Theme Day: Metal

Hopefully I have a bit of a different take on the August Theme Day. This month the them is 'metal' sure, sure, Minnesota is home of the Iron Range in the northern part of the state. My take on the 'metal' theme is the 'Heavy Metal' variety. I enjoy a good, loud, head banging, fist pumping, mosh pit, thrashing guitars, pounding drums, guitar solos and a singer who doesn't sound like Britney Spears. From row 14 at the Kid Rock concert at the Xcel Energy Center on April 13, 2006. This is my 'metal' theme day photo. Oh and I may not exactly enjoy the mosh pits, I'm not as young as I once was.



Stop by the other cities participating in the August Theme Day via the links below the photo. Do remember that there are timezone differences between the other cities. Or you can head over to the portal page to see a thumbnail view of blogs that have posted their corner store photo.

Albuquerque (NM), Aliso Viejo (CA), American Fork (UT), Anderson (SC), Ararat, Australia, Arradon, France, Aspen (CO), Athens, Greece, Auckland, New Zealand, Auckland, New Zealand, Austin (TX), Bandung, Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia, Barrow-in-Furness, UK, Barton (VT), Bellefonte (PA), Bicheno, Australia, Birmingham (AL), Bogor, Indonesia, Boston (MA), Brantford (ON), Bucharest, Romania, Budapest, Hungary, Budapest, Hungary, Budapest, Hungary, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Canterbury, UK, Chandler (AZ), Château-Gontier, France, Chateaubriant, France, Cheltenham, UK, Chennai, India, Chesapeake (VA), Cincinnati, OH, Blue Mountains, Australia, Corsicana (TX), East Gwillimbury, Canada, Edinburgh, UK, Edmonton (AL), Evry, France, Folkestone, UK, Forks (WA), Fort Lauderdale (FL), Gabriola, Canada, Geneva (IL), Greenville (SC), Grenoble, France, Gun Barrel City (TX), Hamilton, New Zealand, Hampton (VA), Haninge, Sweden, Hanoi, Vietnam, Helsinki, Finland, Hobart, Australia, Hyde, UK, Hyde, UK, Jackson (MS), Jefferson City (MO), Jerusalem, Israel, Kansas City (MO), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Kyoto, Japan, Lakewood (OH), Larchmont (NY), Las Vegas (NV), Leipzig, Germany, Lisbon, Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal, London, UK, London, UK, Lynchburg (VA), Mainz, Germany, Manila, Philippines, Mashhad, Iran, Melbourne, Australia, Melbourne, Australia, Menton, France, Mesa (AZ), Mexico City, Mexico, Middletown (MD), Milwaukee (WI), Minneapolis (MN), Minneapolis (MN), Minneapolis (MN), Misawa, Japan, Molfetta, Italy, Monte Carlo, Monaco, Monterrey, Mexico, Mumbai, India, Mumbai, India, Nancy, France, Nashville (TN), Nelson, New Zealand, New Delhi, India, New Orleans (LA), New York City (NY), New York City (NY), New York City (NY), Newport News (VA), Norfolk (VA), Norwich, UK, Ocean Township (NJ), Oklahoma City (OK), Orlando (FL), Owasso (OK), Palos Verdes (CA), Paris, France, Pasadena (CA), Pasadena (CA), Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Petoskey (MI), Philadelphia (PA), Phoenix (AZ), Phoenix (AZ), Pilisvörösvár, Hungary, Port Angeles (WA), Port Vila, Vanuatu, Portsmouth (VA), Prague, Czech Republic, Pretoria, South Africa, Quezon City, Philippines, Quincy (MA), Ramsey, Isle of Man, Rancho Palos Verdes (CA), Riga, Latvia, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Rouen, France, Saigon, Vietnam, Saint Louis (MO), Saint Paul (MN), Salem (OR), Salt Lake City (UT), San Antonio (TX), San Diego (CA), San Francisco (CA), Schenectady (NY), Seattle (WA), Seattle (WA), Seguin (TX), Selma (AL), Sequim (WA), Sesimbra, Portugal, Setúbal, Portugal, Sharon (CT), Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, Singapore, Sofia, Bulgaria, South Pasadena (CA), Springfield (IL), Stanwood (WA), Stavanger, Norway, Stayton (OR), Stockholm, Sweden, Stouffville, Canada, Subang Jaya, Malaysia, Suffolk (VA), Sunshine Coast, Australia, Sydney, Australia, Sydney, Australia, Sydney, Australia, Székesfehérvár, Hungary, Tamarindo, Costa Rica, Tempe (AZ), Terrell (TX), Tokyo, Japan, Torun, Poland, Torun, Poland, Tuzla, Bosnia, Twin Cities (MN), Victoria, Canada, Vienna, Austria, Villigen, Switzerland, Virginia Beach (VA), Wailea (HI), Washington (DC), Wellington, New Zealand, West Paris (ME), West Sacramento (CA), Weston (FL), Williamsburg (VA), Willits (CA), Yardley (PA)

Classic Brass Inc Performs At MOA

Classic Brass Inc performed at the Mall Of America on December 12. They are a quintet of various brass instruments and played traditional Christmas melodies that evening. I've always enjoyed this kind of music since I was very young when I would see some of the members of Classic Brass Inc perform in the Minnesota Brass Drum and Beauty Corps. If you are able to see CBI perform someday, put in a request for the song "The Saints’ Hallelujah". I've heard them play it twice now and it's become one of my favorites. It's a great mix of two songs you're familiar with, a jazzy Saints Go Marching crossed with a traditional choir sound of Hallelujah.

Somebody's Gotta Feel This

I'm going to keep with the concert series theme since it's Memorial Day weekend. I've had this photo in my photo vault for well over a year now. I took this one during the Kid Rock concert back in April of 2006 when they performed in St Paul at the Xcel energy center. Wifey and I were sitting in row 14, center section. I challenge you to find anyone who enjoys a concert of this music genera and also enjoys concerts that features nothing but brass instruments as show in the previous daily photo. The photos I took during the show were very tough to take. Low light, no tripod, lots of movement. Needless to say, most of the photos were a blur and not very presentable. This one was fairly decent with the pyrotechnics in the background giving me more light for this photo.

My Top 3 Daily Photo Favorites
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Bastia, France
Joensuu, Finland

The Quintet With The Money-Back Guarantee

This past spring, I attended a brass quintet concert in the northern part of the Twin Cities. I brought my wife and two kids to see Classic Brass Inc. The word on the street is they are one of the busier brass quintets in the Twin Cities area. Their repertoire is quite varied and they also throw in a money-back guarantee, what a deal!

I've grown up watching two of the members of Classic Brass Inc playing various types brass instruments since the early to mid 80's. My Uncle Roger and Aunt Tina, the two in the photo on the far right. I first saw them perform with Minnesota Brass Drum & Bugle Corps at many Drum and Beauty Competitions and have always enjoyed the shows.

Classic Brass Inc has a few summer concerts on their schedule. The June events I have prior events already scheduled, but the August 27 concert in Minneapolis at Lake Harriot Bandshell, I have marked on my calendar to attend.

My Top 4 Daily Photo Favorites
St Paul, Minnesota
Torino, Italy
Antigua, Guatemala
Naples, Florida

Ladies And Gentleman, Your American Idols

No silly, I wasn't at tonights American Idol finale show in Hollywood, this is from the 2006 Idols road tour. The 2006 version toured through Minnesota last summer performing at the Xcel Energy Center in St Paul. It was an enjoyable show. My kids loved it as this was their first concert they had ever been too. Congrats to Jordan Sparks, the 2007 American Idol winner. She gave me goose bumps when she sang the 'Broken Wing' song on Tuesday. Blake Lewis had the most original song ever this season with Bon Jovi's 'You Give Love A Bad Name'.

My Top 3 Daily Photo Favorites
Riga, Latvia
Katowice, Poland
Joplin, Missouri

LOTR: The Two Towers

Sorry to say, this is not the two towers from the Lord Of The Rings series. Instead, these two towers can be found on Harriot Island across the Mississippi River from downtown St Paul. This is a new addition to the park where summer concerts are held.

My Name Is Kid Rock

Today's photo was from earlier in the year, April 13. Kid Rock was playing in St Paul at the Xcel energy center. Wifey and I had seats in row 14, center section of I recall correctly. The show was entertaining, energetic, and a bit loud for some of you I would imagine. For taking photos, I found it quite challenging. I was the tripod and I couldn't hold the camera still long enough to get a clear shot. I had to either use my flash or wait until the lights were bright on stage. Also, I had only had a digital camera about a month at that point and was still very new to taking photos with it.

Best Venue In The Twin Cities

Hands down, First Avenue is the best place to see a concert if you're ever in the Twin Cities. The price is always low, typically $10-20 dollars [US] and there are no extra fees if you purchase from a local record store. I've seen quite a few bands here when they were no so well known. The place only holds about 300-400 people I would guess and you're so close to the band you can see them sweat.

If you've ever seen the Prince movie "Purple Rain" the concert footage was all filmed at First Avenue.

The stars on the building exterior are all of the bands who have performed there in the past. Some notable appearances: Metallica, Queen Latifa, Joe Cocker, Billy Idol, Beastie Boys, Motorhead [seen once], Anthrax [seen twice], White Zombie [seen once before they broke up], Big Head Todd & The Monsters [seen once] and many many many more. I'd like to take a photo of all of the stars some day, but that will be down the road someday.

If you ever get the chance, I urge you to see a concert here. Check their concert listings at first-avenue.com and be sure to check out their history page as the building was once a Grey Hound Bus Depot.