With Thanksgiving upon us in the U.S., I thought it would be cool for a thread to name your musical experiences (concerts, albums, meetings, etc.) you were most thankful for in 2019.
Iron Maiden (twice) - I got to see Iron Maiden twice this year. Back-to-back nights. The first night was with my family and one of my best friends, who flew out from the East Coast to take it in with us. My daughter got to see Iron Maiden for the first time, and was blown away at the spectacle. The second night, he and I drove 90 minutes for the second show, got a free upgrade, and took in another (even more stellar) Maiden performance. Great memories with the family, and with my friend, and celebrating Bruce being back to full form.
Fates Warning (road trip) - I saw Fates Warning three times this year. Twice as an opening act, and then a full-on headline show. The first opening set, I was smack dead center front row. Great energy. The next night, my family was with me, so my wife went down front, and my daughter and I hung at the back and watched. The third night was a headline show that I drove a couple of hours for. Literally saw Fates Warning do a full show, like they were playing a big theater, in a bar the size of a three-car garage. Incredible. And I made some great new friends, as a couple of guys drove from Utah to take in all three shows. It was a blast.
Dream Theater: Distance Over Time and tour - I swore I was done seeing DT after the I&W 25th tour in Oakland. I hadn't liked the band's new music in years, and I&W was my favorite record, and it just wasn't a great night vocally for JLB. I was done. And then...Distance Over Time came out, and it blew me away. And the show was great, and thanks to a friend, I got to meet some of DT. John Petrucci was sick as a dog, but his tech came out, and was gracious enough to take my LP, and John signed it for me backstage. A great show, a great record, and faith restored in my hometown Long Island-based band.
The Tea Party - Been a fan of these guys for 20 years. The only problem? They rarely played shows in the United States. They're from Canada. Every so often, a show in Buffalo, N.Y. would pop up (I think it was an eight-hour drive from where I grew up on Long Island), or Seattle (a flight from where I live now). But lucky for me, they played a club in the Bay Area, and I got to see them perform an incredible set with maybe 100 other people. They didn't disappoint. Just crushed it.
Hootie & The Blowfish - I am a fan of Hootie, and have been since Cracked Rear View in 1994. I have a thing for a couple of bands in that era, Hootie, DMB, Blues Traveler, etc. Well, I never got the opportunity to see Hootie, and always wanted to. I still love Cracked Rear View, and it was the 25th anniversary of the album this year. I got a killer seat at our local amphitheater, and they put on a great gig. It was nice to check a band off the list. Don't think I'll see them again, as I got to hear what I wanted, and I'm not an uber fan any longer. But I was really thankful I finally got to see them. Darius Rucker just has this quality in his voice that resonates with me.
Alter Bridge: Walk the Sky - My favorite band puts out a new record, and I love it, and totally sink my ears into the nuances of what they were trying to achieve musically, and thematically. I never thought after the original lineup of Queensryche disbanded, that I'd ever quite hear another band like them again...one that resonated. And AB does, in every way, and I am so stoked to have another record by them (can't wait for the show next year).
The Rue - Who, you ask?
This is an acoustic duo. A father and daughter duo. You may recognize their last name - DeGarmo. Yes, Chris DeGarmo, and his daughter Rylie, have been making music together for many years, on the side, as something between the two of them. They release songs periodically. Being a father of a girl myself, and realizing the importance of finding a connection, the fact that Chris and Rylie have connected with music as their thing just pulls on the heartstrings. What I am thankful for isn't a new album or anything. But they did perform this year, unannounced, as a special opening act for Alice in Chains at the WaMu Theater in Seattle, on Sep. 20. I haven't seen their full performance, but this surfaced on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/lE82kUiFvikChris DeGarmo is my favorite guitarist/songwriter of all time, and you hear his distinct style and phrasings all over this, just like you do on all of The Rue's music. Some of it sounds like Promised Land/HITNF acoustic material, just to a female vocal. It may seem simple, and I wasn't there personally, unfortunately, but just watching my favorite musician perform live again, with his daughter, just made my heart full.
Topic: What Musical Experiences Are You Most Thankful For In 2019? (Read 2726 times)
