WWE Causes a Trip to be Taken

I don't think that pro wrestling - specifically, the WWE - do segments like this one from 2005 anymore. The title of the video is Kurt Angle, HBK, John Cena, Edge, Lita, & Big Show Carlito's Cabana Segment - RAW 10-10-2005 and it's a good segment. In modern times, it seems like the scope of "who" is going to contend for a championship is, in general, limited to one other person. In the segment embedded below, five WWE Superstars are in the ring, each claiming they deserve a championship match with John Cena. Cena doesn't make his appearance until towards the end of the segment, which is when his mic skills shine. He "criticizes" each of the 5 in the ring, including the ultimate scorching of Edge's girlfriend Lita with 4 words: Lita... you're a slut. When I was watching this segment in 2022, I burst out laughing at that line.Watch the video below.

Part I

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https://youtu.be/ -hbUAkItp84 - (I think this is Part I - I couldn't find "Carlito's Cabana with Big Show, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Edge & John Cena 1/2 (WWE RAW) HD | 2005"

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Part II

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https://youtu.be/ 70V-LXxfKjs - Carlito's Cabana with Big Show, Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, Edge & John Cena 2/2 (WWE RAW) HD | 2005

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So that segment is from October 2005. I can tell you that in October 2005, I lived in our current house and we were approaching our 1 year anniversary of doing so, which was going to be December 2005.

Want to know how my brain works when determining if I can write the following sentence: 

I can tell you that in October 2005, I lived in our current house and we were approaching our 1 year anniversary of doing so, which was going to be December 2005.  

It may be what other people do but I start with a major milestone in life and work my way forward. The milestone I use is 2004.

• 2004 was the Memphis in May concert that I went to with Phil, Jamie, and Serbi, which was then followed with seeing Godsmack open for Metallica in August 2004 in Moline and the reason I know it was in Moline is because my godson's birthday party was that same day in Blue Grass, IA, and I had arranged to have Serbi and ... hmmm.... You know, I don't remember who else was in our group that day. 
• I remember that I had arranged to meet my group at the Walcott Truck Stop so that I could ride with the group to the concert. Fast forward a bit, and I can say that I know that it was at this concert when Serbi told me that he and his wife were going to get a divorce. Their 11th wedding anniversary was going to be in 11 days, on 9-4-2004. In general, I would remember nothing about this concert if I had not purchased the live recording of it on https://www.livemetallica.com/live-music/0,62/Metallica-mp3-flac-download-8-22-2004-Mark-of-the-Quad-Cities-Moline-IL.html
• And the reason I know we moved into our current house in December 2004 is because when I went to Memphis in May 2004, Phil, Serbi, and Jamie picked me up at our old house.
• 2005 was the year Karen, Megan, Alex, Lou, Jean, and I went to Disney. 
• And the reason I know we had moved into our current house in December 2004 is because when we went to Disney, the 6 of us left our current house and drove to Dave's house in Blue Grass because he was taking us to the Quad Cities Airport for our flight. To continue along this path, I remember that we took a later flight that morning and because we had agreed to take a later flight, Allegiant Airlines gave us 6 flight vouchers, which is a key detail for how I remember the events of 2006. 

See how I did that? I used a major event in my life to work forward to where I wanted to end up. I can keep going:

• 2006 was the year Karen, Lou, Jean, Dave, Chris, and I used the 6 flight vouchers from the Disney trip in 2005 to go to the Grand Bahamas.
• 2007 was the Memphis in May concert that I went to with Phil, Kevin, and BSS. We took Phil's Honda Element, which was a very awesome orange car and the play was to be picked up at our current house. 
• I remember more about when I was dropped off than when I was picked up because I had bought a t-shirt for Karen in Memphis and a birthday card for Karen's birthday at a Wal-Mart along the way home, which was unimpressive to the birthday girl. 
• 2008 was the year that doesn't really jump out at me for having any huge milestones except that Karen planned a surprise party on my 39th birthday in December. That turned out to be a good thing because...
• 2009 was the year I turned 40 and was actually in UIHC as a patient for pneumonia on my 40th birthday. It was also the year that Megan tipped over a golf cart in Elkader because, as I was in my hospital bed in December 2009, Karen and I were discussing a bill we had received from the Elkader Country Club to pay for damages to the golf cart.

So that is how my brain works.

BS 2020

5478 days Ago Today

Friday, April 30, 2004

Budweiser Stage
Sound Tribe Sector 9    6:30pm
Saw==>G. Love & Special Sauce    8:00 pm  <==SawSaw==> Saliva    9:35 pm <==Saw  
The Offspring  11:10 pm
Gossett Volkswagen Stage
Saw==>Smile Empty Soul   6:20 pm <==Saw
Trapt   7:40 pm
Chaka Khan   9:05 pm
Saw==> Styx   10:35 pm <==Saw
Autozone Stage
MRNORTH    6:15 pm
Johnny Clegg Band featuring the music of Juluka and Savuka 7:35 pm
Joss Stone   9:05 pm
George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic 10:35 pm
NBA Rhythm'n Rims presented by Sprite Blues Tent
Slick Ballinger & the Soul Blues Boyz   6:30 pm
Bettye LaVette    8:00 pm
Michael Burks   9:35 pm
Charlie Musselwhite   11:15 pm

Saturday, May 1, 2004 - it rained this night...

Budweiser Stage
The Gamble Brothers Band    2:15 pm
Buddy Guy & Double Trouble     3:55 pm
Yonder Mountain String Band    5:40 pm
Indigo Girls   7:15 pm
Collective Soul   9:00 pm
Journey    10:45 pm
Gossett Volkswagen Stage
Saw==>Porch Ghouls    2:30 pm <==Saw
Saw==>Shinedown    4:00 pm <==Saw
Switchfoot   5:30 pm
Fuel    7:15 pm
Sister Hazel    9:00 pm
Puddle of Mudd    10:45 pm
Autozone Stage
Lucero   2:30 pm
Paul Thorn   4:30 pm
Robert Earl Keen   6:15 pm
Jerry Lee Lewis   8:00 pm
Doug E. Fresh   9:45 pm
Anthony Hamilton   11:15 pm
NBA Rhythm'n Rims presented by Sprite Blues Tent
Zac Harmon & Mid-South Blues Revue   2:00 pm
Delta Moon   3:20 pm
Robert 'Wolfman' Belfour   4:50 pm
Renee Austin   6:20 pm
Ellis Hooks   7:55 pm
Eric Sardinas   9:30 pm
Bernard Allison   11:10 pm

Sunday, May 2, 2004

Budweiser Stage
Free Sol   2:20 pm
The Wailers   3:50 pm
Bar-Kays   5:40 pm
Live   7:25 pm
Foo Fighters   9:10 pm
Gossett Volkswagen Stage
Sonny Burgess & The Pacers   2:00 pm
Drive-By Truckers   3:40 pm
Charlie Daniels Band   5:25 pm
Little Milton   7:10 pm
Steve Miller Band   8:50 pm
Autozone Stage
Josh Kelley   2:15 pm
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones   3:25 pm <==Saw
Gov't Mule   5:00 pm <==Saw 
O.A.R.   6:45 pm
Tone Loc   8:30 pm
Three 6 Mafia   9:40 pm <==Saw
NBA Rhythm'n Rims presented by Sprite Blues Tent
Super Chikan & The Fighting Cocks   2:20 pm
Richard Johnston    3:55 pm
Tinsley Ellis   5:35 pm
Otis Taylor   7:15 pm
Anson Funderburgh & The Rockets with Sam Myers 9:00 pm

This is just stupid . . . until I thought with my Wallet

Initially, I thought it was really stupid to announce that My Morning Jacket is playing 3 concerts in August 2019. Their first concert is 8 months from today (243 days) and I thought, "Why is this being announced now when it is so far away?" The email I received with the following information seemed premature:

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MY MORNING JACKET UNVEIL A LIMITED RUN OF 2019 SUMMER DATES

3X GRAMMY® AWARD-NOMINATED BAND ANNOUNCE
HEADLINE SHOWS AT HISTORIC U.S. VENUES

EXCLUSIVE DATES INCLUDE RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE ON AUGUST 2 AND 3
AND FOREST HILLS STADIUM ON AUGUST 10

ONLY PLANNED SHOWS FOR THE BAND IN 2019

PRE-SALES BEGIN TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4

"[One of the '50 greatest live acts right now'], they're the quintessential 21st century rock & roll psychedelic band, fusing decades ofrock history into exploratory jams and anthems." [Rolling Stone magazine]

My Morning Jacket has unveiled a very limited and exclusive run of dates for summer 2019. The acclaimed American rock band has announced not-to-be-missed headline performances that will include songs from their voluminous catalog at two historic venues: Morrison, CO's legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre on August 2 and 3 and Queens, NY's Forest Hills Stadium on August 10. These are the only planned live dates by the band in 2019.

Fan club ad VIP pre-sales begin Tuesday, December 4at 10 am local; AMEX pre-sales run from Wednesday, December 5 at 10 am local; local pre-sales follow on Thursday, December 6 from 10 am local. All remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, December 7 at 10 am local. For complete details, please visit www.mymorningjacket.com/events.

MY MORNING JACKET
2019 SUMMER DATES
AUGUST
2 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
3 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre
10 - Queens, NY - Forest Hills Stadium

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But then I thought, "Wait. Summer is a great time to catch concerts by bands!" In my recent history, there was Metallica / Avenged Sevenfold / Volbeat in Newton, Iowa, followed by going with Alex to Chicago Open Air for their 3 day festival, where we saw KISS, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Seether, Megadeth, Metal Church, Ozzy, Stone Sour, Korn, Anthrax, Hell Yeah, Slayer, (I could hear Slayer playing on the second stage, but couldn't see them because I didn't want to give up my good spot I had acquired for seeing Ozzy Osbourne, who was the next band to play on the main stage), and many more. Then, in summer 2018, I went to Des Moines in July 2018 to see Shinedown / Godsmack, which was followed by seeing Papa Roach / Chevelle in August 2018 in Des Moines. My point is that summer is a great time to catch live music.

The other side of the awesomeness of seeing concerts is that it does cost money. When I realized that, I realized that one of the likely reasons My Morning Jacket has announced these shows so early is that they know fans want to see concerts in the summer and if they put their dates out for public knowledge this early, there's a chance that My Morning Jacket will get their fans to (basically) commit to seeing their concert, thus snatching up guaranteed revenue. Sure, their fans may certainly go see other concerts during the summer, but by announcing their dates ahead of time, budget-conscious fans can choose where they want to spend their money. That may be why the Memphis in May festival has announced, per http://www.memphisinmay.org/engage/blog/2019-beale-street-music-festival-passes-on-sale, "Just in time for the holidays, Memphis in May announces that 2019 Beale Street Music Festival 3-Day Passes are on sale NOW" and goes on to say, "Although the 2019 lineup will not be announced until February, Festival organizers are offering a limited number of 3-day passes at the deeply discounted price of only $115 during the pre-sale." Again, this is the Memphis in May trying to grab some concert budgets.

Clear and Concise Wins the Gig

I don't believe I will ever need to book a show (or attempt to book a show) at the Hi Tone Cafe in Memphis, TN (which is a really cool place I visited during my trips to Memphis in May in both 2003 & 2007). That said, I really like how their Band Booking page is concise:

I especially like that the last sentence, which spells out how far in advance they book bands. Thus, if I wanted to book a band there now, the earliest I could would be October 1, which is 6 weeks from today.

Best Band Playing at Memphis in May 2018

The lineup for Memphis in May 2018 was released and it's pretty dismal. There's no way I could attend this year as we are going on a family vacation in early May. Here's the poster:

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There may be a few other bands that would be 'okay' to see - Clutch would be okay since I wasn't able to see them at Chicago Open Air 2017; otherwise, Chevelle is the only band that I really would want to see. 

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The lineup on Sunday is by far the weakest day - there's NOBODY playing that I would want to see. Out of 66 bands they list, that's a terrible percentage:

1. Action Bronson
2. Al Kapone
3. Alanis Morissette
4. All Time Low
5. Amasa Hines
6. Andrew W.K.
7. Biscuit Miller and The Mix
8. Blind Mississippi Morris
9. Butch Mudbone
10. Cake
11. Calexico
12. Chevelle
13. Chinese Connection Dub Embassy
14. Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
15. Clutch
16. Dan Barta and Illustratosphere
17. Dashboard Confessional
18. David Byrne
19. Delbert McClinton
20. DRAM
21. Earl "The Pearl" Banks
22. Eddy "The Chief" Clearwater
23. Erykah Badu
24. flor
25. Franz Ferdinand
26. Ghost Town Blues Band
27. Gov't Mule
28. Incubus
29. J. Roddy Walston & The Business
30. Jack White
31. Jimmy "Duck" Holmes
32. Joanna Connor
33. Juicy J
34. Kaleo
35. Logic
36. Love Light Orchestra
37. Ludacris
38. Luke Combs
39. Marcia Ball
40. Margo Price
41. Misterwives
42. North Mississippi Allstars
43. Odesza
44. Oh Wonder
45. Post Malone
46. Queens of the Stone Age
47. R.L. Boyce
48. Reba Russell
49. Robert Randolph and The Family Band
50. Sam Joyner
51. Star & Micey
52. Tank and The Bangas
53. Tav Falco And The Panther Burns
54. Terry "Big T" Williams
55. The Flaming Lips
56. Third Eye Blind
57. Tommy Castro And The Painkillers
58. Tora Tora
59. Tyler, The Creator
60. Valerie June
61. Vance Joy
62. Washboard Shorty & Reverend Robert Rev
63. Wilderado
64. Young Dolph
65. Zac Harmon
66. Zeke Johnson

Keep in mind, I've seen some really good bands at Memphis in May 2004:

1. Anson Funderburgh- 2004 Memphis in May
2. Anthony Hamilton- 2004 Memphis in May
3. Barkays- 2004 Memphis in May
4. Bela Fleck- 2004 Memphis in May
5. Bernard Allison- 2004 Memphis in May
6. Bettye Lavette- 2004 Memphis in May
7. Buddy Guy- 2004 Memphis in May
8. Chaka Kahn- 2004 Memphis in May
9. Charlie Daniels Band- 2004 Memphis in May
10. Charlie Musselwhite- 2004 Memphis in May
11. Collective Soul- 2004 Memphis in May
12. Doug E Fresh- 2004 Memphis in May
13. Drive By Truckers- 2004 Memphis in May
14. Ellis Hooks- 2004 Memphis in May
15. Eric Sardinas- 2004 Memphis in May
16. Foo Fighters- 2004 Memphis in May
17. Fuel- 2004 Memphis in May
18. G Love and Special Sauce- 2004 Memphis in May
19. George Clinton- 2004 Memphis in May
20. Gov't Mule- 2004 Memphis in May
21. Indigo Girls- 2004 Memphis in May
22. Jerry Lee Lewis- 2004 Memphis in May
23. Johnny Clegg- 2004 Memphis in May
24. Josh Kelley- 2004 Memphis in May
25. Joss Stone- 2004 Memphis in May
26. Journey- 2004 Memphis in May
27. Little Milton- 2004 Memphis in May
28. Live- 2004 Memphis in May
29. Michael Burks- 2004 Memphis in May
30. O.A.R.- 2004 Memphis in May
31. Otis Taylor- 2004 Memphis in May
32. Paul Thorn- 2004 Memphis in May
33. Puddle of Mudd- 2004 Memphis in May
34. Richard Johnston- 2004 Memphis in May
35. Robert Earl Keen- 2004 Memphis in May
36. Saliva- 2004 Memphis in May
37. Shinedown- 2004 Memphis in May
38. Sister Hazel- 2004 Memphis in May
39. Smile Empty Soul- 2004 Memphis in May
40. Sonny Burgess and The Pacers- 2004 Memphis in May
41. Sound Tribe Sector 9- 2004 Memphis in May
42. Steve Miller Band- 2004 Memphis in May
43. Styx- 2004 Memphis in May
44. Switchfoot- 2004 Memphis in May
45. The Offspring- 2004 Memphis in May
46. The Wailers- 2004 Memphis in May
47. Three 6 Mafia- 2004 Memphis in May
48. Tinsley Ellis- 2004 Memphis in May
49. Tone Loc- 2004 Memphis in May
50. Trapt- 2004 Memphis in May
51. Yonder Mountain String Band- 2004 Memphis in May

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Memphis in May 2007 was not a shabby lineup either:

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1. Allman Brothers- 2007 Memphis in May
2. Alvin Youngblood Hart- 2007 Memphis in May
3. Ann Peebles- 2007 Memphis in May
4. Barenaked Ladies- 2007 Memphis in May
5. Barkays- 2007 Memphis in May
6. Billy Lee Riley- 2007 Memphis in May
7. Bobby Bland- 2007 Memphis in May
8. Corrine Bailey Rae- 2007 Memphis in May
9. Counting Crowes- 2007 Memphis in May
10. Daughtry- 2007 Memphis in May
11. David "Honeyboy" Edwards- 2007 Memphis in May
12. Derek Trucks Band- 2007 Memphis in May
13. Eddie Floyd- 2007 Memphis in May
14. Edwin McCain- 2007 Memphis in May
15. Egypt Central- 2007 Memphis in May
16. Elvin Bishop- 2007 Memphis in May
17. George Thorogood- 2007 Memphis in May
18. Godsmack- 2007 Memphis in May
19. Gov't Mule- 2007 Memphis in May
20. Guster- 2007 Memphis in May
21. Hawthorne Heights- 2007 Memphis in May
22. Hinder- 2007 Memphis in May
23. Hubert Sumlin- 2007 Memphis in May
24. Iggy Pop and The Stooges- 2007 Memphis in May
25. Jack's Mannequin- 2007 Memphis in May
26. Jerry Lee Lewis- 2007 Memphis in May
27. John Butler Trio- 2007 Memphis in May
28. John Legend- 2007 Memphis in May
29. Keller Williams- 2007 Memphis in May
30. Kelly Hurt- 2007 Memphis in May
31. Kenny Wayne Shepherd- 2007 Memphis in May
32. Koko Taylor- 2007 Memphis in May
33. North Mississippi Allstars- 2007 Memphis in May
34. Ohio Players- 2007 Memphis in May
35. Papa Roach- 2007 Memphis in May
36. Popa Chubby- 2007 Memphis in May
37. Project Pat- 2007 Memphis in May
38. Red Jumpsuit Apparatus- 2007 Memphis in May
39. Richard Johnston- 2007 Memphis in May
40. Social Distortion- 2007 Memphis in May
41. Steely Dan- 2007 Memphis in May
42. Super Chikan- 2007 Memphis in May
43. Tab Benoit- 2007 Memphis in May
44. Taj Mahal and Phantom Blues Band- 2007 Memphis in May
45. Taking Back Sunday- 2007 Memphis in May
46. The Duhks- 2007 Memphis in May
47. Three 6 Mafia- 2007 Memphis in May
48. Umphrey's McGee- 2007 Memphis in May
49. Walter Trout- 2007 Memphis in May
50. Watermelon Slim- 2007 Memphis in May
51. Wolfmother- 2007 Memphis in May

Idiotic

The date in RED is when the Foo Fighters play Memphis, TN, at the Fed Ex Forum; the dates in PURPLE are the dates for Memphis in May 2018. The Foo Fighters play 5/4 in Nashville, TN, @ Bridgestone Arena, but WHY OH WHY didn't they get the Foo Fighters to headline either night 2 or night 3 of Memphis in May 2018 when they are SO DANG CLOSE to Memphis anyways?!? I know they've been the headline act for one of the nights for Memphis in May so there is a precedent.

Carolina Rebellion 2017

Carolina Rebellion 2017 Lineups Announced

In alpha order:

1. A Perfect Circle
2. All That Remains
3. Alter Bridge
4. Amon Amarth
5. As Lions
6. Avenged Sevenfold
7. Badflower
8. Beartooth
9. Chevelle
10. Citizen Zero
11. Coheed and Cambria
12. Cover Your Tracks
13. Crobot
14. DED
15. Def Leppard
16. Dinosaur Pile-Up
17. Dorothy
18. Eagles of Death Metal
19. Every Time I Die
20. Falling In Reverse
21. Fire From The Gods
22. Fozzy
23. Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes
24. Gojira
25. Goodbye June
26. Highly Suspect
27. I Prevail
28. In Flames
29. In This Moment
30. Korn
31. Kyng
32. Machine Gun Kelly
33. Mastodon
34. Mother Feather
35. Motionless In White
36. Nothing More
37. Opeth
38. Papa Roach
39. Pierce The Veil
40. Radkey
41. Rival Sons
42. Royal Republic
43. Seether
44. Skillet
45. Soundgarden
46. Starset
47. Sum 41
48. Sylar
49. Taking Back Sunday
50. Tesla
51. The Amity Affliction
52. The Charm The Fury
53. The Cult
54. The Dillinger Escape Plan
55. The Offspring
56. The Pretty Reckless
57. Three Days Grace
58. Volbeat
59. Volumes
60. Wage War

Editor's Note: This post was composed on Tuesday, 12/6/2016, when I thought there was a zero percent chance that I'd be in North Carolina today. I think it'd be a great 3 day festival. On the same day, I checked for the Memphis in May 2017 lineup, which is the same weekend, and only saw this:

Personally, I think the Memphis in May organization needs to make their announcement around this time the year before because it's possible that these two festivals are competing for the same dollar. The only way Memphis in May 2017 happens is if Metallica is playing <grin>. Since they are playing two weeks later in Columbus, OH, who knows what will happen.

Update: On Friday, February 10, 2017, I purchased tickets for Alex and I to attend the Chicago Open Air concert in July 2017. On Monday, February 13, 2017, Metallica announced a 25 date summer tour with two area shows, which are discussed in this post.

Update: On Wednesday, February 15, 2017, I checked the Memphis in May page and saw this:


Update: On Wednesday, February 22, 2017, I checked the Memphis in May page and saw this:

Memphis in May 2015 Lineup

Get ready! The latest festival I'm not going to this year has announced their 2015 lineup! http://www.memphisinmay.org/beale-street-music-festival

Concert Season Upon the Masses

• I'm preparing for going to Winter Jam 2015 in Des Moines on Friday night with Alex, mainly because Skillet is the headliner and they are Alex's favorite band. With this concert, I will have seen Skillet in concert 4 times, which is the same number of times I have seen Metallica.
• Rocklahoma 2015 announced their lineup here.
• The Memphis in May 2015 lineup is being announced on Friday, February 27.
• Slipknot & Hatebreed are coming to Cedar Rapids.
• Mastodon & Clutch are coming to Des Moines in May
• Welcome to Rockville has a killer lineup in Jacksonville, FL.

Memphis in May 2014 Lineup

The 2014 edition of Memphis in May looks like a sweet lineup of bands! Motorhead would be a definite band to catch especially since the infamous Lemmy has been battling health issues. I'd also like to see Seether and Avenged Sevenfold. I kind of can crack the code as far as who is playing at the same time and the way I read the order of the bands, it looks like I would be able to simply plant myself in front of a stage and not have to go from one end of the stage to another. Buddy Guy is playing and that'd be awesome as well.

http://consequenceofsound.net/2014/02/beale-street-music-festival-reveals-2014-lineup-foster-the-people-alabama-shakes-motorhead/

Memphis in May 2013

Here's the line up for this year's concert and I must say, I'm impressed. It has The Black Keys, ZZ Top, and it also has Three Days Grace and Papa Roach. I especially like this version of the schedule because it breaks out the bands by stage / day. It doesn't specify if the order of the bands is the way they will actually be scheduled.

Still not going, but I would like what I would hear if I were.

How long has this festival existed? Wikipedia to the rescue! But then, has Wikipedia ever been wrong? Apparently so.

Another Festival I watch with Great Interest

Meanwhile, Memphis in May hasn't announced their lineup yet for May 3 - 5 2013:

40 Years of KISS & "National" Press Bullcrap

A couple of music things today. First, it is the 40th anniversary of KISS' first show. From their humble beginnings of playing in front of 10 people for $50 to now, when they charge at least $50 a ticket person, KISS has achieved what hundreds of bands will not come close to achieving. Some bands spend months in a basement and never play a gig (thinking of summer 1989 with Assume).

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Moving on, I've been to a festival in Memphis, TN, twice - once in 2003, once in 2007. This is the press credentials section for the festival on their website:http://www.memphisinmay.org/mediacredentialrequests

It's a bunch of crap.

The third bullet wipes out dailyvault.com and my attendance. There should be some sort of first come, first granted clause. I guarantee you that I, someone who writes for an independent site, am not going to approach my review like someone from a national site. As an independent writer, I am a fan of the bands that play the festival. I'm not forced to go - I want to be there. Those writers that are assigned to cover the event or forced to go will simply write a meaningless review that has no credibility. I've read those reviews over and over. For a long time, there was a concert reviewer that covered heavy metal concerts in the area. Without fail, she would criticize the bands that played. She would complain about the volume, about the acoustics of the arena, and the actual song titles? She couldn't be bothered to mention them correctly five out of ten times. Thus, attending a music festival should be based upon previous articles published, whether on the Internet or in print. It should be based upon your portfolio and if you are a first-time writer, sorry, denied. I have no idea how many press credential requests are submitted, but it seems to me, the attitude of this festival is that they have been burned previously by amateur writers just looking to get in to a show for free. They ruin it for the rest of us.

Music Festivals I'm Not Going to attend...

Three music festivals in different geographic areas caught my attention.

First, there's a heavy metal festival in New Jersey that has been happening for 11 years. This is its 12th year. I've never been to New Jersey. A two day ticket for this concert is $80, which is not a bad price if you like this type of music. I am a heavy metal fan but Cookie Monster vocals don't impress me. I have no desire whatsoever to go see more than one or two of these bands. Most of them, I've never heard of. I'm not as involved in the heavy metal/hardcore scene as I thought I used to be. I still write music reviews (http://www.dailyvault.com/toc.php5?review=6492 is my latest review) for Dailyvault.com, but I'm finding my interests take me other places.

I digress. Here are the bands and their time slots. Look at Friday. A band starts @ noon and the second band starts a 1/2 hour later @ 12:30. So, they are actually going to play 20 minutes to allow 10 minutes to change the equipment?!? Bands with a <== indicate someone I've actually heard of. Second Stage Friday 12 noon MONSTERS 12:30 p.m. XTHEWARX 1 p.m. GRAVE MAKER 1:30 p.m. FORFEIT 2 p.m. DONNYBROOK! 2:30 p.m. BURNING EMPIRES 3 p.m. THICK AS BLOOD 3:30 p.m. C.O.A. 4 p.m. MONGOLOIDS 4:30 p.m. DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR 5 p.m. DEATH THREAT 5:30 p.m. EARTH CRISIS <== 6:15 p.m. CRO MAGS <== Main Stage Friday 3:10 p.m. HOWL 3:40 p.m. ARCHITECT UK 4:10 p.m. AFTER THE BURIAL 4:40 p.m. NACHTMYSTIUM 5:25 p.m. DOOMRIDERS 6:10 p.m. FALL OF TROY 6:55 p.m. VALIANT THOR 7:40 p.m. BARONESS 8:35 p.m. BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME <== 10 p.m. MASTODON <== Second Stage Saturday 12 noon ACROSS THE SUN 12:30 p.m. SWASHBUCKLE 1 p.m. ROSE FUNERAL 1:30 p.m. ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS 2 p.m. XTYRANTX 2:30 p.m. GAZA 3 p.m. TONY DANZA 3:30 p.m. ALPHA OMEGA 4 p.m. SOUL CONTROL 4:30 p.m. REIGN SUPREME 5 p.m. CRUEL HAND 5 p.m. DISEMBODIED 6:15 p.m. MUNICIPAL WASTE <== don't know if I've actually heard their music Main Stage Saturday 12:15 p.m. ACARO 12:45 p.m. LECHEROUS NOCTURNE 1:15 p.m. MALEFICE 1:45 p.m. PERIPHERY 2:15 p.m. CHELSEA GRIN 2:45 p.m. ABACABB 3:15 p.m. TTEOTD 3:45 p.m. HOLY GRAIL 4:15 p.m. CATTLE DECAPITATION <== these guys SUCK!!! 4:45 p.m. IMPENDING DOOM 5:25 p.m. SKELETON WITCH 6:10 p.m. 1349 7 p.m. ELUVEITIE 7:50 p.m. WHITE CHAPEL 8:40 p.m. JOB FOR A COWBOY <== wasn't impressed with this band 9:45 p.m. AMON AMARTH <== this wouldn't be a bad band to see - very good power metal 11:30 p.m. CANNIBAL CORPSE <== are you kidding me?!? these guys suck! So... yeah, not going. My assumption is the music is a lot like this.

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The second festival is Rocklahoma. It is about 7 hours from my house. It looks like a good show. However, my experience with the Memphis in May concerts is that sometimes the bands you really want to see are playing at the same time on two different stages. That has happened to me before. You as a concert audience member have to choose. That is why I am holding out on my opinion on this show until they announce the times for the bands to play. If I really wanted to see ZZ Top and they are playing at the same time as Godsmack, how do you choose? The third festival is the aforementioned Memphis in May. I'm getting older. I really am. I don't really think I could go through this concert again. It always rains. There's always a lot of walking - I mean A LOT of walking - and in the crowds, it's not all that much fun. I've never had a bad time in Memphis. It's just that I'm getting older and spending nearly $700 on myself (figuring $100/day x 5, plus hotel) is just not in the cards for me. More info about it here

Memphis in May 2010

The greatest concert I'm not going to in 2010...

Dip to the archives

Before I ever started writing this blog, I met someone famous (gasp). I interviewed Jeff Pilson, who was the bassist for Dokken at the time. For the pic below, Dokken drummer Mick Brown showed up.
Here's proof.

Currently unavailable...

Can't we catch the Sun ... just once?

With each Saturday baseball practice, it seems like the weather never cooperates. Last week, it was cold and windy. Today is no different. It doesn't feel like baseball season. Yet, in about 15 minutes, I'll go up to Alex's room, wake him up, we'll get in the car and go.

It also rained in Memphis. I talked to my friend Phi ~11 PM last night. He said they got drenched. That's par for the Memphis in May course - it has to rain at least once. The forecast is better for today through Sunday but I'd imagine the mud people will emerge on the grounds. They're the crazy ones who frolic in the mud that is caused by the rain. Hair, clothes, & shoes all become caked in mud when the Mud People emerge. They are entertaining to watch.

Alex's coach just called. No practice today. Instead, we're getting together @ 2. That's for the better, I think, so that the kids don't get sick. Don't need sick kids going into the season.

Pickles and the MiM schedule

Here's some shameless self-promotion - my review of the new Whitesnake CD is now published on Daily Vault.com.

In addition to having a review published - always a good day in my mind - I woke up today. That's better than not waking up in my book.

Second of all, the Pickles cartoon in the newspaper today was hilarious:

I think there are a lot of husbands in the world who read that and think, "Wow. How'd they get the hidden camera set up!"



Third, the Memphis in May 2008 time schedule was released. I think the lineup looks pretty good but, honestly, not as good as last year and not as good as 2004. I think the main gist of my opinion comes from my musical tastes.

I think it would be a good time - the two times I went were a lot of fun - and I admit to liking to being with the guys in a strange city. The weather has cooperated about 75% of the time - there has been rain both times I was in Memphis - but the people are great. I think that there is something to be said very positively for the city of Memphis. There are a lot of attractions and walking down Beale Street and absorbing the history of this avenue is inspiring. The food is outstanding and as long as you don't go to a busy restaurant, you're fine.
This year, though, instead of being in Memphis, I'll be in Iowa. The last time I missed 'the next year' after a Memphis trip, my family went to Disney World in Orlando.

As a side note, in 2008, there's actually no big vacation planned. We are going to not go on a major family vacation. Instead, we're going to go to the Grand Canyon next summer and fly down instead of driving. My parents are taking the kids to Mackinac Island in MI so that's their vacation and my vacation is 5 weeks of camping in Elkader. We will park our camper in our spot on Friday, June 13th (oh how I do not want to have bad weather or issues that day!) and not move it until Sunday, July 13th. Do not expect a lot of updates during that month!


Fourth and finally, there's a lot of good information about Metallica's ninth studio album @ Wikipedia. I have been a Metallica fan since 1988. Shortly after I graduated from high school, it seems, I started getting into their music. In college, prior to the Black release, I was ridiculed for liking Metallica. "That's not music," I remember a friend of mine telling me. That same friend thought "Enter Sandman" was awesome when it was released. Radio stations never wanted anything to do with Metallica's Kill 'em All, Ride the Lightening, or Master of Puppets releases when they were new. Yet, now, the two local rock stations, KRNA & Rock 108, now proudly play vintage Metallica. I've heard "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Fade to Black," "Seek and Destroy," "One," "Harvester of Sorrow," and, just yesterday, Rock 108's "6 Pack at 5" show started out with "Blackened." I saw the band in August 2004 and they were excellent. I even bought that gig from http://www.livemetallica.com because it was so stellar. I don't really care when the 9th studio CD is released - it could be Christmas for all I care. I just want it to be a good release and for the band to fully integrate Robert Trujillo's bass into their sound. That's the key - incorporate the bass into the next generation of Metallica.