skonopa Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 This was almost a last minute thing, but this was just to good an oppurtunity to pass up. I had to leave work early yesterday due to other things. Although the weather was nice (albeit a bit hot), I could not really think of anything I really wanted to do. I went to the Jaxx's website to see if any ticket were avaible. It said there was - jumped in the car and cruised up there! And I am so friggan glad I did! If you all only knew just how many years I've been waiting to see these guys live and then get to actually see them live - twice - in two days! And it even gets better! After the show was over, me and and handful of guys was hoping to get to meet them when they came out. We ended up hanging out in the bar for the next TWO HOURS!!!! I was friggan floating on cloud 9 at this point! One of my all-time most favorite bands - one of my dreams to get to meet Timo Kotipelto (friggan love his solo albums) - and here I was sharing a couple rounds of drinks with him!!!!! Just shooting the breeze well into the night! I did not get out of there until something like 2 in the friggan morning (and the show ended at around 11PM!!) I still cannot believe it - put here I am, looking at the picture of me with him!! If I'd known, I'd brought a CD or something. I ended up having him sign my ticket stub - which is now safely put inside with the liner note in my copy of Visions CD! The set they played here was identical to the set they played at ProgPower VI. If anybody read that friggan long @$$ post I made in that thread, the same comments pretty much apply here. However, there was one very big difference. I was right up next to the stage - directly in front of Timo Kotipelto. I friggan almost on top of him! I did make one mistake in my ProgPower comments. Juri has left the band and the bassist is Lauri Porra. That was also who was at ProgPower VI. Also I was wearing my ProgPower USA VI T-shirt - and the friggan comments I was getting from other people there. Everybody was asking me "How was Angra?" "How was Symphorce?", "How was.....", "What was the show like?" and so forth. I still had the ProgPower USA VI pictures in my camera, so I was showing them to people. It was also pretty cool when I was talking to the bassist Lauri Porra. He saw my shirt and pretty much said "Oh look at that - you got the same shirt I have" (after the show the band members cleaned up some and changed to ProgPower USA T-shirts and jeans and shorts). I told him that I was indeed there - third row and on the right of the stage. Before Stratovarious, there was a band called Into Eternity that was on. I pretty much call them a death band with progressive elements. They bill themselves as "death metal for those that like prog and prog metal for those that like death". I am not into the growling and such, but this outfit did put on one hell of show that night. It was the second time I've heard them (they also fronted the Edguy/Hammerfall show I've seen earlier this summer). There was one kinda funny moment during there set. I don't know what the lead singer was trying to do, but right there in front of me, he tried to climb up that small railing that is immediatly in front of the stage. Well he slipped and damn near fell into me! [] His head hit my arm, and he almost dropped the microphone, but thankfully the dude next to me caught him. We both as well as some chick on the otherside of me helped him regain his balance and get back on stage. One thing, though, he did not seem to miss a beat, though! [H] Over all, friggan unbelieviable! Hell, I was more excited about getting to hang out with the band in the bar than I was with the show itself! Still cannot believe it - getting to hang out with my all-time favorite band! EDIT: I posted some pictures below. I am going to set up a photo gallery, hopefully within the next couple days and get the rest posted. I managed to get some pretty interesting shots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 It give you an idea of just how close I was, here is a picture I took of Timo Kotipelto singing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 Here is a picture of myself (the big dude in the middle) with Timo Kotipelto (on the right) and Lauri Porra (on the left) at the bar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 And lastly here is a picture of myself with Jorg Micheal (the drummer). Eveybody there was telling me I must be his twin brother. To bad that the keyboardist, Jens Johansson, as well as Timo Tolkki (lead guitarist) did not come up. Timo K. was telling me that Timo T. was not feeling good. Guess these finns are not used to this nasty humid heat here in the south east US. At least I've like to chatted with the keyboardist - especially to find out what the story is with the missing key on his instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXASRONANDTRISH Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 skonopa, Thanks for all the info lately on these guys. I went over to Amazon and checked out some clips, now I'm a few dollars less rich[]. if these guys come to Dallas I'll check them out...oh wait, prog never makes it way to Dallas, wonder why that is[] Looks like you had a blast, I'll see you next year at Prog Power. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2RockU Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 With fans like Skonopa, prog music will NEVER die !! Keep PROG alive, Craig LeMay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXASRONANDTRISH Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 With fans like Skonopa, prog music will NEVER die !! Keep PROG alive, Craig LeMay Prog LIVES. Usually a bunch of us old guys keeping it alive. I really never got into prog metal until recently. I really enjoy Dream theater, Savatage and the like. On a side note I pray you guys in Houston will be ok. If you need to evacuate you have a place to stay up here in Denton. Take care Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skonopa Posted September 21, 2005 Author Share Posted September 21, 2005 On a side note I pray you guys in Houston will be ok. If you need to evacuate you have a place to stay up here in Denton. Take care Ron I second that notion! Although Fredericksburg, VA is a bit far, but my house is also open. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2RockU Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 I appreciate you guys thinking about us in Houston. We are well-prepaired and have an incredible evacuation program that we practice and update yearly. I don't see anything as bad as New Orleans ever happenning to Houston, since we are 55+ feet above see level; not 25 feet below sea level. We do expect a sea-tide-surge of about 15-18 feet above normal...so some shore area will get totally submerged under water, guaranteed. I am located 70 miles from the shore, in North Houston. The only concern I have is the wind damage. We have millions and millions of pine trees in this area of the Texas. { Plenty of debrees that can fly or break off these huge trees.} You will see plenty of tree damage...I guarantee, w/ plenty of flooding on the coast line. Again, Thanx for the concern and "open house" welcomes. Stayin' dry, Craig LeMay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2RockU Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 With fans like Skonopa, prog music will NEVER die !! Keep PROG alive, Craig LeMay Prog LIVES. Usually a bunch of us old guys keeping it alive. I really never got into prog metal until recently. I really enjoy Dream theater, Savatage and the like. On a side note I pray you guys in Houston will be ok. If you need to evacuate you have a place to stay up here in Denton. Take care Ron Ron, By the way, I did all my jazz study's in Denton, Texas @ the North Texas State University Jazz College back in 1977-78. It has since then be renamed the Universisty of North Texas. All I can say is that you are living in the jazz meca of the whole planet. That university is world reknown for jazz players. Have you taken advantage of that school and checked out their seminars or free concerts? ...a fellow North Texas Alumni, Craig LeMay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXASRONANDTRISH Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 With fans like Skonopa, prog music will NEVER die !! Keep PROG alive, Craig LeMay Prog LIVES. Usually a bunch of us old guys keeping it alive. I really never got into prog metal until recently. I really enjoy Dream theater, Savatage and the like. On a side note I pray you guys in Houston will be ok. If you need to evacuate you have a place to stay up here in Denton. Take care Ron Ron, By the way, I did all my jazz study's in Denton, Texas @ the North Texas State University Jazz College back in 1977-78. It has since then be renamed the Universisty of North Texas. All I can say is that you are living in the jazz meca of the whole planet. That university is world reknown for jazz players. Have you taken advantage of that school and checked out their seminars or free concerts? ...a fellow North Texas Alumni, Craig LeMay Oh yea!! My wife and I take in about 10 concerts a year. I did some studies at UNT. GREAT engineering school, very underated. Don't see much Prog up in these parts[] Porcupine Tree is playing in Houston in October but its 5 hours away and these old bones hate to sit that long[] have you heard Ark-Burn the Sun, just picked it up yesterday. VERY GOOD!! Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2RockU Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 TEXASRONANDTRISH: I have both ARK cd's. Love them both. Great drumming on both of those cd's. I saw ARK at ProgPower IV...just incredible. If you like ARK , then you should get their lead singers solo cd from www.jornlande.com titled "Worldchanger". If you don't like it,...I'll buy it from ya and send it to Skonopa. He just purchased my Big Left Turn cd "Dreamship". Where in Houston is Porcupine Tree playing and what date ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXASRONANDTRISH Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Where in Houston is Porcupine Tree playing and what date ? Prog On, Craig LeMay October 27th at The Engine Room, wish I could make it. Too far. I just saw where south Houston has a mandatory evacuation set for Thursday. Good luck and remember you have a place up north here if you need it. They're saying we may have tornado's Sunday, good grief. I'll try the worldchanger CD, have you heard, Solaris? Amazon wants a $$$$ for the CD, supposed to be very good however. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEXASRONANDTRISH Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 By the way. Big Left Turn?????? Who/What are they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Born2RockU Posted September 21, 2005 Share Posted September 21, 2005 Hopefully this will work ...http://forums.klipsch.com/idealbb/view.asp?topicID=60746 Here are some Big Left Turn clips to listen to: if (amz_js_browserHasRadio()){ document.write(' ');} 1. Headin' Listen Listen 2. Didn't Know Rainbow Listen Listen 3. Point Of View Listen Listen 4. Full Circle Listen Listen 5. New Boy Sound Listen Listen 6. Wonderful Listen Listen 7. Just Ask Listen Listen 8. Dreamship Listen ListenScroll down the AMAZON page that these above links take you to.... .... then hit "listen" on that Amazon page ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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