September 2010: Queensryche and Uproar!
Queensryche @ the Puyallup Fair:
This was a first for me, I've never seen Queensryche do a full show. I did see their acoustic set with Loaded a year or so ago. I hadn't been to a show at the Fair in many years. I was happy to see improvements to the outdoor venue. Our seats were on the floor so I wasn't able to see if there were improvements in the grandstand seating area.
There was a opening band - Tesla. Now I wasn't really familiar with the band back in the 80's. But I found I did know a couple of the songs more than likely from MTV. My 80's were filled with Wave and Punk for the most part. They were very energetic and I did enjoy seeing them.
When Queensryche took the stage, I was stunned at the size of the drum kit. Holy cow that sucker was big! Cymbols, drums and gongs just over his head too! I'm really unfamiliar with most of their songs but was able to sing along with the masses to ‘Silent Lucidity’. I was really moved when their Native American dancer took the stage. I happen to be 1/3 Native so I'm always affected by those types of performances. Highly recommend seeing them live if you haven't already. It is a good time.
Uproar - Post Falls, Idaho:
We were able to check into our hotel early so we could freshen up a tad from our drive over to the Spokane/Post Falls area. I do have to say that the organization of The Knitting Factory staff at the venue left A LOT to be desired. I'm not sure if this was the first time they put on a show at the old greyhound track or not, but they need to figure things out QUICKLY. We didn't have tickets waiting for us. Ours got lost or dropped along the way. Mike did have one ticket to use to get in and a little while later he came back to give me a ticket. This got us in the door, but it didn't get us backstage to meet up with Halestorm. We did find them at their booth doing meet and greets so they found a couple of extra wristbands for us. Yeah! We could go backstage now.
The second stage had a familiar band playing second - New Medicine. We had seen them play the actual Knitting Factory with Halestorm a few months earlier. Opening the show was a band from Canada called Hail the Villian. We liked them a ton. The lead singer knew how to engage the crowd and keep them engaged their entire set. New Medicine then took the stage. They are kind of a modern twist on Linkin Park/Green Day. Just a fun, fun band. After them came Airborne out of Australia. Holy Cow!! I understand the meaning behind their name. Their lead singer likes to go to the air. He climbs the speaker stacks, he climbs the rigging for the stage, he gets on the shoulders of his crew and walks around the crowd playing his guitar. Pure mayhem! In a good way ;)
Headlining the second stage was Hell Yeah. This band scared me. Well, not the actual band, but the reaction to the band from the crowd. People were really into this band in a drunk and disorderly way. The way that makes me move back and watch from afar. This was when I decided it would be a good think to go backstage and get on the bus with Halestorm.
Time for the main stage!!!! I was able to go on stage for Halestorm and watch from Joe's side of the stage. This was the first time the crowd was calling for the band by name to get on stage. Arejay was so excited! Halestorm killed it of course. But then again, I love them and am totally biased.
After Halestorm was finished, we went back to the bus with them. I missed Stone Sour play but I knew I could just catch them tomorrow in Auburn. There was no way I was going to miss Avenged. I made my way down to the stage. I had to stay back cause they use so much pyro. Their opening song was Nightmare. They have quite the dramatic entrance. One of their stage hands is up on some rigging with a noose around his neck pacing (yes, he has safety gear on as well. He 'jumps' from the gear hanging above the center of the stage when the band comes out and starts the song. He hangs there seemingly lifeless through the whole song, which isn't a short one. A crew of fake EMTs come out and lower him down to a strecher and whisk him away. There were some screams from the crowd when he 'jumped'. I was one. My favorite song is ‘Afterlife’ so I stayed out until after that song before I made my way back to the Halestorm bus. I’m not a fan of Disturbed at all so I didn’t go back out for them.
We visited for a bit more before we headed back to our hotel room to get some sleep. We were leaving early to drive back home then over to the Uproar show at the White River Amphitheater in Auburn.
Video Uproar, Post Falls, ID
Uproar – Auburn, WA
We almost didn’t make it on time. There was a pretty gruesome motorcycle accident on the pass on the way back home.
Same bands today but a different location. Again we were with Halestorm early and I got to watch them from the side stage. Mike was covering this show for KISW and we had good seats. Once Halestorm was done, I made my way to our seats to catch Stone Sour for the first time and Avenged Sevenfold again. I really liked what I saw in Stone Sour. I’m not really familiar with Slipknot other than knowing Corey Taylor sings for both bands.
It was fun seeing the reaction to A7X’s intro now that I knew what it was like. I was looking around the theater to see facial reactions. This band never ever disappoints me. This is the 3rd time that I’ve seen them and I plan to see them even more!!
I’m still not a Disturbed fan (They didn’t convert me overnnight) so I went backstage with Mike and Arejay. Arejay was getting Mike to take promo’s for him. Some turned out amazing!! They are really creative when they get together.
Video: Uproar, Auburn, WA
