dry erase board

Current Mood: still amazed

Tuesday I drove to Chicago with new Current Roommate Greg to go see Judas Priest on the Metal Masters tour.

Holy shit.

Despite driving through Chicago not a week earlier, I still forgot about the time change, which meant we left at 1:30, gained an hour, and arrived at the First Midwest Bank Amphitheater about three hours early. Totally not a problem - the weather was gorgeous (I'm convinced the nice weather for both of my trips dooms the start of school to be torrential downpours and 200% humidity until it snows in November). The drive was simple - it was located in the South side of Chicagoland, so there was only 1 toll either way and the traffic wasn't too bad either. The way up we listened to the JP's newest album, Nostradamus.

Anticipation.

I got my ticket for free with the purchase of the aforementioned Judas Priest album, but I wasn't expecting much because it was a lawn seat. I knew the concert series had a few acts associated with it - Testament, Motörhead, and Heaven & Hell. I figured one of the three other bands would open for Priest (maybe on rotation?), and then we'd be gone. 2 hours, maybe, 3 hours tops. I secretly held low expectations in case my treasured ancient bands hadn't aged well and just limped around stage singing low-key (double meaning intended) versions of their former selves.

Wrong.

Fun police stopped us at the door. Football to toss around in the parking lot to kill time? No playing catch allowed. Blanket for lawn seats? Not allowed. Binoculars? Too big. Greg's carabiner? Not allowed (apparently they can be made into makeshift brass knuckles, which I totally hadn't thought of before). Camera? Not allowed. Snacks? Not allowed. Mandatory pat-down? Check. I was beginning to wonder if it was even possible to have a show that even remotely resembled concerts of my favorite band's era(s).

Waiting.

Greg and I stood in line for merch for 45 minutes, thinking that later prices would be higher and they'd having nothing but 2XL. We spent the entire time checking out band shirts around us, and it was like an archeological dig. Pretty much every hard rock and heavy metal band represented here, and some 7 foot tall metalhead stopped to tell me "Man, I love your shirt. Queen's really sweet. I've been listening to them probably since before you were born." Greg and I settled on matching shirts featuring the Screaming for Vengeance eagle.

Thirsty.

Turns out the concert wasn't sold out, so they upgraded all the lawn seats to regular seats. We were stoked, until we found out that we moved 10 feet forward from the lawn right to the last row of seats. Yay? Testament opened first. I've not really heard much of them, but they really kinda sucked. Cookie monster vocals that I don't like. (Side note: I'm a big subscriber to the philosophy that if the music's too loud, you're too old, so I was a bit dismayed when Testament was actually hurting my ears. Afterwards Greg told me that the sound guy must've been drunk because the guitars were WAY too loud, squealing constantly and drowning out everything else out. Still: next concert, consider protection, as lame as that feels). Didn't recognize any of the songs, and the sun was in my eyes.

20 minute break to change sets.

Motörhead up next. I seriously can't understand a fucking word Lemmy says (Another side note: his real name is Ian Fraser Kilmister, which didn't need to be changed). Much better sound, but I still don't know the songs. Lots of ancient fans rocking out, which makes me smile. Finally I get pumped as they close with Ace of Spades - and I'll admit here to the world that I only know it because of Guitar Hero. At this point it's starting to look like maybe we'll see all four acts? Fans start whispering if H&H has a guest singer, or the real deal...

More fans fill in during the break.

Heaven and Hell has the most incredible stage set I've ever seen. And that's not just because the previous two acts had nothing more than a banner. We're talking 20 foot gargoyles, fog machines, decrepit cemetery fences and headstones, strobe lights and pyrotechnics. It looks like a Spencer's display at Halloween, and it's cheesy and perfect. Ronnie James Dio himself runs on stage in all his 5 foot 4 glory, and even our seats we can tell he's a tiny ball of energy. The crowd explodes as he greets us. I can't wait for the final act, but I know a lot more songs now. They play my two favorite songs of theirs, Time Machine and the eponymous Heaven and Hell. During the latter Dio stops in mid song to look at the sky, the lights die and a single spotlight illuminates his conversation with the angels. Then he tells them off and looks down at the floor, and a single enormous red light shines on his face, casting a demonic shadow behind him . He sings a deal with the devil and he dives back into the song. He leads the crowd along with the main riff to the song, and I've got goosebumps.

Encore! They play Neon Knights, and the drummer has glowsticks on his drum sticks. Fantastic.

Agonizing wait as the last bit of sun sets behind the stage. Finally, a 50 foot Nostradamus projection signals the entrance of one of my favorite bands. Rob Halford, the voice, wears a metallic robe and holds a scepter as he sings the intro track before diving into their setlist. To the best of my memory:

Dawn of Creation
Prophecy
Metal Gods
Eat Me Alive
Between the Hammer & the Anvil
Devil's Child
Breaking the Law
Hell Patrol
Dissident Aggressor
Angel
The Hellion/Electric Eye
Rock Hard Ride Free
Painkiller
Hell Bent for Leather
The Green Manalishi (with the Two Pronged Crown)
You've Got Another Thing Comin'

It's really hard for me to pick my favorite part. On the projector they had album covers from each song, Halford jumped on stage early on to wave the giant JP flags, they extended the drum solo before Painkiller (with the stick tosses), and seeing KK Downing and Glenn Tipton in perfect sync as they melted faces with their solos was amazing.

Rob Halford rode his Harley onstage for Hell Bent for Leather, which was a trademark moment I thought had passed since he hurt himself doing it a long time ago. Greg and I just about fell off our chairs (the chairs we were now standing on, not blocking view 'cuz we were the last row). I'm not going to claim that he invented it, but at one point Mr. Halford stopped to do a very Freddie Mercury-inspired vocal duet with the audience, with a series of short cries that slid up and down the scale. His voice was phenomenal. He still hit the high notes and I was incredibly impressed.

Overall, it was an phenomenal experience. Judas Priest rocked so fucking hard, it really blew me away. Greg and I really couldn't even talk afterward, we screamed and sang so much. The concert exceeded my wildest expectations, and I like Priest even more now (I didn't think it was even possible!). A six hour concert finished off by a great performance!