Have a Six Flags Day...

I can't tell you how many times I heard that phrase yesterday at Six Flags when Alex and I went for Father's Day. It got a bit annoying after the first time we heard it. But other than that and the heat - it was a fun day.
Alex actually tricked me into riding the Runaway Mountain roller coaster - I don't do roller coasters - at all! They scare the shit out of me - even the small ones. Yes, I know it's rather wimpy thing to admit to, but what can I say - they scare me. I've always had this fear that the cars would fly off the tracks or something and all that up and down and dives that put your balls in your throat and your stomach on the floor - no thanks. The Runaway Mountain was pretty fun though - it was a pitch black ride, completely inside and no light whatsoever, so you had no idea where you were going. Ironically, I had my eyes closed through much of the ride - don't ask me why.

I got some neat video of riding the Log Flume and the Aquaman ride, I will post them up tomorrow. Alex got her picture taken with Marvin the Martian and I also got video of the Glow in the Park Parade. That was pretty neat - you will have to see the video, because I could never explain how neat it was with all the lighted costumes and floats.

We both wore our Iron Maiden concert shirts and along with all the stares we got - why I don't know - a lot of Maiden fans gave us props for being fans and going to the show, including a couple of girls that liked my shirt and shoes - I wore my Powerslave Vans. I took them off and wore my flip-flops during the Aquaman ride and I'm sure glad I did because I got soaked. Even the video camera got wet - but nothing damaging. Alex kept saying "the camera is going to get wet" and was freaking out that I was shooting the ride - but it was worth it. You can probably hear me telling to shut up on the video. lol

She went on most of the roller coasters there and tried to get me on more but like I said. When we got to the Runaway Mine Train, there was this family group of Mexicans and this black couple fighting over seats in one of the cars! We couldn't believe it - we were just standing there laughing in disbelief that they would be fighting over who gets to sit where and who was there first! I mean don't they have the gates and cattle walk for that sort of crap? It got so bad they were holding up the entire ride and a supervisor came over and took a report! Can you believe that shit? It had to be one of the stupidest things I've ever seen - ever! The black couple left before the supervisor came and of course the family just had to escalate it to prove they were in the right or something ridiculous like that - they even got to get back on the ride and cut in front of all the people that were waiting while they pitched a fit over a fucking seat on a ride!

I won a Kenny (South Park) plush but only after I blew $20 bucks losing at these other games. If I had just spent the $20 bucks on this one game, I could have won the whole fucking cast of South Park - they had Cartman, Kenny (obviously), Kyle and Stan. Oh well. They had these really awesome electric guitars you could win, but they were hard as hell games and I swear those things are rigged somehow - I don't see how anyone can win those big ass stuffed "things" and shit. They had a fucking rasta banana bigger than a friggin person! It was HUGE! You could buy the guitars for like $80 bucks in the stores - which was cool. If I had the money I totally would have bought one, even though I don't even know how to play, but that would have inspired me to do so, maybe I will get one anyway - just so I can learn how to shred some Maiden tunes - especially since I can't really play the drums anywhere - like in an apartment. But I know how to play drums and I really like playing the drums, but they are much louder and don't have a volume control like a geetar.

We stayed until closing, because I wanted to see the parade. Alex liked the parade too - they had all the characters, Looney Tunes, Scooby Doo, Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, The Joker, The Riddler and even the Batmobile.

and now...for something a little different - RUSH!

Yes, Rush - positively the most influentual band in history, no matter what you're opinion on the matter is. Wired did a nice review of their rockumentary, Beyond the lighted stage, out now and coming to cable June 26 and BluRay June 29. I've seen Rush in concert twice and they are truly the masters of their instruments, even if they run around on stage or get the crowd moshing - they will hypnotize you with their music.



Check out the article.

The Eddie Cam!

Here is some awesome footage of Eddie on stage on the latest tour for The Final Frontier album. You can see at Ironmaiden.com - but just for my blog's sake, I'm posting it here as well. Because I LOVE Iron Maiden!



I can imagine that the guy in the Eddie suit is just the luckiest fucker alive! I would LOVE to be that guy - I wonder if they have tryouts or something or if it's just one of the roadies. Lucky bastard. I love how he plays the guitar and really interacts with the band this time. The last time I saw him on the Somewhere On Tour, tour, he didn't seem to do all that. But it's very cool. He did the same at the Dallas show - we all went so freaking wild when he came on during the song Iron Maiden - which of course is a staple event during an Iron Maiden concert.

They really changed the look of him this time - he almost doesn't look like Eddie at all. But hey, it's Iron Maiden and they can do whatever the hell they want and we are going to love em for it anyway!

The most expensive t-shirt i own - now

I've paid for a lot of mistakes in the past, the most recent one, was not purchasing the limited edition Texas Tour Shirt for the Iron Maiden show. So I paid double what I would have paid at the show. The crappy thing is, I had that shirt - in my hand - and was going to get it, but talked myself out of it and got different ones! Why, because I'm stupid! That's why! Never, ever, ever, EVER go against your first choice or instinct! You will regret it every time!

Iron Maiden Concert! First show of U.S. Tour, Dallas, Texas

Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter!

The Iron Maiden concert was AWESOME! I never thought that I would be so close to them, we could have gotten closer, but since it was my daughter's first Heavy Metal show, I figured I would save her from getting crushed by the horde of fat, drunk, wannabe headbangers. Being in the pit was the best choice for "seats", even though it was standing room only, for two hours, I would have been sorely disappointed if I had gotten us actual seats. My only complaint - well, the biggest complaint were the fat, drunk assholes that kept standing in front of us. Hello! Can you not see us standing here? Can you not see this little girl is only 5 feet tall and you are 6 feet tall and 8 feet wide!? But aside from those jerks, we had a really great view - how can you not have a great view when you are only 30-40 feet from the stage!? Unfortunately, the eye-candy was slim to none, there must have been the largest collection of the fattest, ugliest headbanging heifers ever assembled. There was only about 5 girls I saw that got my blood flowing. It was definitely not the best example of a headbangers heaven for females.

I do wish I had brought an actual camera instead of relying just on my phone, the pictures would have come out so much better.


They started out the show with some songs from their latest albums, Factor X, Brave New World and of course Final Frontier and closed the show with Iron Maiden - the staple show ender with Eddie coming out in full force. I must say though, Eddie out on a few pounds - for he was alot heftier than usual. I liked how they changed the backdrop for each song - every one of them an awesome piece of artwork - I wish I could have taken them home. They had some tapestries there for only $20. I used to have one for Somewhere In Time, sure do wish I still had that - man, so many things I lost that I wish I still had. I had pins, patches, shirts, all kinds of shit you just can't get anymore, hell, you could barely get it then! But we had an a really kickass store in town called Bill's and he specialized in rare and hard to get items and he had a buttload of Iron Maiden stuff. I still have most of my posters though, even though they are ripped or drawn on, I still have them. :) Some asshole on eBay is selling old Maiden concert shirts for $100-$900! That is just all kinds of wrong, if you ask me.


I was surprised though that I only saw two people with Iron Maiden Vans, some guy had the Piece Of Mind slip-ons - they were pretty beat up and as we were leaving my daughter pointed out this guy in front of us wearing the Powerslave Hi-8's like mine - but mine were cleaner - of course! LOL It was just weird that out of 12,000 people only 3 of us had Maiden shoes?! I know they don't make them anymore, but they aren't extinct! But at the same time it was cool, because how many people can say they have Maiden Vans? :) I expected alot of compliments or "dude, where did you get those?!", but no body said a word - to my dismay.


It wasn't until the encore that they played some classics, starting out with The Number Of The Beast then Hallowed Be Thy Name and finishing the set off with Running Free, as always. You could tell they were expecting to do an encore - as usual - because when they began to play Beast, the demon goat came rising up from behind the stage. That's the cool thing about Maiden, is that they give an awesome performance for being so fucking old and always give an encore.


Bruce Dickinson was running around the stage, for being nearly 50 years old this guy could run circles around me! Dave, Steve, Adrian, Nikko all kicked ass too. I always forget the third guitarists name, especially since he isn't part of the original lineup, but he been around for 10 years or so, so I should know his name - shame on me, I know.


I got four shirts and damn have prices gone up. When I went to the Somewhere On Tour show in '86 at Reunion Arena, a concert shirt was $20. I sure as shit wish I still had that damn shirt - it ended up with all my other Iron Maiden shirts at an ex-girlfriend's house - oh the dumbass things we do for tail. My daughter got a shirt that had a comic-style version of the Final Frontier graphics, I tried to talk her into getting the "Sexy Beast" shirt, but she wasn't having it. I got a sweatshirt and a t-shirt and another t-shirt for a friend of mine who got me a couple of shirts at the Rush concert a few years back.


So, on a scale of 1-10 -this show was a 100! A must see and not to be missed event!

Iron Maiden TONIGHT!

Yes, tonight is the big concert! I've been waiting for this night for years! Not only to see Iron Maiden, but to share the experience with my daughter. Though she is not into the heavy metal scene, she can appreciate their music. It reminds me of when I bought my mom tickets for the Pink Floyd concert, A Momentary Lapse Of Reason for Mother's Day. It was an extraordinary event, being held at Texas Stadium, the place looked to be sold out and I can't remember if it was or not, but for a band that old to still pack and entire stadium is incredible. Iron Maiden is pretty much the same and without even had any radio air play in the U.S. Unfortunately, tonights show will not be held in a huge arena like it was the last time I saw them in 1986 for the Somewhere On Tour concert, which was held at Reunion Arena. I didn't have all that great of a seat back then, stuck somewhere in the middle of the floor, it was hard to see, especially since security made you stay in your seat. I tried to get closer, but was ousted by the actual ticket holders of the seat I snagged next to my friend.

This time I got pit tickets, so we will be right up on the stage, which is just going to be so freaking awesome! I can't wait!! I will be posting pics tomorrow of the show, maybe even tonight! :) Since they will taken with my phone, dont expect awesome quality, but since I will be right there - they should be some pretty good shots.

Rush To See This!

It's about time the mainstream got hit with the knowledge of the greatest band in the world! From the director's of Iron Maiden Flight 666, comes Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage.

"Rush has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and garnered untold legions of devoted and admiring fans. According to the RIAA, Rush’s sales statistics place RUSH fourth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold or platinum albums by a rock band."

For a band that little to no radio airplay, that is an extremely impressive track record. If you don't know about Rush or have never heard their music - which would be hard, with all the cameo appearances on movie soundtracks and current radio airplay they get now - then I strongly suggest you check them out! I've seen them in concert twice and for three guys, they really know how to put on a show. And Neil Peart's drum solos are a not to be missed incredible flurry of drum pounding that can only be described as an unparalleled plethora of percussive phenom.

Next to Iron Maiden, Rush is truly one of the great rock-n-roll fantasies that came true for a group of nerdy and unpopular guys that refused to adhere to the mainstream and chose to do it their own way, proving to the world that it doesn't take gimmicks, radio airplay or green, foot-tall Mohawks to make it in rock-n-roll.

SO do yourself a favor and go see the movie, coming to a town near you!