Party Like It’s ‘99

On Wednesday I finally saw Rob Zombie live for the first time. He was my favorite solo artist in high school and I still listen to his hits from time to time.

Rob Zombie is immortal. He possesses more energy and vitality than lead singers half his age. He’s highly mobile throughout his show and rocks the dance moves of a lithe professional dancer. He’s a perennial headliner for a reason. Viewing the elaborate stage setup at his show is like glimpsing into another gothic world. His bandmates are also perfectionists. John 5, the lead guitarist, is possibly the most skilled soloist I’ve ever watched. The guy can flat-out shred.

Zombie is currently 57 years old and looks as lean and fit as ever. He’s also vegan and has been vegetarian since childhood. This is noteworthy to me because most long-lived cultures I read about eat a relatively large portion of natural carbohydrates and a relatively lower amount of meat (not all, but most). I am not vegan, but I often consider this.

What was my takeaway from watching my teenage idol perform at a crowded amphitheater in front of thousands of fans? Love what you do.

Do I love what I do? I find myself yearning for my hours when I’m free. I love cycling and have gained an appreciation for running. I love connecting with other runners and cyclists who share similar goals, who find themselves aging, yet are eager to accomplish physical feats that they never have before. But that’s not what I do.

An aspiring marathoner told me on our jog last week that he’s training to “give his son a story of something that he accomplished.” That’s what I enjoy learning about: people on their journeys, and how those journeys parallel my own. What can I learn from them? How many miles can we actually crank out together? What is our true limit on this planet?

“Love what you do.” Watching Zombie was a reminder that I need to write more and create more content.

An Evening with Ghost and Volbeat

February 21, Saint Louis—Presidents Day

I walked approximately two miles from my apartment just after dusk to get to the rock show. I trekked alongside the construction site of the upcoming downtown soccer stadium, then walked through a vacant St. Louis University. I turned left on Compton Ave and suddenly I was at the arena and eager for some rock and roll music.

Rock bands Ghost and Volbeat played at Chaifetz arena in downtown St. Louis.

Volbeat is a Danish band that draws influence from a variety of genres—rock, metal, rockabilly, and the blues—and has a strong knack for hooks and catchy choruses.

I was glad to hear them play some of my personal favorites, including new songs “Temple of Ekur” and “The Devil Rages On.”

The show also brought additional depth to hit song “Die to Live.” As lead singer Michael Poulsen stated, “Sometimes ya gotta die a little to live a little” as the band launched full speed into the track.

Frontman Michael Poulsen has an absolutely booming rockabilly-inspired voice that hits each note with pitch-perfect precision. I’ve also been a long-time fan of lead guitarist Rob Caggiano, who has served as producer for several Volbeat albums and was known before joining the band as a once-lead guitarist of legendary thrash band Anthrax. He’s a true virtuoso and the type that makes the most blistering solos look effortless.

There was a fun guest appearance by ZZ Bottom, who brought some zest with saxophone and piano to a few tunes.

I could have listened to Volbeat all night, but headliner Ghost is one of my favorite bands (latest album Prequelle is one of my most-played of the last two years).

Swedish rock band Ghost is arguably a solo project helmed by frontman Tobias Forge, who records much of the instruments for the studio albums and is the primary songwriter. For live shows he is assisted by the “Nameless Ghouls” on instrumentals, who for this show wore sinister looking gas masks and black uniforms.

The elaborate stage setup featured a giant fake stained glass painting of “Papa Emeritus IV,” the character that Forge portrays on stage. Emeritus is a diabolical satanic pope all too eager to spread the will of his dark lord (he repeatedly asks the audience to fornicate after the show).

In spite of the sinister theatrics (this includes flames geystering up, as well as the nameless ghouls routinely bickering with one another and competing with Emeritus for stage attention), the beauty of Ghost is that it is a legitimate rock band, more in line with Blue Oyster Cult than screamo death metal. The songs are melodic and Forge sings rather than screams. The hooks sink into the mind and linger there long after hearing them.

A shower of glitter rained down during “Mummy Dust.” Forge went through a diverse and fun wardrobe selection (everything from a pope costume to a glittery jacket). The band launched a moving cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” (the ghouls can really play), and the crowd headbanged to the crunching metal song “Faith.”

What an excellent way to spend Presidents Day!

Lord of the Strings: Return of the King

The last time I stood within 20 meters of Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine was in Corpus Christi, Texas, in the year 2008. That was my senior year of college. Chris Broderick was his lead guitarist back then. United Abominations was the band’s most recent album, and “Sleepwalker” was my favorite of the new songs. The next album, Endgame, was on the horizon.

I’d seen Megadeth play with Iron Maiden back in 2013 as well. That was in Raleigh, NC, at the same venue where I saw my first metal show, Ozzfest, back in 2006.

It’s strange that I remember these shows so vividly. I remember the songs, the stage lighting schemes, and the crowds. I’m grateful to my mind for grasping a lot of these moments.

This show had a special meaning for me. Mustaine had just overcome throat cancer and live music had largely been canceled for the previous 18 months due to the pandemic.

I was in need of a catharsis because year 36 has been particularly difficult for me. Due to a foot injury I’ve spent it largely motionless. Virtual meetings had slowly devoured my spirit over the previous year and I was, honestly, not feeling like my old optimistic self.

Something about a rock show is cathartic. People stop stressing and start experiencing. For a few hours all problems subside and all that matters is the music. To hell with the rest. Let’s just mosh.

I felt my personal issues evaporate quickly. It’s a similar feeling, oddly, one gets from being out of the city and staring at a clear night sky. I think it’s because both instances halt thoughts of the past and future.

It’s easy to forget just how incredible Mustaine is as a guitarist. He’s brilliant and he knows it. There are a lot of guitarists with deft technical ability, the types who can blast thousand-mile-an-hour solos as their strumming hand whirs up and down the fretboard. But every note from every solo on Mustaine’s guitar is downright mellifluous. His melodies can be menacing and sensuous, and often they’re both at once. He’s better than the rest. His albums can only capture a fraction of his magic, and make no mistake, he is a true magician. The musician Dave Mustaine stays with you.

I was so caught up in the song “She-Wolf” that I attempted to jump. I forgot that I couldn’t jump, and my right leg surged with pain from the ankle to knee. I didn’t give a damn. I was at a rock show (and I’d also had a few cocktails to numb the pain).

You never know how many times you’ll get to see Dave Mustaine. Just seeing him perform once is a blessing. Here’s to hoping for more opportunities.

Den Standiga Resan

I’ve always been into Opeth (okay, that is an understatement!)… and as much as I enjoy listening to the English versions of the songs, listening to Mikael sing in his native tongue adds another layer of beauty and richness, even when it’s a cover song such as this one (one of my favorite cover songs).

Den Standiga Resan (The Constant Journey)

Translations:

When I think about the constant journey through life

When it always feels like fall

When the wind slowly turns to north

And the flowers die

It's raining in my dreams

I have to travel again, and search for solace

I have to search again after the voice of tenderness

I have to travel again, to the next fall

The constant journey to the next fall

When I walk on the stony road through life

When it feels like I carried a sorrow

Then the sun slowly hides in the clouds

And the word is goodbye

The snow will soon be falling in my dreams

I have to travel again, and search for solace

I have to search again after the voice of tenderness

I have to travel again, to the next fall

The constant journey to the next fall

Oh, the constant journey to the next fall

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