Concerts are one of my favorite things to experience. I have been keeping a list of every show I’ve been to. Some of you were there with me which made the experience even better. Some shows were spur of the moment and some had me counting down the days until the show. Road trips, backstage passes, ringing ears, mosh pits, and the aroma of Otto’s jacket encapsulates a rockin’ cacophony of great memories.

10. 05-09-01, Gil Coliseum – Corvallis, OR – The Wallflowers, TOM PETTY
Seeing a concert in Corvallis was perfect for Tom Petty. Being there with Nick and his dad, John was really cool. Justin and Dawg Face also were in company. A great vibe being on the campus of OSU.

9. 03-31-15, Grand Ole Opry – Nashville, TN – Charlie Daniels Band
What more can I say? It’s the Grand Ole Opry. This is the stuff of legends. Verity and I were road tripping around middle America and thought we’d check it out. Very cool format of 8-10 artists playing about 3-4 songs each. Seeing ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia’ as the closer it was a perfect end to an awesome night of country.

8. 09-19-00, Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA – Halford, Queensryche, IRON MAIDEN
Nick and I road tripped for this one. Front row for some metal gods, well THE Metal God in Rob Halford, was a great headbanging night. Sometimes seeing a band live that you don’t know will win you over. I fell in love, man-crush style with Seattle’s Queensryche.

7. 03-11-07, Pacific Coleseum – Vancouver, BC – Megadeth, HEAVEN AND HELL
A road trip for sure. All the way to Canada, eh? This whole trip and staying the night in the Molsen country was probably better than the concert itself. Dio and company couldn’t use the name Black Sabbath because Sharon Osbourne is a money grubbing old bag. So they used the moniker Heaven and Hell after the first Black Sabbath album to feature Ronnie. Ronnie James Dio (R.I.P.R.J.D.) is probably the best performer I’ve ever seen and met. Sniff of arrogance with this encounter drop. He was 65 at the time of this show and was at the top of his game.
Favorite part: We were waiting to get into the gig and I was talking about Annihilator (amazing thrash band from Vancouver, BC) and their music. I love their guitarist, Jeff Waters and thought the singer, Randy Rampage kinda sucked. My buddy Phil elbowed me hard and tilted his head pointing to Randy himself standing behind me. Oops.

6. 07-18-13, Oregon Zoo – Portland, OR – WEIRD AL
One of my favorite artists of all time. It was great to finally see him. Kids, adults, parents and grand parents, there’s a chapter of Al for us all. Costume changes and Al’s insane energy level made him one of the best stage shows I’ve ever seen. I was 14 all over again for a night.

5. 09-11-05, Clark County Amphitheater – Vancouver, WA – Anthrax, MEGADETH
This show was the most rock star I ever felt in my life. I went with my band mates of Bastard Saints. My lead singer, Fernando has long jet black hair and just turns heads with his metal attitude, shall I say, bad-ittude. We just played some great gigs around town. The concert goers were shouting out “Bastard Saints!” as we walked around the venue. Metal has some great people and this day cemented that. This was the show where Anthrax just blew Megadeth (my boys!) off the stage. Anthrax, flawless victory!
Favorite part: Seeing my ex-band mate, Chris get super excited and shout, “Jack!” and then eat shit as he tried to climb over some chairs.

4. 01-11-99, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – Pantera + BLACK SABBATH
Nick’s mom, Bo bought us tickets for the show (coolest mom of the year award nominee for sure) up in Portland. It was the reunion of the original Sabbath lineup. Seeing my first huge arena show was mind-blowing. You could fit everyone from Newport in the Rose Garden twice over. Nick’s dad drove us (Nick, Dawg Face, Brian, and I) up to Portland after school. John sat in the van for the duration of the show then drove us all home, (nomination for coolest dad of the year for sure) at 3 a.m.
Favorite part: Wearing the concert shirts to school the next day. Went to bed at 4 am, got up and to my bus stop at 6:30 am. Hey, I had perfect attendance going. Metal-NERRRRRD!

3. 04-20-01, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA – AC/DC
Time for some power ballad type stuff. What made this day so great was Verity and I had our first date (lunch at Shari’s woot woot!) that day. Top it off with a night with AC/DC and well, you’ve got a pretty good day. We could’ve seen Kenny G and it still would be an amazing. Sometimes the environment and what goes on can make any show so great. Luckily we were watching one of the best bands of all time and they didn’t disappoint.

2. 03-07-98, Roseland – Portland, OR – Life of Agony + MEGADETH
First concerts are magical. Road tripped up to Portland and it was Justin, Nick, Dawg Face, and myself. I was 15 and I think going to concerts like this at that age well, you just learn stuff. You get kinda shell shocked being that age from a small coastal town. It was great seeing the classic Megadeth (my boys!) lineup. Justin and I stayed with my dad and Nick and Dawg Face came up with Nick’s dad. We all ran into each other out of the blue at Powell’s Bookstore and walked to the show together. Nothing like Newport bumpkins invading the Rose City.
Favorite part: Getting Marty Friedman’s (Megadeth guitarist) autograph.

1. 5-15-11, Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA – RAMMSTEIN

The caveman inside me is like “fire, fire good.”

I love to be aging with this band. Every album they put out I will buy. I won’t buy Iron Maiden or Megadeth (my boys!) anymore as I’ve out-grown them. Rammstein is just amazing. This show was hands down the most amazing live show I’ve ever seen. Couple it with a road trip and you’ve got yourself a great time.
Favorite part: The keyboardist getting into a raft and “sailing” over the crowd and a bunch of us concert goers invading a Denny’s after the show. Nothing like everyone dressed in black ordering a grand slam breakfast at 1am.

And here’s the entire list.
Date, venue and band (headliner in caps)
01. 03-07-98, Roseland – Portland, OR – Life of Agony, Coal Chamber, MEGADETH
02. 07-30-98, Tibmer Bowl – Estacada, OR – Harvey Danger, Sonic Youth, Blink 182, Crystal Method, Stabbing Westward, Big Bad VooDoo Daddy, Gravity Kills, GREEN DAY
03. 09-09-98, Portland Meadows – Portland, OR – Days of the New, Jerry Cantrell, METALLICA
04. 01-11-99, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – Incubus, Pantera, BLACK SABBATH
05. 07-17-99, Portland Meadows – Portland, OR – Static-X, System of a Down, Silver Chair, Buck Cherry, Primus, Godsmack, MEGADETH, ROB ZOMBIE
06. 10-22-99, Roseland – Portland, OR – Speed Demon, Voo Doo Glow Skulls, GWAR, MISFITS
07. 11-24-99, Crystal Ballroomm Portland, OR – Burgundy, OLEANDER
08. 01-13-00, Roseland – Portland, OR – Deadlights, MEGADETH
09. 01-29-00, Roseland – Portland, OR – Dope, POWERMAN 5K, STATIC-X
10. 03-06-00, Roseland – Portland, OR – Chevelle, FILTER
11. 03-07-00, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – Staind, KORN
12. 06-10-00, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – A Perfect Circle, NINE INCH NAILS
13. 08-24-00, The Gorge – George, WA – Black Label Society, P.O.D., Incubus, Methods of Mayhem, Static-X, Pitshifter, Reville, Godsmack, Pantera, OZZY
14. 09-19-00, Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA – Halford, Queensryche, IRON MAIDEN
15. 01-05-01, Schnitzer – Portland, OR – Professional Music Murder,  MARILYN MANSON
16. 02-08-01, Memorial Coliseum – Portland, OR – Morbid Angel, Soulfly, PANTERA
17. 04-20-01, Tacoma Dome, Tacoma, WA – Widemouth Mason, AC/DC
18. 04-25-01, Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR – Defuzzer, Enon, TOADIES
19. 04-27-01, Pine St. Theater – Portland, OR – Lamb of God, The Haunted, CANNIBAL CORPSE,
DIMMU BORGIR
20. 05-09-01, Gil Coliseum – Corvallis, OR – The Walflowers, TOM PETTY
21. 07-06-01, Roseland – Portland, OR – Cross Breed, God Head, RAMMSTIEN
22. 08-05-01, Timber Bowl, Estacada, OR – Millencolin, Nickel Back, Lit, Sprung Monkey, The Cult, Everclear, Mayfield 4, THE OFFSPRING, Stabbing Westward
23. 10-14-01, Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR – Beautiful Creatures, Oleander, TANTRIC
24. 11-17-01, Meow Meow – Portland, OR – Catastrophic, Witchery, THE HAUNTED
25. 12-04-01, Roseland – Portland, OR – American Headcharge, SLAYER
26. 04-28-02, Roseland – Portland, OR – Jag Panzer, In Flames, ICED EARTH
27. 06-02-02, Roseland – Portland, OR – Kidney Theives, 16 Volt, KMFDM
28. 08-06-02, Clark Cnty. Fair – Vancouver, WA – HEART
29. 09-15-02, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – RUSH
30. 11-08-02, Roseland – Portland, OR – Hammerfall, King’s X, DIO
31. 11-10-02, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – Jackson Browne, TOM PETTY
32. 12-11-02, Graceland – Seattle, WA – Symphony X, BLIND GUARDIAN
33. 02-24-03, Roseland – Portland, OR – Rooney, Okgo, THE DONNAS
34. 04-02-03, Roseland – Portland, OR – The Anniversary, CHEAP TRICK
35. 04-14-03, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – Goo Goo Dolls, BON JOVI
36. 08-01-03, Schnitzer – Portland, OR – Fates Warning, DREAM THEATER, QUEENSRYCHE
37. 08-12-03, Lane Cnty. Fair – Eugene, OR – HEART
38. 09-19-03, Clark Cnty. Amp. – Vancouver, WA – Ted Nugent, ZZ TOP
39. 03-11-04, Roseland – Portland, OR – BLUE OYSTER CULT
40. 05-15-04, Graceland – Seattle, WA – Evergrey, Children of Bodom, ICED EARTH
41. 05-18-04, Dantes  – Portland, OR – METAL CHURCH
42. 05-21-04, Conans – Portland, OR – Metal Church, DEATH ANGEL
43. 05-22-04, Clark Cnty. Amp. – Vancouver, WA – Cheap Trick, AEROSMITH
44. 07-03-04, Clark Cnty. Amp. – Vancouver, WA – RUSH
45. 10-08-04, Schnitzer – Portland, OR – QUEENSRYCHE
46. 10-19-04, Rose Garden – Portland, OR – Rose Hill Drive, VAN HALEN
47. 11-11-04, Crystal Ballroom – Portland, OR – The Starlight Desperation, Von Bondies, THE DONNAS
48. 11-29-04, Roseland – Portland, OR – Exodus, MEGADETH
49. 04-21-05, Memorial Colesium – Portland, OR – VELVET REVOLVER
50. 07-04-05, Clark Cnty. Amp. – Vancouver, WA – Queensryche, JUDAS PRIEST
51. 09-11-05, Clark Cnty. Amp. – Vancouver, WA – Fear Factory, Anthrax, MEGADETH
52. 09-27-05, Schnitzer, Portland, OR – ROBERT PLANT
53. 10-12-06, Roseland – Portland, OR – QUEENSRYCHE
54. 03-11-07, Pacific Coleseum – Vancouver, BC – Down, Megadeth, HEAVEN AND HELL
55. 08-07-10, Clark Cnty. Amp. – Vancouver, WA – Dokken, SCORPIONS
56. 04-05-11, Roseland – Portland, OR – Clutch, MOTORHEAD
57. 05-15-11, Tacoma Dome – Tacoma, WA – Chombichrist, RAMMSTIEN
58. 09-30-11, Roseland – Portland, OR – Hank III
59. 07-18-13, Oregon Zoo – Portland, OR – WEIRD AL
60. 12-06-13, Schnitzer – Portland, OR – THE BLACK CROWS
61. 03-31-15, Grand Ole Opry – Nashville, TN – Eric Paslay, Easton Corbin, Larry Gatlin, Aaron Watson, Pam Tillis, Connie Smith, Shelley Skidmore, CHARLIE DANIELS BAND
62. 04-17-15, Keller – Portland, OR – Christeen, FAITH NO MORE
63. 07-25-15, Edgefield – Troutdale, OR – Violent Femmes, BARE NAKED LADIES

Bands I’ve seen the most: Megadeth 6, Queensryche 5, Pantera 3
Venues I’ve attended the most: Roseland 17, Clark County Amp. 7, Schnitzer 5, Rose Garden 4
Most boring concert: A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch zzz zzzz zzz.
Most rowdy concert: Slayer. There was a mosh-pit going in between bands! No music? Let’s mosh!

Future concerts: Sat. Sept. 19th – Kraftwerk