Ice Bat Goes To ProgPower X!

[Meteornotes]

OK, since PP is next week, figured it was about time I posted my pictures from last year. What can I say? I AM LAZY. That, and I have an inordinate amount of nonsense to deal with.


Anyway, if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter (and if you do, remember, I'm not paying for your therapy) besides my rants about shark movies and related important topics, I also post many photos of Ice Bat out and about enjoying the world. Usually with food. So last year I decided to bring him to PP and photograph the event. So that's what I did, and these are the results!


NOTE: all band photos are used here with the permission of the photographer. They were taken by a very talented professional who uses a camera that is worth more than my car. I'm an idiot that roams around and takes pictures of a stuffed animal. I'm sure you can probably figure out which pictures were taken by who, but I figured I'd point this out anyway. Also, remember that I am completely insane and will likely say something that will make zero sense to anyone that doesn't have the same random nonsense rattling around inside their brain all day like I do and/or offend some or all of you. As always, I apologize in advance.


Enough of my yammering, lets go to the visuals!

Let the drinking begin!

Kobe beef sliders! These things are amazing!

Mmmmmmmm...rare tuna...

Burger with garlic fries. GARLIC RULES.

One of the best places to see a show ever.

Thursday started with Future's End

Then Suspyre

And then Enchant came out and destroyed the place. Seriously, I hope this put an end to the idiot theory that Enchant is “not heavy enough” to play PP.

The evening ended with Primal Fear, who always entertain, though I thought their performance this time around wasn't quite as good as the last time.

Part Two coming up!

 

[Meteornotes]

Ice Bat was excited to see Owl City listed, as he thought it was actually a city of owls that he could bend to his will and join him in his quest to conquer the Earth. But it's just a band, and they don't really make as formidable of an army...

Time to begin the portion of the proceedings known as “Dave Bothers People With Ice Bat”. This is Kim. She is awesome. And she sponsored Circus Maximus, which makes her MORE awesome.

I forget your names (yes, I am dumb!), but you rule for sponsoring Fates Warning!

Let's watch the sound check!

Yay! Time to buy stuff!

I've spent so much money with Ken over the years that he should at least name something in his house after me...

OK, food time!

These are the people that got to “enjoy” my company at the Official PP Lunch. Special thanks to Kez who guided me to the place (I am dumb and directionally challenged!)

More lunch people!

And even more!

Who wouldn't buy a t-shirt from this lovely sales force?

Lucky, lucky Ice Bat!

Of all the people that come to PP, I believe I have known Carol the longest. We met at a Dream Theater show in Palo Alto in (I think) 1997.

Scott is awesome. And always has amusing shirts!

Jax and Brett are metal!

Part 3 Next!

 

[Meteornotes]

Friday's festivities started with Cage. I believe they played a Powermad many years ago. I don't have access to an official Powermad shirt, so I cannot check the band list...

Followed by Mindflow

Babs is seriously one of my most favorite people ever. She's smart, and very, very funny. Not to mention...HOT.

The Friday night Corset Night tradition continues! All I can say is...

CORSET

NIGHT

RULES!!!

And Babs is EXTRA METAL for getting Ice Bat into some of the pictures!

And now the reason I came to the show this year, the reason I skipped a chance to go to China, the band I sponsored...DIABLO SWING ORCHESTRA!!!

They did not disappoint. One of the best sets by ANY band ever at this festival! I was down in front of the barrier for the whole set, and had one of the best times ever. Special thanks to everyone at the front of the barrier, who were all fucking insane throughout the set!

She was amazing. One of the best vocalists I've ever seen.

And this guy was beyond entertaining. Amazing bass player! Also really fun to talk to.

And here he is with some of the awesome ladies who were up front, including the one I dubbed. “Hot Setlist Girl”. I make up names for almost everyone, usually as if they're super villains or something. Again, I am completely insane, in case you have not already figured this out.

Christina is also someone I've know for a long time, and she's also awesome, even if she's totally flipping me off here! (sorry, person on the left, I don't know your name. You're likely thinking that's a good thing at this point...)

Alicia is yet someone else that has known me for years, and yet continues to speak to me. And again...lucky, lucky Ice Bat!

Part 4 Next!

 

[Meteornotes]

Sabaton came out and blew the roof off the place. Totally took me (and a lot of other people, I think) by surprise.

Royal Hunt. If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything, so, um, next photo, please!

The evening concludes with Crimson Glory. Their special set in tribute to Midnight was one of the highlights of this (or any) year

Saturday! Time for more food! This time it was the Symphony X lunch, which I think I've attended every one. These two guys had to sit with me and listen to my pointless yammering. As always, I apologize...

More lunch people!

And more!

And more!

And yes...more lunch people! You may be detecting a pattern at this point...

And even more!

Jax organizes this every year! She rules! Again, I have no idea why she still talks to me after all these years. Usually people are annoyed with me after 20 minutes or so, and then the restraining orders come out...

This was my lunch, which was salmon and these tempura green beans and it was AMAZING. Best food of the weekend!

Daffodil was fun to talk to!

Saturday begins with Circus Maximus, who played their most amazing set yet!

Kim shows off her awesome “Three Cats” shirt. I'm thinking if you combined this with the “3 Wolves” shirt you could actually change the laws of physics

Part 5 Coming Up!

 

[Meteornotes]

IT'S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN! Oh wait, no it's just the final part of my photos. Which are not nearly as awesome as THE GREATEST SONG IN THE HISTORY OF HISTORY!

Orphaned Land. Even better the second time!

Special surprise guest...Jamie! She used to live in awesome Baltimore, but moved away. Boo!

Jamie and Sarah! Two (of many) people I met on the Ytsejam mailing list and IRC channel many years ago.

I'm sure at this point everyone was like “can't you go back to your seat and stop bothering us?!?” But Kim was a trooper and posed for a picture. Apparently I did then go back inside and stop bothering everyone with my nonsense. Be thankful!

Pagan's Mind = HOLY FUCK THEY WERE AMAZING! Best show I've ever seen them do. To me, they've taken over the title of “house band” from Evergrey with this performance.

To be fair to Brainstorm, it was really going to be hard to follow the last three bands. But if there was anyone I thought could do it, it would be them, just based on their previous appearance. But it didn't quite click. Good, but not nearly as good as their previous performance.

The evening ended with Fates Warning. They are one of my all time favorite bands, and if I was going to pick a set list for them, it would have been pretty much the one they played. Absolutely perfect. I had never seen them play anywhere except as an opening act before, so getting two hours of this was awesome.

Special thanks to the crew, who totally bust their asses for this festival. I've worked shows, and I've been to likely more than almost anyone here (mainly because I'm old!), and I still think that PP is one of the most professional ones ever.

All I can say is: THANK YOU, SIR. And feel free to take my sponsor money again next year!

So that does it. Hope it somewhat amused. Ice Bat & I will be at PP XI, and I'll likely post those photos sometime in 2013...

dt

 

[Yonfon]

where did u get the Garlic fries?

 

[booB]

Damn, Dave... took you long enough.

There I am, stuffing my big fat face-hole with food at Front Page News while everyone else poses for the picture. LOL!

 

[Comic Book Dude]

I wore a Babo t-shirt at the last ProgPower I attended a few years back....nothing says metal like a little beasty eating cookies. Ugly Dolls rule!

 

[Diamond45]

OK, I finally know the story behind the Ice Bat. I remember I held it for you at the Sym X luncheon last year but didn't know why you carried it everywhere... you taking it with you again this year I assume?

 

[Reverend Su]

please be sure Ice Bat visits to tshirt table again!! it was a joy to visit with IB last year

xxx

--The (Rev) Su

(ps - seriously, where DID you get the garlic fries?! hook a sister up, please oh please!??!)

 

[Meteornotes]

Garlic fries came from Gordon Biersch. Seriously, go there and get the Kobe Beef Sliders and an order of garlic fries. Amazing.

And yes, Ice Bat will be there. He goes pretty much every where with me. He's very well traveled (Great Wall Of China, Eiffel Tower, all over Japan, S. Korea, China, most of Europe, many theme parks in the US).

dt

 

[miel]

where did u get the Garlic fries?

I bet it was Gordon Biersch - they have the *best* garlic fries!

~Jen

 

[J-Man]

You need to bring the Ice Bat by the Nightmare Records table this year.

 

[miel]

Who wouldn't buy a t-shirt from this lovely sales force?

Tracie, Dawn, Me and Su are much obliged!

~Jen

 

[Reverend Su]

Tracie, Dawn, Me and Su are much obliged!

~Jen

i do believe i was shouting out for a beverage in this pic...so please pardon the weirder-the-Su-sual expression on my face :-/

 

[J-Man]

i do believe i was shouting out for a beverage in this pic...so please pardon the weirder-the-Su-sual expression on my face :-/

No, you were yelling at me!!! Just kidding

 

[compurocker]

Kez guided you to FPN and he guided Stephanie and I back. He should be the official PPUSA tour guide!

Great photo history of last year's show. Gets me even more pumped for next week. Thanks for sponsoring DSO last year - I agree with your assessment of their performance - and thanks for sponsoring Seventh Wonder this year. Very much looking forward to both sets from them.

 

[sarbah77]

Jamie and Sarah! Two (of many) people I met on the Ytsejam mailing list and IRC channel many years ago.

I really love this picture of Jaime and myself (pay no attention to my left hand?!). Worth the wait!!

 

[jaimek]

Let's take a repeat of that photo next week where I don't look like I'm about to fall asleep on Sarah's shoulder.

 

[nailz]

One of the best places to see a show ever.

Heh, there's me.