Year in Review

They say that music is the soundtrack to your life. That fact is none the more apparent than as I am looking back over all the concerts I've attended this year. With rock concerts declining in the Memphis area, its definitely been much more about quality rather than quantity. And oh what quality I've seen in 2011.

Here's a few of my "Best Of..." picks from the year. What are yours?

Best Live Concert Photo (or my favorite of the year anyway): Ivan Moody of Five Finger Death Punch during their show in Little Rock, AR

Best Album: American Capitalist by Five Finger Death Punch

Best New Artist: Art of Dying

Best Concert: Guns N' Roses (at the Conseco Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN)

Best Concert Moment: Celebrating with MIGGS drummer Walker Adams when he realized that Candlebox frontman Kevin Martin was sporting a MIGGS tshirt during the band's Memphis concert.

Best Guest Appearance: Zach Myers joining in on guitar with Nonpoint for their hit "Bullet with a Name" during their Memphis stop.

Nonpoint Brings Out Memphis’ Finest

Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Newby’s –Memphis, TN
Nonpoint with Dirge Within, Red Line Chemistry, Inner 61, and Surrender the Fall

Nonpoint's Elias Soriano works the crowd during the Memphis stop of their tour.

Midweek shows are usually the bane of my existence. They don’t mix well with those like me who have to commute to work for an 8:00 am start the next day. And, as my luck would have it, they’re lately associated with concerts I’m dying to see but too far away to drive over and back on a “school night.” But the stars aligned when my hometown bar Newby’s announced a mid-week show featuring Nonpoint. And I wasn’t the only one to come out for the occasion.

Memphis Boy Comes Home for Rare Performance

Friday, October 22, 2010
Hard Rock Café – Memphis, TN
Zach Myers Band

Zach Myers looks back on a photo of the group from when he was just 14 years old.

It seems a rarity that I actually get to see a rock show at home nowadays. There just don’t seem to be that many coming through Memphis as compared to some other nearby cities. But this night was an exception as hometown boy Zach Myers took a break from touring with mega-group Shinedown for a rare performance with his original namesake band, the Zach Myers Band.

Back to Atlanta for Project 961

Sunday, October 3, 2010
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre – Alpharetta, Georgia
Project 961 Family Reunion Concert

Another outdoor concert in Atlanta. I feel like I was just here. At least this time I’m not melting from unbearable heat. Local station 96.1 put on a concert with a lineup strong enough to entice me into a quick weekend trip. Unlike last time I headed further into the “Dirty South,” this trip went smoothly. And a couple of unique concert experiences made it all the more worthwhile.

Carnival of Madness sets up camp south of Memphis

Who: Carnival of Madness Tour featuring 10 Years, Sevendust, Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd (cancelled) and Shinedown
When: Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Where: Desoto Civic Center – Southaven, MS

Favorite Moment: Watching Shinedown headline the Carnival of Madness tour and still remembering back when they opened a local rockfest as an “unknown.” Kinda makes you proud.
Not so Much: Surprise, surprise: Puddle of Mudd was a no show. The only thing worse than this would have been sitting through yet another one of their annoyingly unoriginal performances. (Sorry P.O.M. fans.)

You could not pry the smile off my face with a crow bar. ~ Brent Smith
So after a pretty slow summer as far as my concert calendar is concerned, I’m finally getting my rock blog off the ground. And with a pretty significant show at that. The Carnival of Madness tour kicked off last month and finally rolled its demented acts into Southaven, MS (about 15 minutes south of Memphis.) The lineup featured a who’s who of modern rock acts: 10 Years, Sevendust, Chevelle, Puddle of Mudd and Shinedown. For once, I felt pretty justified to pay a slightly higher ticket price.