you know what? I am lucky. Out of all the people I know and lives I see, I wouldn't trade mine for anything. I have so many more awesome adventures coming my way this year and I can't wait. You only live once and I'm going to take the time that I have and enjoy every second. Life is too short for regrets. I am going to the Hellyeah/Like A Storm/Devour the Day concert this Friday which I'm completely stoked about. Then I have a month or so to recover from this last weekend's escapades before heading on my next adventure. Sadly it's not concert related, but hey I've got to keep a little balance! So the moral of this story is, if you want to know anything about me, just put on some Seether (especially the "Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray" album) and you will find out all you need to know about me. This band has changed my life and made the bad days more bearable. Check them out. I've posted a link below for one of my favorite songs. From one rockoholic to another. And remember, it's not just music-it's a way of life.
Friday, September 26, 2014
LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Shockingly enough I actually have things happen at home sometimes too! Let's just say that September has been one crazy-ass month! I feel like I have been going going going constantly, but that is how I like it most of the time! On Sept 10th I started my 5 concerts/festivals in 7 days heavy concert season rap-up! My boys in Seether came to town here at home for concert #1. When I heard they were coming, I about had a freak out! As before mentioned I'm pretty obsessed with this band and I constantly argue with myself if they are my favorite band or if it's A7X. The mystery may never be solved. They played at The Complex which is in downtown SLC. It's not big by any stretch of the imagination, but I think it was just about right for them. They had a couple local bands open up for them which I thought was pretty cool. I wasn't particularly crazy about either of those bands, but I was excited for the opportunity they had to get out there and share their stuff. Seether freaking blew my socks off. Possibly the best concert I have ever heard them play. I'm always worried when they play indoors because sometimes it has gone terribly wrong for them, but somebody got it right this time. They sounded amazing! You could tell they were having so much fun up there and it helped the crowd get into it as well. It was a full house which also made me happy. Being in Utah, I always fear that there is going to be a great rock show and no one shows up and it's a total flop. We don't need that kind of bad exposure. So even though i hate being crammed in a venue rubbing up against strangers, I would do it for them. It was such a great night and it was so glad that it went so well! Hopefully they will see that people here love them and want them to come back!
Concert #2 was Chevelle out at the Great Saltair in Magna. I do love Chevelle, don't get me wrong, but I had seen them so many times last year that I wasn't overly ecstatic about the concert but I had to go. Anytime anyone worth while comes to SLC I will most likely be there, if anything, to support the cause of live rock here at home. So I bought tickets to support some great bands and show them that there is a market here. It was a pretty full concert, not a sell out, but a decent crowd. The bands that played with them were Dayshell, who were okay, and Kyng who was pretty great. Chevelle put on a solid show and we had a lot of fun. If you are ever at a concert at the Saltair, look in booth #2 upstairs, second booth from the left, and you might see me! If I'm ever at a concert there, that's where I'm at. I just love the VIP rep for Saltair, she is the best! We are now on a first name basis with hugging involved which means I go to way too many concerts lol. It was a great night once again. I love when I can see great bands here at home.
On Friday night Shelly and I hopped a flight to Sacramento California to go to the Aftershock Festival on Saturday and Sunday making for concerts #3 and #4. Saturday was (like usual) really freaking hot. I think the high was like 102 degrees, so we were roasting. This was the second year we have gone to Aftershock and sadly I think they didn't handle this year as well as they could have or even should have. The whole time I just thought, man I need to get a job organizing these things, because who ever did this one should be fired. The VIP lanyards were super ghetto compared to last years. The seating in VIP was terrible. They had what I would call poolside chairs that you lay out on, and only 100 or so. So most people didn't have a place to sit. Total waste of space. The worst part, and the part that made me the most upset was the 3 stages that were way too close together and played in conflict with each other. The first year there were only 2 main stages and they just rotated between the two so you never had to choose which band you wanted to watch. This year, 2 of the 3 stages were playing at the same time so they were playing on top of each other. Plus you were forced to choose! I hate choosing, I want to watch every one! For the most part it wasn't too bad but I have to say that poor Nothing More got totally screwed. They had to play at the same time as Black Label Society and you could hardly hear them! BLS is way louder that NM and so they were drowned out. It was just sad because they are such a great band. Lineup wise the weekend was pretty great, Godsmack was there as well which was awesome! I do love them and didn't mind seeing the twice in like 2.5 weeks. I also saw Seether. Again. and it was amazing. again. I was seriously ecstatic that I got to see them 3 times this month. Each time was new and different and amazing. Ah it was heaven. We also got to see 5FDP again. I had missed them. It was also crazy dusty so we were so dirty and sweaty and smelly (it was CA so naturally there was freaking weed everywhere). None the less it was a great weekend and a great way to go to our last festival of the season. I was sad it was over, but frankly I am ready for a break! Festivals are exhausting, but they are seriously the best!
The 5th and final concert of my 7 days was back at home. 5FDP, Volbeat, Hellyeah and Nothing More opened up their tour here and it was seriously the best! We had 9 of us all together that went and it was SO much fun! Every band played a great set, and thankfully the concert looked to be just about sold out! It was especially great to get to be a part of a friends first concert experience. It was crazy to see how excited she was! Her first and what seemed like my millionth. It was fun to share some of my knowledge of do's and do nots and to see how she reacted to the environment. I'm sure there are many more concerts in her future!
What a way to end my concert year, right?! What an amazing summer it has been! I feel so blessed to get to do the things I love and live out my dreams of basically being a metal groupie. If only I could do it for a living! That would make my life all but perfect! My next adventure starts in an hour from now and I'm pretty excited! Life is great!
Concert #2 was Chevelle out at the Great Saltair in Magna. I do love Chevelle, don't get me wrong, but I had seen them so many times last year that I wasn't overly ecstatic about the concert but I had to go. Anytime anyone worth while comes to SLC I will most likely be there, if anything, to support the cause of live rock here at home. So I bought tickets to support some great bands and show them that there is a market here. It was a pretty full concert, not a sell out, but a decent crowd. The bands that played with them were Dayshell, who were okay, and Kyng who was pretty great. Chevelle put on a solid show and we had a lot of fun. If you are ever at a concert at the Saltair, look in booth #2 upstairs, second booth from the left, and you might see me! If I'm ever at a concert there, that's where I'm at. I just love the VIP rep for Saltair, she is the best! We are now on a first name basis with hugging involved which means I go to way too many concerts lol. It was a great night once again. I love when I can see great bands here at home.
On Friday night Shelly and I hopped a flight to Sacramento California to go to the Aftershock Festival on Saturday and Sunday making for concerts #3 and #4. Saturday was (like usual) really freaking hot. I think the high was like 102 degrees, so we were roasting. This was the second year we have gone to Aftershock and sadly I think they didn't handle this year as well as they could have or even should have. The whole time I just thought, man I need to get a job organizing these things, because who ever did this one should be fired. The VIP lanyards were super ghetto compared to last years. The seating in VIP was terrible. They had what I would call poolside chairs that you lay out on, and only 100 or so. So most people didn't have a place to sit. Total waste of space. The worst part, and the part that made me the most upset was the 3 stages that were way too close together and played in conflict with each other. The first year there were only 2 main stages and they just rotated between the two so you never had to choose which band you wanted to watch. This year, 2 of the 3 stages were playing at the same time so they were playing on top of each other. Plus you were forced to choose! I hate choosing, I want to watch every one! For the most part it wasn't too bad but I have to say that poor Nothing More got totally screwed. They had to play at the same time as Black Label Society and you could hardly hear them! BLS is way louder that NM and so they were drowned out. It was just sad because they are such a great band. Lineup wise the weekend was pretty great, Godsmack was there as well which was awesome! I do love them and didn't mind seeing the twice in like 2.5 weeks. I also saw Seether. Again. and it was amazing. again. I was seriously ecstatic that I got to see them 3 times this month. Each time was new and different and amazing. Ah it was heaven. We also got to see 5FDP again. I had missed them. It was also crazy dusty so we were so dirty and sweaty and smelly (it was CA so naturally there was freaking weed everywhere). None the less it was a great weekend and a great way to go to our last festival of the season. I was sad it was over, but frankly I am ready for a break! Festivals are exhausting, but they are seriously the best!
The 5th and final concert of my 7 days was back at home. 5FDP, Volbeat, Hellyeah and Nothing More opened up their tour here and it was seriously the best! We had 9 of us all together that went and it was SO much fun! Every band played a great set, and thankfully the concert looked to be just about sold out! It was especially great to get to be a part of a friends first concert experience. It was crazy to see how excited she was! Her first and what seemed like my millionth. It was fun to share some of my knowledge of do's and do nots and to see how she reacted to the environment. I'm sure there are many more concerts in her future!
What a way to end my concert year, right?! What an amazing summer it has been! I feel so blessed to get to do the things I love and live out my dreams of basically being a metal groupie. If only I could do it for a living! That would make my life all but perfect! My next adventure starts in an hour from now and I'm pretty excited! Life is great!
LABOR DAY MADNESS!
Wow! It seems like every time I write I have a ton to fill you in on! I actually have a free second so I figured I would try and catch up! So we left off just before my crazy crazy Labor Day weekend. So Friday night my mom, cousin Jen and I caught a red eye flight to Tampa Florida. I have never been much of a fan of the "red eye" flight, but living the lifestyle that I do, it tends to be my best option. So we hopped a plane and flew to Tampa. We had a layover in Denver which meant our longest flight was only 3.5 hours long. That meant that we only got 3 hours of sleep that night. Plus, let's be honest. Sleeping on a plane isn't very restful so it was a crappy 3 hours of sleep. We got to Florida at 5:30 in the morning and we were just exhausted. We grabbed the rental car and then headed to St. Petersburg to watch the sunrise on the beach. Well I shouldn't really say we, I should say they because I was passed out in the back seat of the car to catch an extra 15 minutes of shut eye. Afterwards we headed to Ft. Desoto state park so Jen could get in her run (she was training for a marathon). Shelly and I hung out by the beach for a while and then ended up just sitting in the car. By this point I was too tired to even sleep so I just stared off into space until Jen was finished. By this time is was most definitely time to grab some food. We found some wacky hole in the wall road side diner and ate breakfast/lunch. The place was pretty weird and the food wasn't anything to write home about, but we still had some fun. We killed some time in the parking lot until it was time to head out!
Of course we went to Florida for a concert! It seems a good 95% of the trips I take are concert related. This particular trip was for the Rockstar Uproar Festival. Usually Uproar comes to SLC but for some stupid reason they didn't this year. I was BEYOND pissed about it, especially since the lineup was killer, so I found the weekend that worked for me and chased them across the country. Sadly not all of the bands were at all the stops so I didn't get to see Skillet, but I've seen them enough times to get the gist. So we got to the amphitheater and immediately sought out some shade. I don't know if any of you have ever been to Florida in the summer months, but it is pretty freaking miserable. It was so freaking hot (which seems to be a theme at my festivals this year), and not to mention humid! I was pretty sure I was going to die and that I couldn't be any more uncomfortable. As most festivals do, the smaller bands play first on the smaller stages so we decided we would hit the VIP tent and stay there until it was time for the main stage. About an hour before the first band was supposed to play on the main stage it started to rain. OK not just rain, it was basically a monsoon. It was like someone was standing over us dumping large buckets of water! We started to freak out just a tad. We did NOT just fly across the freaking country to have our concert rained out! So we just sat in our tent and waited it out. Thankfully right before the first band was due to start, it finally stopped. So we headed to the main stage, dried off our chairs and watched Pop Evil start us off right. The second band was Seether. If you know me at all you know that I am basically OBSESSED with Seether and have every intention of marrying Shaun Morgan some day. They played pretty well, I have seen them do better, but I have also seem them play much worse. I was content with their performance. The headlining band was none other than Godsmack! Oh how I had missed them! They did such a great job! They had been on hiatus for 3 or so years and apparently they almost broke up. Thank goodness they didn't because their new material is flat out amazing. We had a great job rocking out, but all great things must come to an end. So at 11:30 or so that night we headed out to the parking lot to drive to Orlando where we were spending the night. By time time we got to bed it was around 1:30 AM, making this what felt like the longest day of my entire life!
So I'm sure you're thinking, "well at least you got to sleep in the next morning, right?" Wrong. We woke up, got ready and were at Universal Studios Orlando by 9 am on Sunday. We had head that the new ride in Diagon Alley had the longest wait and that we needed to get there first, so that is right where we went. The ride was called "Escape from Gringotts" and was a replica of the bank from the Harry Potter movies. The structure itself was amazing and the whole atmosphere was fantastic so I had really high hopes for the ride. Now enters the new segment of my blog lovingly called "What the HELL! (things I wish I knew)" So for today's entry of WTH I will give you a pointer. DO NOT RIDE THIS RIDE IF YOU HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN AN HOUR!! We waited 2.5 hours and it was the biggest let down of my entire life. It was beyond stupid and by the time it was over, we were SO mad that we were literally speechless. We just sat there thinking we had just wasted the first half of our day for nothing. So that didn't start off our day particularly well. So for the rest of Sunday and half a day Monday we ran around like mad between the two parks trying to fit in as much as possible! On both days there as a 20 or so minute stint of torrential downpour which apparently is a thing in Florida. That was a bit annoying but we had fun with it and made the best out of it. Thankfully there are a lot of indoor things to do so it wasn't too bad! We did the Despicable Me minions experience (I would call it a ride, but they aren't rides they are 3D experiences where you get taken on a fake ride while sitting still for the most part. Sadly I'm not big into the whole 3D thing, so I wouldn't say many of these "experiences" blew me away). The minion thing was cute, I liked that. We also rode (or not rode, experienced) the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket (which was pretty good), Revenge of the Mummy (an Indiana Jones deja vu) , Twister (weirdest, most random, stupid thing I have ever done), Transformers (not a fan, too much going on and the 3D didn't sit well), Jurassic Park (meh), and the Cat in the Hat (don't judge). We also did the Dragon Challenge and the Forbidden Journey in Hogsmeade which were both pretty awesome! The Dragon Challenge was one of the few real coasters at the parks and I would say it did not disappoint! The Forbidden Journey was flat out amazing. It combined actual movement and 3D to make for a ride that will seriously kick your butt if you are even a tiny bit prone to motion sickness. It messed with me somewhat, but it seriously kicked the crap out of poor Jennifer. It was still awesome and we ended up doing it both days because it was awesome none the less. Hogsmeade was seriously the coolest thing ever! We had so much fun running around and spending way too much at all the little shops. It was great! Of course I had to try the butterbeer which was pretty good! I liked it! I would have seriously spent SO much money in there, but thankfully I was pretty broke at the time so it wasn't an option! So I just decided that I will have to go back! You can also ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks if you have the ticket that gets you into both parks so that was pretty awesome! You hop on at one HP park and get off at the other! It was really cool and I seriously wished my sister was there the ENTIRE time. She would love it!
So after 1 festival, 1.5 days of play at Universal and what felt like a million miles walked, and what felt like 0 sleep-it was time to catch a flight home! We got home late that night and then had to head back to reality the next morning. We seriously had so much fun and I wouldn't have traded that weekend for anything. It was nice to be home though. I absolutely love traveling and experiencing the world, but there is just something about coming home that makes everything right in the world!
Of course we went to Florida for a concert! It seems a good 95% of the trips I take are concert related. This particular trip was for the Rockstar Uproar Festival. Usually Uproar comes to SLC but for some stupid reason they didn't this year. I was BEYOND pissed about it, especially since the lineup was killer, so I found the weekend that worked for me and chased them across the country. Sadly not all of the bands were at all the stops so I didn't get to see Skillet, but I've seen them enough times to get the gist. So we got to the amphitheater and immediately sought out some shade. I don't know if any of you have ever been to Florida in the summer months, but it is pretty freaking miserable. It was so freaking hot (which seems to be a theme at my festivals this year), and not to mention humid! I was pretty sure I was going to die and that I couldn't be any more uncomfortable. As most festivals do, the smaller bands play first on the smaller stages so we decided we would hit the VIP tent and stay there until it was time for the main stage. About an hour before the first band was supposed to play on the main stage it started to rain. OK not just rain, it was basically a monsoon. It was like someone was standing over us dumping large buckets of water! We started to freak out just a tad. We did NOT just fly across the freaking country to have our concert rained out! So we just sat in our tent and waited it out. Thankfully right before the first band was due to start, it finally stopped. So we headed to the main stage, dried off our chairs and watched Pop Evil start us off right. The second band was Seether. If you know me at all you know that I am basically OBSESSED with Seether and have every intention of marrying Shaun Morgan some day. They played pretty well, I have seen them do better, but I have also seem them play much worse. I was content with their performance. The headlining band was none other than Godsmack! Oh how I had missed them! They did such a great job! They had been on hiatus for 3 or so years and apparently they almost broke up. Thank goodness they didn't because their new material is flat out amazing. We had a great job rocking out, but all great things must come to an end. So at 11:30 or so that night we headed out to the parking lot to drive to Orlando where we were spending the night. By time time we got to bed it was around 1:30 AM, making this what felt like the longest day of my entire life!
So I'm sure you're thinking, "well at least you got to sleep in the next morning, right?" Wrong. We woke up, got ready and were at Universal Studios Orlando by 9 am on Sunday. We had head that the new ride in Diagon Alley had the longest wait and that we needed to get there first, so that is right where we went. The ride was called "Escape from Gringotts" and was a replica of the bank from the Harry Potter movies. The structure itself was amazing and the whole atmosphere was fantastic so I had really high hopes for the ride. Now enters the new segment of my blog lovingly called "What the HELL! (things I wish I knew)" So for today's entry of WTH I will give you a pointer. DO NOT RIDE THIS RIDE IF YOU HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN AN HOUR!! We waited 2.5 hours and it was the biggest let down of my entire life. It was beyond stupid and by the time it was over, we were SO mad that we were literally speechless. We just sat there thinking we had just wasted the first half of our day for nothing. So that didn't start off our day particularly well. So for the rest of Sunday and half a day Monday we ran around like mad between the two parks trying to fit in as much as possible! On both days there as a 20 or so minute stint of torrential downpour which apparently is a thing in Florida. That was a bit annoying but we had fun with it and made the best out of it. Thankfully there are a lot of indoor things to do so it wasn't too bad! We did the Despicable Me minions experience (I would call it a ride, but they aren't rides they are 3D experiences where you get taken on a fake ride while sitting still for the most part. Sadly I'm not big into the whole 3D thing, so I wouldn't say many of these "experiences" blew me away). The minion thing was cute, I liked that. We also rode (or not rode, experienced) the Hollywood Rip Ride Rocket (which was pretty good), Revenge of the Mummy (an Indiana Jones deja vu) , Twister (weirdest, most random, stupid thing I have ever done), Transformers (not a fan, too much going on and the 3D didn't sit well), Jurassic Park (meh), and the Cat in the Hat (don't judge). We also did the Dragon Challenge and the Forbidden Journey in Hogsmeade which were both pretty awesome! The Dragon Challenge was one of the few real coasters at the parks and I would say it did not disappoint! The Forbidden Journey was flat out amazing. It combined actual movement and 3D to make for a ride that will seriously kick your butt if you are even a tiny bit prone to motion sickness. It messed with me somewhat, but it seriously kicked the crap out of poor Jennifer. It was still awesome and we ended up doing it both days because it was awesome none the less. Hogsmeade was seriously the coolest thing ever! We had so much fun running around and spending way too much at all the little shops. It was great! Of course I had to try the butterbeer which was pretty good! I liked it! I would have seriously spent SO much money in there, but thankfully I was pretty broke at the time so it wasn't an option! So I just decided that I will have to go back! You can also ride the Hogwarts Express between the two parks if you have the ticket that gets you into both parks so that was pretty awesome! You hop on at one HP park and get off at the other! It was really cool and I seriously wished my sister was there the ENTIRE time. She would love it!
So after 1 festival, 1.5 days of play at Universal and what felt like a million miles walked, and what felt like 0 sleep-it was time to catch a flight home! We got home late that night and then had to head back to reality the next morning. We seriously had so much fun and I wouldn't have traded that weekend for anything. It was nice to be home though. I absolutely love traveling and experiencing the world, but there is just something about coming home that makes everything right in the world!
Saturday, July 12, 2014
MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2014
My latest trip took place over 4th of July weekend! When we saw that Korn and A7X were co-headlining the Mayhem Festival this year, we knew missing was not an option. We decided we would go to the first stop on the tour-San Bernardino CA. Thursday night we stopped in Vegas and spent the night at the Bellagio. We had prepaid for a room with a view of the fountains, but they had given away all of those rooms before we got there. The lady got on the phone with her boss and they decided to upgrade us to a suite! I figured it was going to be a "suite" as in the room is a little bigger than a regular room but nothing spectacular. Oh how wrong I was! We had to use a special set of elevators and had to swipe our key to even get to our floor! When I saw that I knew. This was going to AWESOME! We got to the room and I about died. It was HUGE! 1000 square feet. 2 1/2 baths, spectacular views of the fountains, and everything had a freaking remote! They had a fruit tray waiting for us as well as some Belgian chocolates (the tray of fruit had a card addressed to someone else, apparently 'Edward' didn't show up, so we got his room. and his fruit. sucker!) One bathroom had a jetted tub and the other had a shower/sauna which was way cool. The mirrors had remotes and so did the drapes (that was my favorite part-opening the drapes. from my bed. like a boss). Not to mention the beds were like sleeping on a cloud. It was the best nights sleep I've ever had. It seriously felt like something out of the movies. Needless to say it's going to make staying in a normal people room in Vegas next to impossible because I know what I'm missing now. Totally worth it though.
The next day we just played on the strip and did some shopping and ate lunch at the Grand Lux Cafe which I love. Around 4 we decided we had better start the next leg of our trip which was a 4 hour drive to San Bernardino. We got there around 8, checked in to the Holiday Inn Express which was a far cry from where we had just come from. Somehow we survived though! We went to Red Lobster for dinner and mentally prepared ourselves for what was about to happen to us the next day.
The concert was held at San Manuel Amphitheater which apparently is the largest outdoor music venue in the country. After seeing it and seeing how many people were there, I can totally believe that. We got there around 3 in the afternoon and it was wretchedly hot. It was only 100 degrees but it felt so much hotter because of the humidity. Thankfully we had enough sense to buy the VIP package so we had access to the private lounge complete with couches, shade, private bar, and free ice cream! There were 4 stages total-3 on the outside and then the main amphitheater stage. We wandered around to the three little stages and watched Mushroomhead and a few other smaller bands, but ultimately we didn't like any of them enough to sweat to death for them, so we headed back to the lounge after visiting the merch booth. It wasn't too long before they opened up the main stage area that I began to notice some familiar faces in the VIP area. Famous faces. Jonathan Davis's (Korn's lead singer) youngest son walked right past me to go get an ice cream. Members of Asking Alexandria's crew were hanging out at the next table over and Da Kurlzz from Hollywood Undead was standing a few feet away. I swear he is at every concert I go to anywhere from California to Las Vegas. I see him every time, but I always wuss out and never get my picture taken with him. Maybe next time. Tons of famous people too numerous to list were hanging out in there to the point that I almost wondered if I was in the wrong place! It was crazy cool. We finally went out and took our seats at the main stage area and watched Trivium and Asking Alexandria do a pretty good set. Apparently most of the crowd wasn't feeling AA, but I thought they did pretty well. During this time I also noticed that Ice-T was sitting a couple rows behind us! That was pretty cool. Once Korn came on all hell broke loose in that place. Bon fires on the lawn (border line out of control fires might I add, no wonder that state is always on fire...), lots of crazy crowd activity and true to form for every CA concert I've ever been to, that familiar haze hung over the crowd from all the weed. Korn performed the best set I've ever seen them do, which is saying something because I saw them 4 times in 7 months last year alone. honestly I think I've seen them a total of 7 or so times. They were amazing! It was fun to see the crowd respond so well to them. At the end several of the band members brought their kids out of stage to jam with them for the last song. It was adorable.
Finally A7X was up again and they were simply incredible as always. It was my 9th time seeing them and as always, it was life-altering. I could seriously see them perform every day of my life and be completely happy. They put on one of the best live shows ever. Everyone should see them at least once in their lives, but once will never be enough. I've decided that for my 10th time seeing them I want to chase them someplace really cool. Maybe out of the country? Who know, that remains to be seen. That's the goal though. By the time the night was over I was sweaty, smelt like illicit drugs, and had ruined my poor toms but it was such a great night! San Bernardino sure knows how to party! Apparently they are having Knotfest at that same venue in October. If it was any other month I would SO be there, but sadly because of work I'm missing out on what is sure to be one of the biggest rock weekends ever. Definitely disappointed, but frankly if the crowd was that out of control for Mayhem I can't even image the level of crazy they will bring for Knotfest. So maybe in the end it is for the best.
Sadly I don't have any rock concerts planned until Labor Day weekend where we are going to Tampa FL for the Uproar festival. Sadly they haven't announced if they are playing in SLC yet, but they have a few dates left open so I'm really hoping we snag one of them. Then I will just go to Uproar twice this year. It's going to be amazing!
Well here are some pictures from Mayhem. Hopefully it won't be so long before I post again! Stay classy.
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| Ice-T just hanging out at the concert after his set |
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| A little portion of the VIP area |
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