If being an egomaniac means I believe in what I do and in my art or music, then in that respect you can call me that… I believe in what I do, and I’ll say it.

If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there’d be peace.

If someone thinks that love and peace is a cliche that must have been left behind in the Sixties, that’s his problem. Love and peace are eternal.

A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.

My role in society, or any artist’s or poet’s role, is to try and express what we all feel. Not to tell people how to feel. Not as a preacher, not as a leader, but as a reflection of us all.

We’ve got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can’t just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it’s going to get on by itself. You’ve got to keep watering it. You’ve got to really look after it and nurture it.

Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans

We’ve been teasing our new music project for a couple months now, so we thought it was time to give you a preview.

After much preparation, we present to you a selection from our upcoming album. We’ve worked really hard on this, and we think it shows. “More Than Andrich” is a tribute to our favorite Canadian podcasting talent, Shawn Andrich. We selected this song because it portrays the delicate yet ferocious passion we feel for our fair-haired muse from the north.

And really, that’s all the preface this needs. I think you’ll agree that we’ve outdone ourselves this time. Please enjoy.
More Than Andrich

iPad: Once again, I’ll be honest and say that if it has the Steve Jobs stamp of approval on it, chances are damn good that I’ll own it. This device, however, was even a bit of a stretch for me in terms of justifying a purchase. My initial reaction to it, like so many others, was one of “I have this already. It’s my iPhone”. However, over the months since it’s April 2010 launch, I’ve found it vying for the spot as the single most used piece of tech in my household, second only to the television. For being something that I don’t “really” need, the iPad has managed to ingrain itself into the very fabric of my daily routine. It’s first thing I take out when I get to work, it’s the first thing my daughter asks for when I get home and it’s very often the last thing I see while reading a book in bed or watching a late-night television show with my wife. Say what you will about it, the iPad has managed to exceed my expectations by doing the impossible: carving out a niche in my already over-filled tech life.

Twitter: I was a fan of Twitter in 2009 (and put it on my best-of list then too, I believe) but this simple program has continued to show it’s usefulness in 2010. Part of what makes it so fantastic is it’s simple core structure; 140 character messages, nothing more. With this simple premise, however, Twitter has become my major news source, a vehicle for communicating with podcast listeners and keeping tabs on people I find interesting or inspirational. Hell, it’s even becoming a great vehicle for promoting your movie in the hands of Kevin Smith. Twitter shows that a simple, cleanly executed idea can become so much more when in hands of a creative and active user base. Let’s also mention that the fantastic mobile twitter app, Tweetie, was acquired by Twitter and their subsequent iPad and Mac offerings have become my favorite way to access the service.

Dropbox: This may go down as the most important program I installed on my devices this year. Simply put, Dropbox is a spot on the cloud where I can put my shit, to be accessed by all my devices that need said shit. While other programs and services do something similar, it’s the way in which Dropbox does it that sets it apart. It’s clean and simple with an interface that requires little thought. It’s automated, so it never feels like an FTP program and it’s fast so that uploading things isn’t a pain in the ass waiting game. The simplicity and ease of use make it a program that entered my workflow right away and stayed as an integral part of accessing things from anywhere. It’s a service I simply can’t live without now and it’s saved my ass a number of times. It’s my favorite new discovery of 2010.

The Social Network: I’m not sure, exactly, why I found this movie so inspirational. By all accounts, Mark Zuckerberg is I guy I just couldn’t stand to be around for more than 5 minutes. However, the story of how a college kid and his buddies managed to create a computer program that would embed itself into the very culture of America is a fascinating one for me. There is something about the story of an idealistic young man that takes a risk and becomes a success with that vision that really appeals to me. Sadly, it’s probably just me wishing I had the balls to do something similar but David Fincher’s film really spoke to me. It was also shot in such a warm and beautiful way, using the old Harvard campus to great effect, that it really sucked me into the world. Add the fantastic performances by the principle actors and the eerily quiet score by Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross and it was film that set the bar for me in 2010.

Cooking/Mexican Cuisine/Rick Bayless: In November of 2009, I had a rather life changing moment when I ate at Topolobompo, a gourmet Mexican restaurant owned by chef Rick Bayless. After eating what still stands as one of the most interesting and delicious meals of my life, I walked over to a counter that held a series of cookbooks by the chef. Standing there was a member of the cooking staff on break, reading one of the cookbooks. He spotted me browsing, turned to me and pointed at the book “Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen” and simply said “That one’s the best”. I took his advice and proceeded down a year that was dedicated to not only cooking traditional Mexican food but one where food was finally put into perspective in my own life.

I had cooked off and on over the years but never in a purposeful way. 2010 became the year where I dedicated myself to the idea of good food, prepared simply and in my own kitchen for my family. I wanted to capture the feelings that had been awakened during my meal at Topolobompo and by February, I had hosted my very first dinner party featuring Mexican cuisine. 2010 was the year of cooking meals for my family almost every day and with each new dish, my confidence as a cook grew stronger and stronger. I began consulting my mother on recipes she used to regularly make for us as kids, adding them back into the fabric of my life and passing those flavors onto my own children. In addition to meals for my family, I had the joy of cooking Paella with Moe on an outdoor brick oven for 30 friends, and serving Red Mole to a couple who understood it’s significance and history. Be it meals for everyday or celebratory moments of my life, 2010 was the year where I began to dedicate life to food and it’s proper place in my world. It has been one of the most joyful and satisfying endeavors I have ever undertaken.

Arcade Fire-The Suburbs: This disc captivated me during the summer of 2010 in a way that no other album did. It spun in my car, streamed off my iPod, iPad and Mac at every given opportunity. These songs had hooks and chord progressions that kept me engaged and they even managed to make the whole “concept album” idea palatable. Add to that the fact that they represent an Indie band that managed to reach the pinnacle of the venerated Top 10 list and you have something special. Now, if only everything hadn’t been ruined by their Saturday Night Live appearance which revealed just how goonie that lead singer guy is. Seriously, it’s like Lurch meets Kraftwerk.

I realize there are no videogames on this particular list and it’s not because I didn’t play them. I just feel like I’ve said all that on the podcast, so you can check that out if you’re curious as to my top 2010 games. With that, I’ll close by simply saying a big thank you to all the folks who have listened to us this year, helped celebrate our 5th year of podcasting and continued to make the show a fun thing by writing in and leaving us fantastic voice mails. 2011 represents the third year of Robot Panic’s existence and as such (if we stay true to form) it’s about time for us to start blowing shit up. I just want to thank you for being the kind of people who are mostly cool with that kind of thing and it’s nice to know we have such fun people along for the ride.

2010 was packed. So much that looking back I can hardly believe it all happened in just one single year. It was also a different sort of year for me as I did my best to focus on living, rather than simply consuming. This was as much a conscious decision as it was one born out of necessity. Now the father of two young boys, I find myself with less and less time to enjoy the frivolities that we generally celebrate here at Robot Panic, and more obliged to savor every moment I have that isn’t spent changing diapers, assembling toys, or pretending to chase invisible monsters in my house. As such, I purchased far fewer games, watched less than half the number of films I saw in 2009, and pulled the plug on a number of TV shows that I just didn’t have time for.

But don’t mistake my tone to be one of regret. 2010 was one of the most personally fulfilling years of my life. It was the year I was able to actually return to creating things, rather than just talking about them. The Shmopera was the first time in years that I sat behind a real drumset and felt competent. It was the year I really embraced fatherhood to the fullest and discovered that despite all my cynicism and reluctance, I really enjoy being a family man. I bought a cabin on the lake where I spent nearly every summer of my childhood, investing in a place where my young family can grow together and create great memories over the next several decades.

Fret not, gentle readers. I won’t spend this entire post rambling about how I love my wife and kids and gushing over baby pictures. Without further ado, let’s get to the important shit, shall we?

Comics: I’m starting with comics because buying comics was the most consistent thing I did all year. Without fail, I made my weekly trip to the comic book shop to pick up books that provided me with much-needed escape from my hectic life. I found that I’ve all but left the Marvel universe this year, due to their over-emphasis on the multitude of Avengers franchises and lack of anything really interesting going on in their regular books. In fact, unless I’m mistaken, the only Marvel books I currently pick up on a regular basis are Iron Man, Captain America, and Secret Avengers. The first purely out of habit (Tony Stark’s journey to win back his fortune hasn’t been all that fascinating), and the last two simply because I’ll buy anything the Ed Brubaker writes.

In the superhero world, DC has been getting the bulk of my cash this year, and most of that is spent on the Batman franchise. Bruce Wayne finally returned, and as a result I now pull about a half-dozen bat-books per month. Detective Comics, Batman, Batman and Robin, Red Robin, Batman, Inc., and probably one or two others I’m forgetting. I’m glad they found a way to keep Dick Grayson in a Batman suit for the time being, but I can’t say I’m too fond of the whole “Bruce Wayne publicly admits to funding Batman all these years” story line. In fact, it makes the whole “secret identity” gimmick far less believable than ever; especially since Vicki Vale just about blew the lid on it last year anyway.

But the best comic books I’ve read this year have had nothing – or close to nothing – to do with men in tights and capes. The best book on the stands, bar none, continues to be Scalped. A pulp/crime drama set on an Indian reservation with all sorts of side stories, multiple story threads, and amazing action, Scalped finally beat out The Walking Dead this year as my favorite series.

The other book that has been blowing my mind is Chew, a story about FDA agent Tony Chu, a cibopath who can learn the backstory of any plant or animal simply by eating it. He uses his powers to solve murders (just take a bite out of the victim), and track down criminals. It’s an amazingly entertaining series full of brilliant writing and great hidden jokes on every page.

Scarlett by Brian Michael Bendis is also near the top of my list of must-read books this year. I know I gave Bendis a written lashing last year for the whole resolution to the big Marvel event that he orchestrated, but he sure came bouncing back with Scarlett, the story of a girl who’s been wronged and is out to whip some serious ass.

And then there was Casanova. It’s hard to describe Casanova. Spy book tripped out on acid? Sure, I guess. But that doesn’t do it justice. It’s complex, funny, and challenging. But it’s worth your time.

And finally, I can’t end a comic book rant without getting a plug in for my beloved Ed Brubaker. Whether it’s another great run on Criminal or his new installation of Incognito, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I will buy anything this guy puts out. He’s never, ever let me down.

Music: My aforementioned process of stripping away the excess in my life has had a huge effect on my music buying and listening. I’ve spent much of the year rediscovering albums in my collection, and that included about a month or two where I listened to nothing but “Pet Sounds” by The Beach Boys. I’m also just about finished re-purchasing the entire John Lennon solo catalog now that they’ve been remastered and reminding myself just how fucking brilliant the man was.

But in the way of “new” music this year, for me, nothing topped LCD Soundsystem’s “This is Happening”. It’s music in a genre I rarely get into, but every damn song on that album had me shaking my aged, fat ass. I’m ashamed that it took me so long to take SimpleNate’s advice to buy it, but I made up for my sins by listening to it over and over for nearly the entire month of August.

A close runner-up was “Brother” by The Black Keys. Two white dudes from Ohio doing a killer take on Delta blues. Gotta love it. I listened to this one almost as much as “This is Happening” and enjoyed every last track, especially “Ten Cent Pistol”. “Brother” was the perfect album for late nights sitting out under the stars while sipping on some Surly beer.

After that, the list starts to dwindle fast. I loved “The Suburbs” by Arcade Fire, but can’t decide if I like it better than “Neon Bible.” Either way, it’s a great album and a remarkable achievement in the whole “concept album” endeavor they’ve been chipping away at for seemingly their entire career. And I can’t decide if I love MGMT’s “Congratulations” or find it silly and pretentious.

Aside from that, what really struck me about my music habits in 2010 is that while I’m always actively seeking out something new and interesting to listen to, the wonder of modern technology and programs like iTunes, Grooveshark, and my friends’ recommendations via word-of-mouth or Twitter mean that at long last I’m no longer slave to popular culture. To this day, I have never heard a song by Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Kanye West, or any of the other current “big things”. And I say this not as a badge of honor, but simply a recognition that I no longer have to participate in a musical culture in which I have no interest. I’ve been told that a few of those artists have put out interesting material, and I’m sure that’s true. But I’ve just reached the age where I simply don’t give a damn to turn the dial of my radio to the local “modern hits” station or watch whichever industry awards show where these types of people are paraded about. I’ll let the party-goers gossip about Kanye and Taylor as they dance to the latest auto-tuned bubblegum hit while I grow old clutching onto my Rolling Stones and Hendrix vinyl albums, not yearning for days gone by, but glad in the fact that my world no longer needs to overlap with that one.

Movies: This one’s gonna be short.

Am I crazy or did the majority of 2010 just seem as though it was about nothing but Inception and Toy Story 3? Granted, How to Train Your Dragon was pretty bad ass, but until December, those were the only two big-buzz films of the year that I can recall. To be fair, they were both phenomenal films and ones that I could watch repeatedly. But it certainly seemed like a slow year at the box office.

I did mention December, though, and that month brought True Grit, which further cements the Coen Brothers as two of the greatest filmmakers of our time. It’s great that they can go from producing little niche films like A Simple Man to massive hits like True Grit in the span of a year, and both films are so different yet fit perfectly within their catalog. I wanna see them take on sci-fi next. Deep space science fiction by the Coen Brothers. That shit’d be awesome.

And then there was Tron: Legacy. I’m sure Hilden will wax philosophic about this in much greater detail than I’m capable of, but I’m still of two minds about the movie. On one hand, I was just as apathetic about it as I was the original Tron. That movie was nerdy and 80s, which was a good thing, but it also was boring as absolute hell. This one upped the neat-o factor by a billion, gave Jeff Bridges’ character a Dude-like makeover, and oozed with style. Yet, it still felt a bit dumb and clumsy to me. If nothing else, it created an interesting world that I’d like to see more of. I just hope they remember to include an interesting story next time.

My favorite movie of the year, though? None of the above. My favorite flick was Machete. My wife and I went to see this on opening night and we both had a blast, quoting the movie for the rest of the week. What can I say? I like to have a good time at the movies.

Tech: The iPhone 4 is now more valuable to me than my dick. And that’s not just because I had a vasectomy this year. This thing does everything and it goes everywhere. I just need it to function as an automobile, provide shelter, and dispense food and I’ll never need anything else as long as I live. And you know what? iPhone games can be good. Damn good. Cave dropped a few wonderful titles for iPhone, and I now have an admittedly clunky, yet legitimate TurboGrafx-16 emulator on my phone! I can also listen to radio stations from all across the globe, watch Netflix, organize my comic book pull list, and write music…on my phone! We live in the future…

And then there was the iPad, a device I was certain I didn’t need until Hilden – that rat-bastard – bought one and brought it to the podcast. It wasn’t love at first sight, but it planted a seed. And that seed would grow over the next several weeks as I found out about all the new and awesome shit I could use it for. Next thing I knew – BAM! 64GB iPad in my possession. That thing is now loaded with movies, games, books, magazines, and tons of activities that keep my kids entertained and help them learn. And reading Wired magazine on iPad? One of the coolest things I’ve done all year.

And really, that’ll about do it for me. 2010 was pretty fucked up as far as world events went. Floods, earthquakes, oil spills, celebrity nonsense, crazy deaths. But for me? 2010 was pretty bad ass and I hope I’m able to build on it in 2011 and beyond. As always, thanks for sticking with us for another year and thanks for
hanging out. We enjoy having you around, talking about games, movies, and other random nonsense.

Imagine there’s no Heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world

You may say that I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Buy, Listen, Enjoy.

I’ve been a Bruce Springsteen fan for about as long as I’ve been alive but when it comes to his music, I’ve steered mostly to the greatest hits collection that helped define most of my 80′s childhood. When it comes to the music of the Boss, Born to Run and Born in the U.S.A. were the defining albums for me. For any true Springsteen fan, however, those two albums simply represent one facet of a career that has spawned a huge number of classic albums. Some would argue that the best work of Springsteen can best be heard on albums like Nebraska and Darkness on the Edge of Town. While those less mainstream works were never something I paid much attention to as a kid, I’ve discovered them slowly over the years and realized just how brilliant those albums are. With the release of the new box set of Darkness on the Edge of Town, I’ve finally gotten to dig into one of Springsteen’s most important albums and, in my humble opinion, his best.

Included in the deluxe edition is an oversized box that houses a replica (presumably) of Springsteen’s infamous notebook, which he would use to construct lyrics for the huge number of songs that would be worked on during the Darkness period. All told, according to the story, there were around 70 songs recorded for the Darkness on the Edge of Town recording session but the notebook really only represents the ten that made it onto the album. With that said, it’s really interesting to see the different states that these songs were in over the three year period they were being worked on. You can see places where lyrics had been crossed out or added to and in some cases whole new revisions of songs on a separate page appear. It’s a very neat insight into how an artist goes about crafting his lyrics and stories.

The Darkness box set comes packed with a remastered version of Darkness on the Edge of Town, a collection of unreleased songs from that period (including two classics made famous by other artists, “Fire” and “Because the Night”) called The Promise and two live concert DVD’s. One of the DVD’s features the E-Street Band in 2009 playing down the entire Darkness album and it’s really one of the highlights of the set. To see these guys interpret one of the most interesting albums of their career only now with over 30 years of experience as a band makes for a very compelling listening experience.

It bears mentioning that The Promise, which is an additional 2-disc set featuring previously unreleased songs, is a real hit on it’s own. When you hear the variety of tracks that didn’t make the original cut of ten songs that appeared on Darkness, you really begin to appreciate the amount of discipline that Springsteen showed at the age of 26. The Promise now adds a whole new set of songs to the Springsteen catalog that have been sitting in a vault for thirty years and it’s a real treat to hear them now.

So, while you do get a lot of great stuff in this set, I have to admit that this is truly for the Springsteen nerds in the audience only. For me, it’s a great inside look at one of the best albums of one of my favorite artists and it was well worth the cash. However, it may be more benefical for folks to just check out the remastered Darkness and The Promise, both of which can be purchased individually. For those of you who, like me, have to have the big version, you can find the deluxe edition going for a ridiculously high $100.00+ price tag. However, you can find it for a more reasonable price on Amazon here: The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story (3 CD/3 DVD)

Not my normal beat, for sure, and slightly off the beaten track for Robot Panic. But I recently got the chance to take in this duo’s show and I was impressed. There are a lot of acts out there catering to the wee ones, and Princess Katie and Racer Steve are such a band. But I would say this particular duo has a lot to offer adults in the crowd too. At one point in the show, Princess Katie launched into a really lame rendition of “The Wheels on the Bus”. But then she stopped abruptly. “Hey parents, I bet you thought it would be like that today, Yeah, I don’t think so,” before kicking into another raucous original tune. This band is very energetic, and brash, but not so loud that it’s going to damage the hearing of the youngsters it’s meant for.

In addition to the lively and upbeat tunes, the show featured a few comedy elements that really got the kids engaged (and provided a laugh or two the those of us who’ve already graduated elementary school). A particular favorite was a large phone on stage and the kids were asked to scream “telephone” when it rang. One of the band members would answer it and perform a little comedy dialogue. It was a small thing, but very effective in maintaining variety in the show.

I’ve said a bit already, but I haven’t mentioned the best part of this show. Though it’s constructed for kids – young kids – this is a rock show and it’s not shy about saying it either. As I was sitting there, taking it in, I wondered why we didn’t have anything like this when I was a kid. It would certainly have inspired me to pursue music education at a younger age, and even encouraged me to stick with it. On top of which, you could see on the kids faces how much they were loving this show and totally getting into it. If you like rock and want to see it sustained by the next generation, Princess Katie and Racer Steve are like these great ambassadors of rock for the future of the genre, and they do it by instilling a love of rock into the youthful youth of today.
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Taking two guys who excel in their respective fields and teaming them up isn’t exactly a new thing. In fact, some of the best products in entertainment have come from such meeting of the minds. However, in the music world it seems these kinds of team ups have gone the way of the do-do. Back in the old Tin-Pan Alley days, combo songwriting teams like George and Ira Gershwin were the standard and you didn’t bother writing anything if you weren’t part of one. As far as current-day pop songwriting goes, you could point to the sort-of famous Elton John and Bernie Taupin team and the legendary Lennon/McCartney. A case could also be made for Alan Menken and Howard Ashman if you’re really into the whole Broadway/Disney thing. Despite these (and others I’m not listing) worthy collaborations, songwriting teams have taken a solid second place to the lone singer/songwriter/performer craze that’s defined popular music for well over three decades.

Which brings me to Lonely Avenue, a new disc from Ben Folds and writer Nick Hornby. Ben Folds, of course, is a modern pop songwriter/piano player who currently stands next in line for whatever throne Burt Bacharach sits on. His work is steeped in sarcasm and the lessons of the great 1970′s songwriters and for many who are his fans, having someone else write his words seems like a decidedly bad idea.

Nick Hornby is an English author who has penned a number of fantastic books, especially if you enjoy reading tales set in the unique culture of music snobery. Folks may not have read his books, but it’s a good bet you’ve seen a few of the movie adaptations such as High Fidelity, About A Boy or enjoyed his more movie specific work, the recent An Education. Hornby has a an ear for certain characters who could be best described as “aimless”. You could characterize much of his work as a series of windows into his characters lives just at the point where they get start to get their head out of their ass. While Hornby is a obvious lover of music and well schooled in the indie rock scene, no one would consider him a songwriter. Or even a poet, if push came to shove.

So it is that the collaboration between these two friends raised a few eyebrows in some and a stir of excitement in others. As far as this fan of both Folds and Hornby is concerned, Lonely Avenue is a smashing success.
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It’s tough to put a Flaming Lips concert into words. It’s a celebration of music and joy and weirdness. It’s a party, a revival, and a psychedelic freak out.

The Roy Wilkins Auditorium is a unique venue for seeing a band. It has a hollow, gymnasium vibe, which makes sense given its history as a boxing venue. The last time I saw The Lips was outside, after a massive rain storm at the Minnesota State Fair. It was a setting that fit the band perfectly, and I couldn’t help but long for the cool summer breeze while sitting in the bland auditorium. But the band did their best to brighten up the setting. Singer Wayne Coyne serves as ringleader and master of ceremonies, directing the action from center stage. The other freaks flank him at all sides, providing the cacophony of sound, while a handful of “dancers” crowd either side of the stage, each of them dressed in furry orange outfits. The stage itself is littered with gadgets and contraptions, most of which were designed by Coyne himself. There are a pair of giant hands fitted with laser lights, four confetti cannons, dozens of streamer-shooters, bullhorns, cameras, Wayne’s “space bubble”, dozens of giant balloons, and numerous other toys.

Before we get to the music, I’d like to very briefly mention the opening act, Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, also known as “The Worst Opening Band John’s Ever Seen.” Look, I usually give extra attention to the opening band, as I’ve discovered great music as I wait for the main attraction to begin. And hey, I love freaky music. I mean, I’m at a Flaming Lips show, after all. But there was nothing to like about Ariel Pink and his little freak show. I assume it was intended to be a freaky, funky, 80s new-wave-throwback, but it came off as a put on. From Ariel Pink’s homeless, male prostitute outfit (clogs and white sox with some sort of silky, plaid short-suit) to his prissy on stage demeanor, to his painfully out-of-tune voice, this guy was like Perez Hilton’s more obnoxious little brother. I hear he’s a pretty intriguing performance artist who’s captured the attention of people I respect, like Animal Collective. But last night in St. Paul, I just didn’t get it.

Back to the Flaming Lips…
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Sometimes it’s hard for me to suppress my headbanging roots. My friend Craig isn’t any help as every time a classic thrash band comes through town he inevitably buys two tickets, looks at me with his big brown eyes and says, “But dude…I don’t have anyone else to go with.” So there I am, rocking like it’s 1989.

The so-called “American Carnage Tour” (*sigh*) was supposed to come through town back in February, but was delayed due to Slayer’s Tom Araya having back surgery, giving me a stay of execution for around six months. But it wouldn’t be delayed forever – you can’t stop metal, you know – and Saturday night there I was, pushing my way down a smelly corridor, making my way to my seat in the balcony of the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown St. Paul, about to settle in for nearly four hours of classic thrash. And yes, I said “seat”. I’m thirty-four years old, have two kids, and am about as interested in participating in a mosh pit as I am attending a Justin Bieber concert; which is to say not at all.

In all fairness to the genre and the bands involved, I do hold a soft spot in my heart for thrash metal, if only out of nostalgia. Plus, surviving a Slayer concert just seems like a “bucket list” activity, doesn’t it? I touched on the subject earlier in my Big Four of Thrash article, and after having experienced a taste of it in the safety of a movie theater, seeing it live was too much to resist.

As I took my seat in the dingy auditorium known mostly for boxing events and broken seats, the lights went down. I swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and prepared myself…
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