Being in radio as long as I have, and be willing to drive for an epic time…you make some pretty cool memories.
Now the big rock stars are the ACTUAL rock stars, I’m just the fan that plays the music and has a good time! Every once in awhile though, I get to meet my heroes in these big rock bands. I have stories, but this is probably one of my favorite…
Rock on the Range, Columbus OH, 2014…Avenged Sevenfold Side Stage viewing and Private After Party, hosted by Revolver Magazine and Guitar World.
It started with going up on these platforms to watch the ENTIRETY of A7X’s set….you looked out and just saw an OCEAN of fans, it was insane to see. Pyro flying out of the walls, and that damn sonic boom machine that I am pretty sure made my hearing just a little worse. When the set was done, to the afterparty we went…
That night? It felt like I made it…there was just Crystal Vodka everywhere, rock stars like Zakk Wylde, Chris Jericho, Killswitch Engage, just all milling around this land of couches and more! It was one of those moments you only see in movies, and here I was living it. These guys were the true rockstars, and I was just this dorky dude TRYING to look any kind of cool. Eventually, their record guy hustled us back to hang out with Avenged Sevenfold. It wasn’t your typical meet and greet where you got a pic and walked out…no…we spent at LEAST an hour just chatting with M. Shadows, Johnny Christ….then Chris Jericho walked in…me an Synyster Gates were drawing cartoons on the white board that was in there….I mean, what a cool experience that I love telling to this day!
I have had other ‘rock star’ moments, but that moment was one that will always be hard to top. If anyone is interested, I have others like…
- Getting on stage singing with Pop Evil
- Hosting and Hanging with Ivan Moody at Tresspass America Fest
- Saving Foxy Shazams guitars from a stormy night
- Carting around Spider One in the Rock 108 car
That’s all I think of now, but I love telling them!
