Cheers and Jeers IX

[Kaosaur]

Additional Jeers to me for being a drunk asshole and walking behind Lara's van while she was pulling into the garage outside. Thankfully the smack she gave me on the head was a lot worse than the slight bump in the shoulder I got from the van.

After that I only had one more drink the whole weekend...and it was the next day.

 

[kellsco]

Cheers:

Thank you again Glenn for allowing me to be a sponsor and a part of this festival. You are the man! And the PP Crew. Fantastic job as always! Thank you all..

Having yet another reason each year to see all my close friends. What would we have without each other....we are family and I love you all very much.

Being able to see my PP friends. We sometimes get busy and don't talk much during the year, but I always look forward to seeing each and everyone of you every year. You guys are the best and I have so much when I am with you guys. And to the new friends I met this year. See you soon!


No smoking in the lobby. There was a little, but it was 99% better.


Thank you to Andromeda for being a great group of men and musicians. It was worth every single penny. We WILL see you again.


Jimmy....for making me watch Elvinkings set. I loved them!!!!


Amorphis for kicking. my. ass. My neck STILL hurts.

Mustache!!!! And to Ralf for getting my friend toasted in the bar after the set.

Other highlights were Gamma Ray, JOP, CIIC and Rob Rock.

And thanks to the vendors for lugging all those CD's and shirts, etc. I know I lightened your load by several pounds.





Jeers:

See above Cheer about seeing my wonderful family. Keep Bob the hell away from the mustard next year.

Not meeting people I wanted to this year. I'm actually pretty shy when it comes to meeting new people and I always regret it after wards. *quiet all you that do know me...*

 

[LunaTEKKE]

* The community - Meeting a number of people on here in person makes it all worth the while. A number of people we know from past shows (LunaTEKKE, El Ace, Yippie38/YardleyBates, etc.) we met up with while we were there.

It was great catching up with you as well!

Here’s my long list…I’m sure I’ll think of some more “cheers” after getting a full night’s sleep!

Cheers:

Glenn and his crew – I can’t begin to imagine the year-round effort that takes place to bring us one fabulous weekend of entertainment each year.

All the bands, but especially Circle II Circle and JOP – These bands MADE the festival for me!

Seeing how excited some of the European bands were to be playing in the states for the first time. I get a huge kick out of seeing band members stop to take photos of the audience!

Stair Tapers

Forum Poster and Nametags

Jax and The Michael for putting together the SymX and Forum lunches on Saturday. (But jeers for having them on the same day)!

Meeting people from all over the world – and all walks of life – who share my passion for music! I find it interesting that in the “real world”, the first question when you meet someone is usually “where do you work?” – whereas at ProgPower, it’s more likely to be “what set was your favorite?” or “what other bands do you like?”

Band announcements on Friday night. It created a great buzz on Saturday and gave folks the opportunity to start stocking up on CDs from next year’s performers.*

Jeers:

People ignoring the “no smoking” signs. (Although the air was a lot clearer in the lobby this year…)

People checking their e-mail during a performance. (WTF? Can’t you do that at home?)

Gas shortage – Hope that all the folks who were driving made it home without any issues!

*Suggestion for vendors for next year: on Saturday, flag (or separate out) CDs from the newly announced bands. That would have been easier than digging through all the CDs...while trying to remember the names of all the bands that were announced!

 

[PatrickHoyt]

(Except for the gay dude with the swords and the horrible asian looking groupie girl who was blowing their dicks at the signing table and ruined the experience for me, at least)

you have absolutely no problem calling people out for having fun in their own way...well I have absolutely no problem in stating that those people are my friends and you sir, are an ass for 1.) assuming he's gay 2.) having bad eyesight, but mostly it's your own fault for letting those two small things ruin your experience.

so my after progpower jeer:

Edu_



other than that--

Cheers:
Getting to be a full fledged member of the crew this year
Lara being the best supervisor/boss ever
All the guys on the stage crew being badasses and getting shit done
getting to crack jokes about Rick and J-Dubya being noobs.
Hanging out with Mustasch, Elvenking, Andromeda, John Z, Matt LaPorte for the majority of the weekend and being their main driver.
chilling with Jon, Ann, Mike, Tracy, and Su whenever time permitted.
Meeting new people.


Jeers:
Having a gas crisis in Atlanta

 

[Jibrille]

People checking their e-mail during a performance. (WTF? Can’t you do that at home?)

I was kind of guilty of this but more so for checking ESPN scores. But c'mon, Penn State was playing! I think the funniest thing I saw was someone on Saturday reading on one of those electronic ebooks w/ a night light.

Also, might as well add a jeer for myself. I didn't do much socializing and left early from the lunch to grab some coffee. I'm getting old and can't do late nights anymore like I used to (actually, I'm used to getting up at 5:30 for work these days and just start crashing around midnight whether or not I worked that day). Plus I drank quite a bit Friday night but not enough to keep a buzz going (damn expensive beers inside!) so I was just drained for most of the night and still tired for Saturday

 

[Force10]

Cheers:
- to Glenn, of course.
- to the sound guy(s) - sound was much better than the last couple of years, IMO.
- to the hot beertender - she was a babe. Plus the beer was awesomely cold.
- to Rob Rock and Mustach for unexpectedly kicking my ass.

Jeers:
- to the dropped guitars during Helloween and Andromeda.
- to the blown up guitar during Iced Earth. Jon, you don't need to have your guitar twice as loud as everyone else (not that that was the cause).
- to the drunk dude during Iced Earth. This kid that can't hold his liquor almost got belted. And there were other dudes hanging around looking to jump in the fray when he did. It could have been ugly.
- to my roommate for his louder than Jon Shaffer's guitar snoring!

 

[Rider of Theli]

CHEERS:

• To Glenn for lining up a helluva show this year.
• To Glenn for having the faith in me (and my son) to recruit us into the crew this year. It was tiring, stressful (at times), and sweaty work... but FUN AS HELL!!! So thank you! We really enjoyed being a part of the machinery that makes ProgPower the best damn music festival in the nation.
• To Tommy for his guidance throughout the weekend. Thank you brother. We really appreciate you. Cheers!!!
• To my good friend Keith Lawley (DragonKLaw) for your hard work and determination to make things run as smoothly as possible all weekend. I hope you don't hate me now for dragging you into this. LOL.
• To all of you who chanted "crew!crew!crew!crew!..." on Friday night before the video presentation. Walking out on that stage with the rest of the crew was an amazing feeling. Thank you all so much. You are the reason I attend this festival every year as a fan, a friend to many of you, and now a crew member.
• To Wayne Joyner for creating a video presentation that kicked my ass and literally sent chills all over me as the bands were announced. YOU RULE BRO!
• To my wife Karen for her support all weekend long. You are my foundation. I wouldn't have lasted the weekend without you.
• To my ProgPower family and friends who took a moment to tell me I was doing a great job over the weekend: Thank You. That is what made my aches and pains all worthwhile. I love you all.
• To my NEW ProgPower family and friends who I met face to face for the first time this year after chatting on these forums with you for several years now: JDub, Yippee and Yardley, SkiBum, Thorn (from Texas), EvilPenguin (thank you especially for saying hello to me), and there's more I know I'm forgetting. Sorry, but I'm still so tired and sore I can't see straight. LOL
• Again to the fans in line at the signings for all of your patience and understanding when we had to make some unfortunate decisions concerning Iced Earth. I'll make a post separately on that one.
• To the Pathosray guys when we rescheduled their signing at almost the last minute. They were super cool to work with.
• To all of the bands we worked with over the weekend. Every one of them were a class act and very professional. And I want all of the fans to know that they truly, truly appreciate each and every one of you.
• and a HUGE CHEER to NO SMOKING signs! YAAAAAYYYYY!!!
  

JEERS:

• To myself... for many reasons... but mostly for not having my shit together in many regards concerning my weekend.
• To myself for not trying to look for any DSO at the vendor tables on Saturday. I completely drew a blank and was mostly looking for Sabaton. Their part of the video kicked.my.ass.period.
• To myself for not being in better shape. I am aching now in muscles & joints I didn't know I had. :zombie: Next year, things will be different. I now have even more reason for losing some weight and getting in better shape. It's called 'ProgPower USA Crew'.
• To the ENTERPRISE rental car agency who wasted two hours of my time on Saturday. They will be hearing from me tomorrow. grrrr.

I'm sure there's a few more little things that ticked me off over the weekend. I'll edit later as necessary. :Smug: heh heh.

right now I'm going to sleep in my own bed. *huge sigh of relief*

 

[ixrayu]

Cheers:
SAINT DEAMON!!! WOW!! one of the best progpower performances I've seen, and I've seen them ALL since PPUSA IX.
Next, Mustasch. Fantastic performance. I liked them before their show. Now, I Love em!
other GREAT shows
Circle II Circle
JOP
Rob Rock(probably the best overall sound quality)
Iron Savior
Amorphis
Finally Cheers to Glenn and his crew. Some technical difficulties but over all great job.

JEERS:
WOW, I'm truely surprised by all the Riverside praise. I found their set an enormous let down and in a word.....boring. I saw many people actually sleeping during their set, and it took all I had not to do the same.
Next, was the Midnight show. What a trainwreck!
Finally, to Iced Earth for Snubbing the PPUSA crowd by cancelling the signing.

 

[LunaTEKKE]

I *knew* I was forgetting an important one...CHEERS to the vendor (I think it was Exploding Ned) who put typed labels with the artist names on each CD. Otherwise, the lighting in the room sometimes made it difficult to read the type on the CD spines...I probably missed some good stuff at other tables.

 

[Harvester]

Finally, to Iced Earth for Snubbing the PPUSA crowd by cancelling the signing.

That is not the situation. Somethings are beyond the band's control (especially headliners). They offered to do it after the show, but that was logistically impossible. I promised Jon I would make sure the fans knew they did not "snub" them.

 

[Rider of Theli]

Finally, to Iced Earth for Snubbing the PPUSA crowd by canceling the signing.

simply NOT the case.

see here for my explanation

(I see now that Glenn also explained - Thanks Glenn!)

 

[AMBR]

I know this will only cover a fraction of the cheers I'd like to give, but I just got home and I'm am whipped!

Cheers:

· Number one cheer always has to be Glenn; for the best damn metal show in this country, for the exceptional way he runs this festival, for always introducing us to new bands and music, and for many other reasons I just can't list right now. Your the best, dude. Thanks!

· The ProgPower crew. What a hard working, classy group of people. I doubt you’ll find a more dedicated group any where else.

· Amorphis. Such an honor to sponsor them. They rocked my world. I sang damn near every word, (which you all noticed the next day when I couldn't speak. Of course that happens EVERY year.) I also head banged til I was nearly crippled.

· All the bands that gave it all they had and delivered one of the best, damn shows I’ve ever seen, AND were humble, appreciative and grateful to be here. I won’t list every one, since it’s a matter of personal preference, opinion and experiences and I don’t want to diss any of the other bands.

· Jax for the always awesome SymX lunch. Damn good time. A thousand cheers for the guy who treated us.

· Stair tape! What a big help even with the little flashlight I had.

· The bartenders for their hard work, good humor and flexibility. (and myself for finally learning to pace properly!)

· The security guys who did their job with professionalism and patience. I’ve had to experience so much ego-driven, security nonsense at other venues. These guys are awesome.

· The Granada for working hard to provide us with everything we needed, for staying pleasant and friendly no matter how much extra work we created, and for never once complaining about us (or calling the cops). I hope whatever renovations they do, it doesn’t drive the price out of reach.

· Lucky Buddahs who deliver some damn good pot stickers and other sustenance until 4AM!

· To each and every one of you who are some of my best friends in the world and make the fest so special. Thank you for the laughs, all the compliments, the selfless generosity, and unique friendship. You really all seem like family. I already miss everyone so much.

I know there is so much more, but that’s all I can put up right now. I’ll add more later cause there are many who deserve the cheers.

As for jeers, I’m not going into the sound issues. The PP crew does such an incredible job under extreme conditions. If only a few glitches occur, it’s a miracle. I’m also not going to go into what I think of … um… less than cooperative bands and their crews, but many of you know.

Jeers:

This isn’t really to do with the fest but NUMBER ONE FRIGGING JEER!
· Congestion and weather creating a HUGE delay in the flight home. Our flight was suppose to leave at 1:40 and arrive in Newark at 4:04. It was delayed before boarding nearly an hour (and we RUSHED to make it after being up until almost 6AM the night before) Once in the air, we circled Virginia for more than an hour, ran out of fuel, had to land in Baltimore, wait in line for fuel, wait in line to back away from fueling area, wait in line to take off, THEN circled Newark until they’d let us land. A 2.5 hour flight took nearly 5.5. Yea, I’m beat. Hope the rest of you made it home ok.
· Prima donnas who think everything is about them and have no respect for other people. Not gonna go into details, but you all know what I mean.

Yea, and that’s all I’m going to complain about now. Off to bed.

 

[Tess]

Jeers-
tall people for standing in front of me THEN talking to their friends so it totally blocks my view

.....that's life, shorty! Just get on Lek's shoulders next year, duh

JEERS:
Dumbass!

I can not BELIEVE you just "said" dumbass!

Jeers:
People checking their e-mail during a performance. (WTF? Can’t you do that at home?

Some people are just that important!

CHEERS:
The weather!
Margaritas from Kathy that lasted the entire weekend you ARE the best!
Pathosray & Spheric Universe Experience - generally nice guys but also for their amazing performances!
Being a part of the coolest family EVAH and spending ProgPower together
My sister for providing nonstop entertainment on Wednesday night - I heart drunk Annie
Manticora for being a walking comedy show 24 hours/day (Skal du ha' en finger i numsen?! Tak for kneppe!)
Meg for making the trip and sharing all her friends with us!
Starbucks
The Laser's Edge table for being so SEXAY! Also, for the Helloween DVD - can't wait to watch it!
Getting to see all of our friends we only see at PPUSA (especially Shane ...we miss you - move here) and for making so many new friends!
The Aquarium - SOO much fun!
Next years line up. Holy crap
Helloween, Saint Deamon, Riverside, and JOP!
My first ProgPower as a married woman - WOOHOO! Everyone who offered their congrats (condolences ) on our marriage - you guys

JEERS:
Always feeling rushed
Missing Angela's breakfast and not getting to talk more about hair! (We'll be up your way SOON!)
Attitude
Madison Grill. We are STILL waiting on our appetizer.
Us (Me, Claus, Annie) for not listening to MR when she warned us that they were taking forever on orders at Madison Grill.
The 6 1/2 hour drive home that felt like 21 hours.
Gas shortages.
Me being tired all weekend. WTF? Am I THAT old already??
As always -- too much good music leaves not enough time for socializing!

 

[Formerly known as Chris F5]

1 more jeer
that just 24 hours ago I was about to see possibly the best back to back legands of metal at the top of their game.
Now I sit here by myself in my Townhome wondering where the hell the past 5 days went,knowing there isn't too much to look foward to music wise for a long time..........

 

[MetalOperaChick]

you have absolutely no problem calling people out for having fun in their own way...well I have absolutely no problem in stating that those people are my friends and you sir, are an ass for 1.) assuming he's gay 2.) having bad eyesight, but mostly it's your own fault for letting those two small things ruin your experience.

so my after progpower jeer:

Edu_

Cheers to Hoyt for calling him out on that. Those swords make me laugh and smile every year, I love it. I hope to see it again next year...who knows, maybe they'll bring a Dwarven battle axe or something! Good times.

 

[PatrickHoyt]

Cheers to Hoyt for calling him out on that. Those swords make me laugh and smile every year, I love it. I hope to see it again next year...who knows, maybe they'll bring a Dwarven battle axe or something! Good times.

lets not get confused here. Hoyt is my dad.

I won't take credit for being 'Hoyt' ...just "Patrick Hoyt"

but thanks for the cheers.

 

[nailz]

Elvenkings set was awesome. (Except for the gay dude with the swords and the horrible asian looking groupie girl who was blowing their dicks at the signing table and ruined the experience for me, at least)

For the record, she was just as big of this fan as I am. Sounds like you've just got a major case of the jealous.

 

[MetalOperaChick]

lets not get confused here. Hoyt is my dad.

I won't take credit for being 'Hoyt' ...just "Patrick Hoyt"

but thanks for the cheers.

Ah crap. Yes, I knew you were Patrick but Hoyt is just so easy to say..erm...type?

 

[SkiBumMSP]

Jeers:

This isn’t really to do with the fest but NUMBER ONE FRIGGING JEER!
· Congestion and weather creating a HUGE delay in the flight home. Our flight was suppose to leave at 1:40 and arrive in Newark at 4:04. It was delayed before boarding nearly an hour (and we RUSHED to make it after being up until almost 6AM the night before) Once in the air, we circled Virginia for more than an hour, ran out of fuel, had to land in Baltimore, wait in line for fuel, wait in line to back away from fueling area, wait in line to take off, THEN circled Newark until they’d let us land. A 2.5 hour flight took nearly 5.5. Yea, I’m beat. Hope the rest of you made it home ok.

Awww maaan, that friggan sucks! And if we are going to comment on the traffic getting back home....

Fortunatly, in my case, our flight actually left and arrived a little early (Cheers for that). Thankfully, we were only going as far north as Richmond. Now a major Jeer for the shitty traffic on I-95 driving back to Fredericksburg from Richmond. It sucked so bad that I ended up bailing at the Kings Dominion exit and taking Rt 1 up (which had practically NO traffic!). However a Cheer for the cop that bagged that jackass that was weaving in and out of traffic and riding up my ass on I-95 (despite traffic already moving at 75+)!

 

[PatrickHoyt]

For the record, she was just as big of this fan as I am. Sounds like you've just got a major case of the jealous.

yeah Jesse was a really cool girl. We talked several times over the weekend and she really enjoyed herself hanging out with the guys from Elvenking.

Elvenking themselves were some of the most respectful people I had ever met in my life--they never ceased to stop thanking me for driving them around even though I assured them it was just part of the job and it was an honor to be driving them around. great bunch of guys--CHEERS!