Unexpectedly Rocking Out with Metallica

Last night, Jupiter popped the question: "Do you want to see Metallica?" My initial response was, "Not really." But curiosity got the better of me, and I started exploring last-minute tickets on SeatGeek. When I asked Jupiter how much he wanted to attend, his response was a solid 69%. Admittedly, it's an illogical question, but I didn't know what to expect.

Metallica boasts a massive following, and their concerts tend to take place in large arenas. This one was at The Dome at America's Center in downtown St. Louis. Stadium-sized concerts have never been my cup of tea. I can never justify the cost of getting up close, and the nosebleed seats don't offer much of a view.

Moreover, while I don't detest heavy metal, it's not a genre that dominates my playlists. I recognize a few Metallica songs, and I appreciate the talent of the musicians, but my excitement for the show was rather muted.

Not too long ago, Les Claypool and his Frog Brigade were in town, but we couldn't make it to that gig. I had promised Jupiter that I'd take him to a concert, but we needed to find one that better fit our schedule, ideally on a non-school night. Well, this Metallica concert seemed to check all the boxes, so off we went.

Despite my initial reservations about stadium concerts and a band that I wasn't particularly into, I soon found myself nodding my head and tapping my foot to the music. The stage setup was unique, with a circular stage and cylindrical monitors, which you can see in the attached picture. It was a refreshing departure from the typical stadium shows that use only three-quarters of the seats and a distant stage with monitors off to the side for us folks too far away to make out more than ants playing guitars.

Kudos to the tech wizards who transformed lights, smoke, monitors, pyrotechnics, and beach balls into a visual extravaganza. They even had the drummer moving around the stage using four spaced-out trap doors, each revealing a drum kit underneath.

All in all, I enjoyed this concert far more than I had anticipated. What brought me the most joy was sharing this experience with Jupiter, who's developed a fondness for live music. Despite my initial reluctance and the two-plus hours it took to navigate from our seats to the top of the parking garage and back home, I'm grateful to have become, as James Hetfield kept saying on stage, a part of the Metallica family. This doesn't necessarily mean Metallica will top my playlist, but if the chance to see this band, which is a year older than me, arises again, I might just take it up.

The Poky Little Puppy

Sometimes Jupiter likes to read the classic Golden Book tale, The Poky Little Puppy before bed or nap time. This is another of many children's stories where the intended moral of the story seems to have been surpassed by a message that, I think, conveys the nearly the opposite message. The Poky Little Puppy is a story about five little puppies who dig a hole under the fence to go out for a walk in the wide, wide world. The fifth, poky, puppy is always behind the others. Eventually the poky little puppy smells the dessert that is prepared for the puppies each night. The four other puppies smell it too and hurry home while the poky puppy takes his time. The four puppies then eat their dinner and are scolded by their mother for digging a hole under the fence with the punishment being that they do not get dessert. Then along comes the poky puppy after everyone is asleep. He is met with no dinner but left over dessert, since the four puppies were not able to eat it. This scenario takes

Kid on a Leash

Has anyone seen these kid leash products around? Sometimes I see them at the zoo, farmers market, or other crowded areas. If a company can make a product that will make a parent feel a little bit safer, there will always be people out there to buy it. When I see one, it reminds me of that scene in Rise of the Planet of the Apes when a leashed Caesar sees a dog on a leash and turns to Will and signs, "Am I a pet?" The idea of the product is that it will keep the child safe and nearby. It is designed to subside the fear that a child will run off or get abducted. I think that if someone is out to abduct a child during the few seconds when a parent is looking away, a leash is a very small deterrent, and likely, not effective. All the abductor would need is a nice pair of scissors or simply their fingers. The latch cannot be that hard to work. If anything, having a leash might give a parent a false sense of security causing them to pay less attention to the child. In that case it

Tsunami Warning for Lincoln Nebraska

Tsunami Dawkins Augustine was born at 13:05 on September 26, 2011 at Bryan Hospital in Lincoln, NE. He weighed 8 lbs 5 ounces and measured 20 inches. Mother and baby are doing great!

Kirk blAug

Search This Blog