Rocket Sports & Entertainment Network

Category: Entertainment

  • Spookala At The Tampa Fairgrounds Adds Additional Guests and Live Events

    Spookala At The Tampa Fairgrounds Adds Additional Guests and Live Events

    With a star-studded cast featuring Tobin Bell, Keifer Sutherland, Corey Taylor and the trio from Marvel Daredevil Series (Charlie Cox, Deborah Anne Woll & Elden Henson), Spookala has announced that Alicia Taylor and the Cherry Bombs will be performing on Saturday afternoon 04-05-25. She will also be signing autographs and taking pictures with the fans.

    Other performances on Saturday include Tyler Posey from the Teen Wolf Series performing an acoustic set and Corey Taylor from Slipknot also performing acoustically.

    The event will be taking place at the Tampa Fairgrounds the weekend of 04/04/25-04/06/25. Tickets are available for single day purchase along with weekend packs and photo and autograph sessions.

    VIP tickets are also available but selling fast:

    SILVER VIP TO INCLUDE:

    – ENTRY INTO CONVENTION ALL 3 DAYS

    – (1) SHIRT OF YOUR CHOICE

    – (1) EVENT POSTER

    – 30 MINUTES INTO THE CONVENTION EARLY

    – (1) EVENT EXCLUSIVE TRADING CARD

    ​GOLD VIP TO INCLUDE:

    – EXPRESS TO MEET CELEBRITIES FOR AUTOGRAPHS

    – ENTRY INTO CONVENTION ALL 3 DAYS

    – (1) SHIRT OF YOUR CHOICE

    – (1) EVENT POSTER

    – 30 MINUTES INTO THE CONVENTION EARLY

    – (1) EVENT EXCLUSIVE TRADING CARD

    There were be all sorts of merchandise to browse and to purchase with many items not available anywhere other than at Spookala. For more information and other guest appearances and available tickets, please go to https://www.spookala.com/

  • Tesla Is Back On Tour In A Town Near You In 2025

    Tesla Is Back On Tour In A Town Near You In 2025

    That they are still roaring and soaring should be no surprise. That’s just how they are built. TESLA may have been born in the mid-80s, but their bluesy, soulful sound is strongly embedded in the roots of organic, authentic, 1970s rock and roll.

    The same roots that produced bands like Bad Company, Grand Funk Railroad, AC/DC, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin and Aerosmith.

    The ground started shaking in Sacramento, CA, in 1984; gold country that would soon be producing some platinum. They started out as City Kidd, until a suggested name change to TESLA, honoring the eccentric inventor Nikola Tesla who pioneered all things electrical.

    Their 1986 platinum debut album, Mechanical Resonance, included Top 40 hits “Modern Day Cowboy” and “Little Suzi.” 1989’s double-platinum The Great Radio Controversy included hits “Heaven’s Trail (No Way Out)” and “Love Song”.

    Suddenly, TESLA, who had been touring with bands such as Def Leppard and David Lee Roth, earned headlining status. In 1990, TESLA helped reshape the face of modern rock music by stripping down to the Five Man Acoustical Jam, an informal collection of their biggest hits peppered with rock and roll classics by the Beatles, Stones, and others.

    This album produced their biggest hit single to date, a cover of Five Man Electrical Band’s “Signs.” Other 90s albums from TESLA include platinum selling Psychotic Supper and Bust a Nut. The band continues to record and release material including 9 new albums since 2000.

    TESLA’s legacy is alive and well as they continue to record and sellout venues all over the world. As comfortable, rugged, and dependable as your favorite pair of boots, they endure. TESLA is a celebration of the greatest spirits of rock and roll.

    TESLA:
    Vocals: Jeff Keith
    Guitar: Frank Hannon
    Bass: Brian Wheat
    Guitar: Dave Rude
    Drums: Steve Brown

    Tesla Tour Dates 2025

    Feb 28 @ Kewadin Casinos in Sault Ste. Marie in Sault Ste. Marie, MI

    Mar 1 @ Rock the Otter VII (with Brother Cane) in Carlton, MN

    Mar 4 @ Coca-Cola Roxy in Atlanta, GA

    Mar 5 @ Florida Theatre in Jacksonville, FL

    Mar 7 @ House of Blues Orlando in Lake Buena Vista, FL

    Mar 10 @  Monsters of Rock Cruise 2025 in Miami, FL

    Mar 16  @ Seminole Casino Coconut Creek in Coconut Creek, FL

    Mar 22 @ Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, NV

    Apr 25 @ Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, CA

    Jun 1 @ Indian Ranch in Webster, MA

    Jun 4 @ Waterville Opera House in Waterville, ME

    Jun 6 @ Hampton Beach Casino in Hampton, NH SOLD OUT

    Jun 7 @ @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach, NH SOLD OUT

    Jun 19 @ Summerfest 2025 in Milwaukee, WI

    Jun 20 @ Silver Creek Event Center in New Buffalo, MI

    Jun 22 @ Devon Lakeshore Amphitheater in Decatur, IL

    Jun 28 @ Route 66 Casino / Legends Theater in Albuquerque, NM 

    Jul 2 @ Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton, CA

    Jul 4 @ Casino Del Sol in Tucson, AZ

    Aug 2 @ Mission Ballroom in Denver, CO

    Aug 4 @ Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, SD

    Aug 28 @ Duquoin State Fairgrounds in Du Quoin, IL

    Tickets for the “Keepin’ It Real” Tour 2025 are available for purchase at

    https://teslatheband.com/tour
  • Tony Orlando Surprises Karaoke Attendees at Hogan’s Hangout in Clearwater

    Tony Orlando Surprises Karaoke Attendees at Hogan’s Hangout in Clearwater

    Clearwater Beach, Fl.–Singer Tony Orlando with West Virginia couple John and Meanly Lilly, entertained the troops at Hogan’s Hangout on Clearwater Beach Monday night for another packed house for the weekly karaoke competition. 

    With Orlando singing his top 10 favorites to warm the audience and brighten the crowd, the karaoke contest got underway at the top of those in the fortune.  Also in the hangout were a large group of upstate New Yorkers from the Albany area who had about a dozen of their offspring with them on a vacation. 

    There were also two couples from Nova Scotia who were pleasantly surprised that Tony Orlando was in attendance and performed for the crowd.

    The karaoke contests at Hogan’s Hangout are a weekly occurrence that packs the house even if Hulk Hogan doesn’t appear because of other stars in attendance.

    For additional info on Hogan’s Hangout go to https://hoganshangout.com/

  • The Silver Pinball Shines Over Saint Pete Beach At the Inaugural Pinball At The Beach Event

    The Silver Pinball Shines Over Saint Pete Beach At the Inaugural Pinball At The Beach Event

    The inaugural Pinball At The Beach event took place this past weekend at The Tradewinds Resort on Saint Pete Beach and from what we experienced and have read, it was a rousing success.

    Players and their families traveled from around the globe and were able to witness some of the best of the best compete in tournaments and just play on some of the newest and oldest games that have been designed and created. 

    This San Francisco Machine was made all the way back in 1965 by Williams and was still playable today.

    The hottest new game there was Dungeons and Dragons and there were 8 of them available to play and you had to jump on it when it was open. The other two big games at the event were Avatar and Elton John. Once again, they were barely open to play due to demand and it was understandable as they are both fantastic machines with a ton of action. 

    There was also a Rocky machine that had a playfield and flipper configuration like no other machine I have ever seen. There were two full sets of flippers at the bottom of the field and the left flipper button controlled both left flippers and the same for the right side. It was built in 1982 and only 1504 of them were produced. 

    Another really interesting machine that I have never seen before was Joust released in 1983 is a a head-to-head pinball machine (played with one or two players simultaneously. There were only 402 Joust machines made by Williams and some of them are now worth over $25000.

    A couple of amazing players that were in attendance were Dave Daluga from District 82 Pinball in Wisconsin and Deborah Talman from Ohio were both considered by their peers to be the ones to beat. Daluga took second in the Class A event with Talman taking 3rd. Florida local Shannon Stafford stole the show and took first home the first place trophy and the cash prize of $2,370. 

    I had the opportunity to talk with Ms Talman who makes her living playing pinball and she has a style all her own. When she’s playing, she sports gloves and headphones and moves to the beat of the machine and the music she’s listening to while playing. 

    One of the tracks on her playlist that she was listening to was “Cream on Chrome” from Ratatat who specialize in electonica and beats so it makes perfect sense that she has that in her ears while playing a mean pinball. 

    She is currently ranked number 1 in the women’s division after only playing competitively the last 8 years and travels throughout the country playing these events and was looking forward to taking in some beach time while on break from the tournament.  Her current favorite game is Rush which was also the favorite current game of others I talked to on Saturday.   

    There were also the whos who of pinball machine developers & artists and even Gary Stern himself from the Stern Pinball company. He is considered the savior of pinball when many of the original Pinball companies were going out of business, he stood strong and continued to create and release machines.  In 2002, there was just one primary designer and manufacturer of pinball machines and that was Stern.

    For more on this and the history of pinball, this is a great read

    The Founding of the Flippers: Your Guide to the History of Pinball

    Marshall Dickson from Little Shop of Games in Lutz and Ed Vanderveen and their staff made sure everything went smoothly and from all accounts, the event will happen again next year. Many of the attendees commented on their weekend and their experience on the Pinball at the Beach Facebook page and are already looking forward to next year.

    Some of the comments were: 

    Ed Aborn:”It was a fantastic experience, Sincerely hope it’s not the last one”

    Marcie G: “Thank you for an awesome show. Can’t wait for the next one”

    Michele Korab-Kurtiak “Such a great event, I hope this is only the beginning”

    Christopher Franchi “I ABSOLUTELY loved this show.”

    Mark Weber “Well done. I loved every minute. The location was amazing.”

    David Paz, “We had a blast. Routing for a 2nd annual and beyond.”

    Vic Clipp: “Had a blast. Look forward to next time.”

    Jared Guynes: “I won’t miss this event in the future. 10/10 our kind of show.”

    Emily Gross: “We had an amazing time and I cant wait to come back again and again.”

    The event even brought in a bride-to-be to play some Cactus Canyon while waiting to be hitched and the owner of a one of kind Hellraiser game brought it to the event for his fellow Pinheads to play.

    To say The Pinball At The Beach event was a success would be an understatement. The team that put the event together did an outstanding job and are already working on making it a better event next year.

    The players and attendees have potential dates circled on their calendars and their sunscreen packed and their wrists ready to flip when the sun sets on the beautiful beaches at the Tradewinds Resort in Saint Petersburg.

    For more information on this years and next years event, go to https://pinballatthebeach.com/

  • Saint Pete Beach and The TradeWinds Welcomes Pinball At The Beach.

    Saint Pete Beach and The TradeWinds Welcomes Pinball At The Beach.

    Saint Petersburg Beach will be invaded by pinball enthusiasts from all over the country as the TradeWinds Island Grand Resort will be the place for the 3 day event. The conference will include over 200 plus pinball machines, your favorite designers and many artists and vendors etc all while being able to have a cocktail and watch the sunset.

    There will be autograph sessions, bonfires and of course the silver ball being played throughout the weekend in the Pinball Paradise Game Room brought to you by Marshall Dickson, Ed VanderVeen & Little Shop of Games.

    There are still weekend VIP tickets available for purchase along with all the info you need for the event at https://pinballatthebeach.com/

    https://pinballatthebeach.com
  • Spookala Brings a Scary Star Studded Weekend to The Tampa Fairgrounds This April

    Spookala Brings a Scary Star Studded Weekend to The Tampa Fairgrounds This April

    Spookala returns to the Tampa Fairgrounds bring along a plethora of who’s who in the action and horror movie realm on the weekend of April 4-6th.

    The event will also include Slipknot’s own Corey Taylor who will be doing photos, autographs and a live acoustic performance without an additional charge. All you need to attend his performance is a ticket for Saturday April 5th.

    Other attendees that will be signing and taking photos will be Tobin Bell from the Saw movie franchise, Charlie Cox and his team from Marvel’s Daredevil TV show and Tori Spelling from 90210 and Scream 2 amongst many others.

    There were be all sorts of merchandise to browse and to purchase with many items not available anywhere other than at Spookala. For more information and other guest appearances and available tickets, please go to https://www.spookala.com/

  • W.A.S.P. Stings The Plaza In Orlando With The Album One Alive Tour With Support From Armored Saint

    W.A.S.P. Stings The Plaza In Orlando With The Album One Alive Tour With Support From Armored Saint

    November 24, 2024 | The Plaza Live – Orlando, FL

    All Photos By Randy Cook & Travis Failey

    Almost two years to the day of my first W.A.S.P. concert, the same killer twin bill lineup returned to the same venue for what was a show of the same epic proportions as the first time. With 2024, marking the fortieth anniversary of the release of W.A.S.P.’s debut album, the band played the album in its entirety on their North American tour.

    Supporting W.A.S.P. once again is Armored Saint with original opener Death Angel off the bill due to member availability issues and Unto Others taken off the tour for reasons that aren’t transparent.  Both W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint were formed in 1982 collectively giving us almost eighty years of rock history that we were in store for this evening.  

     W.A.S.P. was formed in 1982 and was a big part of the early 1980s Los Angeles heavy metal scene. My friends and I discovered them from the band’s wild and outlandish video on MTV in “I Wanna Be Somebody” we fell in love with the band’s sound. In my early formative metalhead years of the mid 1980s, that first W.A.S.P. CD was on constant replay.

    “Lead vocalist Blackie Lawless says: “It was an angry record made by an angry band. It was a record that not only reflected the attitude of the band members who made it, but also a record that reflected its time.” This record became a central piece of the 1980s metal scene and remains one of the best metal debut albums of all time.”[1]

    As Judas Priest’s “Delivering The Goods” played over the house speakers Armored Saint took the stage with Gonzo Sandoval lifting his arms up in the air to salute the fans.

    Armored Saint opened the show with “End of the Attention Span” off their most recent album, Punching The Sky and their tightness was evident from the first note. They have had the same lineup since 1990 with the band taking an extended break when John Bush was with Anthrax.

    They played a flawlessly executed fifty minute ten-song set spanning eight of their thirteen studio releases. After they finished “Raising Fear” the “Saint” went into “The Pillar” which they haven’ t played live since 2015 at Hellfest in France.

    After “March of the Saint” the band broke it one of my favorite songs in the catchy and crushing “Left Hook From Right Field off of 2010’s La Raza which is a very underrated Saint album.  John Bush talked about the band adopting the dual guitar attack that influenced them from bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Thin Lizzy.

    For me, it adds that extra layer of song complexity that pulls me in as a fan. This sound was shown in spades during “Win Hands Down” with guitarist Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval sharing riffs and leads on the center stage riser.

    Gonzo Sandoval’s thunderous drums along with Joey Vera’s booming bass carried the back line during “Can You Deliver” as John Bush went up into the balcony to sing to and with the fans. You can feel the passion he exerts as he is delivering the lyrics and interacting with the crowd.

    He delivers it every night with energy and passion, now up close and personal for those in the balcony section before making his way to the photo pit section to once again get in the faces of the bands fans.

    John went back on stage to join his bandmates in an fantastic rendition of “Reign of Fire” off arguably one of the greatest metal albums released in Symbol of Salvation. The song brought their set to a rousing close and a loud cheer from the audience, which by now most of the sold out crowd was in attendance.

    Elvis took the stage before W.A.S.P. and all of us photographers took a minute to get a photo of him. Elvis is the infamous skeleton microphone stand used by W.A.S.P.’s lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Blackie Lawless.

    After additional security that was completely not needed was added along with an unnecessary warning from the venue staff of the “no moshing” rule, soon the house lights went out as The Door’s “The End” played through the house speakers.

    As this concluded, a mix tape of W.A.S.P. songs played as the band took the stage and with the crowd back at full roar as the first notes of ‘I Wanna Be Somebody’ struck and we began our journey back to 1984 and W.A.S.P.’s debut studio album.

    Each song on this legendary album is someone’s favorite song and literally the reason why they came to the show this night. That was beyond evident in the faces in the crowd that I saw as the show progressed along.

    Each song has a lot happening on stage as you try to take it all in. Bassist Mike Duda wanders over to the side backdrops that are adorned with skulls hanging from chains and he hits them to send them into a spinning frenzy while lead guitarist Doug Blair is wailing on a sweet solo while trying to see the ferocity of Blackie’s facial expressions behind Elvis.

    Many of these songs haven’t been played since the mid-80s including “B.A.D.” “School Daze” &  “Tormentor” and sounded fantastic live.

    At the album’s conclusion with my favorite from the album in “The Torture Never Stops”  that includes one of the greatest lyrics ever written in “Hopes the rope that keeps you tied in knots” there was a short few minute intermission as the stage switched over to the circus theme of the last tour.

    Chants of “Blackie! Blackie! Blackie!…”preceded a medley of ‘Inside the Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It”’ to kick off the second half of the show and then their staple cover of ‘The Real Me’ by The Who.

    A highlight was ‘The Headless Children’ with the World War 2 imagery depicted in the background as the song was played. Very powerful and lead into ‘Wild Child’, with Blackie playing the opening riffs and verse solo under a spotlight next to Elvis and then ‘Blind in Texas’ to close out a fantastic show to a very satisfied crowd.

    The band sounded fantastic and Blackie especially sounded great and was able to hit the high parts seemingly with ease with Mike Duda helping out. Many who bashed Blackie for singing to tracks which was evident on the last tour would be remiss to attack him for this on this tour as I watched intently and saw it very rarely if at all. 

    I also have to give the guitarist Doug Blair and drummer Aquiles Priester big props as they were visually and sonically spectacular during the set.

    The tour continues in the United States until mid-December and then continues with a couple of dates in South America and then continues in Europe starting in April of 2025. I cannot stress enough for you to see this tour if possible, so get your tickets today and go see these rock legends and get back into an old “School Daze” one more time.


    Tickets are available here:

    https://www.waspnation.com/tour

    W.A.S.P. setlist – November 24, 2024 – The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL:

    [1]https://blabbermouth.net/news/w-a-s-p-to-perform-entire-debut-album-on-fall-2024-tour-death-angel-to-support

  • Buccaneers Drop a Golden Opportunity for a Win Against The 49ers

    Buccaneers Drop a Golden Opportunity for a Win Against The 49ers

    Tampa, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday were looking to push their record to .500 but Jake Moody put a foot to that idea.

    The 49ers led 20-17 inside the final minute when a Baker Mayfield engineered a field goal drive which tied the game. Bucs kicker Chase McLaughlin drilled a 26-yard field goal to tie the score at 20 with just :41 left, and overtime loomed large. It looked like the Bucs could get to overtime and steal a game in which for the most part was outplayed. The 49ers outgained the Buccaneers 413-215.

    San Francisco took over on their own 30 after a Trenton Gill touchback, to start the show and it was Prudy. Four consecutive complete passes, two to Jauan Jennings and two to Ricky Pearsall and just like that the 49ers were at the Tampa Bay 26. Brock Prudy spiked the ball with :03 to set up the Jake Moody heroics. Final heartbreaking score 23-20.

  • Creed Brought Its Summer Of 99 Tour To Tampa With Arms Wide Open

    Creed Brought Its Summer Of 99 Tour To Tampa With Arms Wide Open

    The Creed Summer of 99’ Tour visited Tampa on Friday night at the Tampa Fairgrounds. Well, at least that’s what the venue was called back then. The outdoor venue was packed from the rail to the fringes of the lawn as those who didn’t get to see the Creed’s reunion on their music cruise this last summer, finally got their chance. Creed hasn’t performed as a band since their last tour in 2009 and were broke up for 5 years before that.

    They were joined by 3 Doors Down in direct support with Finger 11 getting the opening slot on this stop as they took the stage promptly at 7. The five piece from Canada has been a band since 1990 out of high school with a couple of replacements behind the kit. The core has remained intact and put on an entertaining 7 song set that included their two big hits in “One Thing” and “Paralyzer.”

    Finger 11 opened with “Above” and then “First Time” and I was really surprised by their sound and style as they differed from their aforementioned hits. Both guitarists, Rick Jackett and James Black gave the crowd a show with completely different styles, with Jackett flinging his guitar in all directions while strumming.

    Black donned a beautiful black and orange hollow-bodied guitar which I’ve never seen before and vocalist Scott Anderson was powerful throughout the set, especially on their new single “Adrenaline.” 

    Finger 11 slowed it down and the crowd rose to their feet with some couples embracing for “One Thing” but then led into “Paralyzer” with a fantastic partial rendition of “That’s All” by Genesis.  

    It was an unexpected twist that the crowd loved singing to and when the notes for “Paralyzer” kicked in, anyone still in their seats were now standing and bouncing to the beat provided by bassist Sean Anderson and drummer Steve Molella.

    Even though Finger 11 had a shortened set, they made a strong impression on not only me, but others in the crowd. I’m looking forward to checking out some of their back catalog and seeing Finger 11 again on another stage soon.

    Three Doors Down was up next as the sun set on a beautiful, thankfully not scorching night in Tampa.  It seems like this band has been touring non-stop since they stuck gold with “Kryptonite” 24 years ago.

    Even though the band has had some considerable situations with former band members, they continue to move forward to play live and put out new music with singer Brad Arnold being the constant. 3DD opened with “Train” from their self-titled album released in 2008.

    Then the set of their hits got into full swing with “Its Not My Time” and “Loser” with a couple of songs later on that I wasn’t familiar with mixed in. The crowd was into them from the jump and many cheered when Arnold brought up that Jesus loves us and how he can help us when we go through tough times.

    He implored the crowd to join him in saying “I am the one that Jesus loves, Amen” before starting his favorite song in “Away From The Sun.”

    Other highlights of the set were “Here Without You” and their new song “Never Look Down” which got a huge pop from the crowd and should be released on all platforms as soon as possible because it’s that good.

    Arnold was thrilled with the response from the crowd and brought up that they always think their new song is great but when played in front of his friends, it sometimes doesn’t have the same effect which leads to second guessing.

    The crowd was in their seats for most of the set but rose emphatically when the opening notes of “Kryptonite” bounced through the speakers. 

    The ratio of attendees was about 50-50 male to female and that is an extreme rarity for a rock show and the ladies were in a dancing mood, especially during this track and then hugged up on their man for the finale in “When I’m Gone.”

    3 Doors Down continues to be relatable to the masses in the States and no matter where they are, or what size venue they’re in, they pack the house while an American Flag flies from the stage. The band is about supporting the country they love and bringing a message to the masses.

    After a half hour break, the black video screen blinked “Creed” in white letters and faded as the overhead lights that looked like a UFO was landing, flashed throughout the Mid Florida Amphitheater. 

    Drummer Scott Phillips got behind the kit as bassist Brian Marshall and guitarists Mark Tremonti and Eric Friedman took their evolving positions on stage. Singer Scott Stapp strode over to center stage as the opening notes of “Bullets” rang out.

    Stapp looked as powerful as he sounded throughout the song and during their whole set. He has obviously spent a ton of time on his body and his mind getting ready for this tour.

    Prior to this year, Stapp had been performing as a solo entity for years while the other members of Creed have been in Alter Bridge with Myles Kennedy and doing other solo projects, especially Mark Tremonti.

    I have seen Stapp twice in the last 5 years and he has been on top of his game vocally. It was obvious that it was only a matter of time before this reunion would happen as it would be lucrative and it’s what their fans have wanted for years.

    After “Torn,” Creed continued with “Are You Ready” which was perfect timing as everyone was back in their seats or up in the grass and you couldn’t see an empty spot in the house. The fans were also blasting back the chorus towards the stage as they would all night long.

    The band members on stage had smiles on their faces as Tremonti and Stapp stood together during “My Own Prison.” Vocally and sonically, Tremonti has never sounded better. Stapp and he bounced back vocally between each other and harmonized in unison with Eric Friedman.

    Stapp introduced a lot of the songs but went on an extended run about how everyone reaches out to God during their time of extreme need.

    “You all cry out to our maker. Stop denying it. You all have done it. One place to look and that place is up. Sometimes getting crumbled is a good thing. It was for me.” These statements were embraced by the crowd prior to him introducing “Weathered.”

    The five video panels flashed different images and backdrops along with the UFO light structure flashed as lasers crisscrossed the stage. This was hands down one of the most impressive stage presentations I have witnessed after going to hundreds of shows. 

    After “What If,” which has a booming bass track by Brain Marshall, Tremonti gave away his stage played guitar to the wildest fan in the crowd which happened to be a young man on crutches with his dad. Tremonti gave it to him as he hopes the young man will learn to play and be on a stage someday.

    Stapp once again addressed the crowd and how the world and we are divided as a people and how the government is responsible etc. and brought a message of unity before starting “One.”

    It was a bit of an extended message with some looking like “is this guy going to keep going or play songs” but it was a valid point, and he was effective while making it.

    A surprise was next as Stapp was introducing “What’s This Life For” and he noticed and had a fight broken up in the crowd with the combatants removed from the show.  The band didn’t skip a beat and continued on with “With Arms Wide Open” and the crowd favorite in “Higher.

    The band left the stage for a brief minute and did a two-song encore in “One Last Breath” & “My Sacrifice” with Stapp stating that Tampa was a top three stop on the tour.

    Someone in the crowd threw a can at Stapp and he stopped the final song of the night to find and call that person out. The crowd booed and Stapp and Creed finished the song with a booming chorus which rang out through the facility and into the night sky with the fans joining in.

    As the band and the crowd departed the venue with Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” playing through the house speakers, I know I witnessed a show that many won’t forget.

    Three great bands that played their asses off and no matter how you feel about Creed, love them or hate them, they are amazing musicians, are putting on a fantastic audio and video show and once again are on top of their game like they were back doing a tour in the Summer of 99.

    For additional tour dates which I highly suggest seeing one of them, head to

    https://creed.com/

  • ProgPower USA XXIII Soars to Conclusion On Day 4 In Atlanta

    ProgPower USA XXIII Soars to Conclusion On Day 4 In Atlanta

    Fully rested up after a rocking day yesterday, ProgPower USA’s XXIII (PPUSA) last day started early with an acoustic show with Jeff Scott Soto & Jason Bieler performing for VIPs and Gold badge holders upstairs in The Loft. It was my first time checking out the upstairs area of the venue and it was quite spacious, accommodating for just under seven hundred people.

    Soto Bieler

    Seats were set up for today’s attendees and one of my local Tampa area friends, Rob, was traveling with Jason and Jeff handling their merchandise. This provided an opportunity to introduce Christina to Rob, as we never had that opportunity earlier this year on The Monsters of Rock Cruise.

    Soto Bieler

    Not only are Jeff and Jason’s performances packed full of comedic gold with the banter between themselves, the musicianship and the emotion in their delivery sets their performances apart and I always seek out their time slots when they play at events.

    Soto Bieler

    This set of theirs was freaking hilarious, and a bit adult oriented with humor, among the tasty musical treats they played the two Siagon Kick songs that always bring a tear to this metalhead’s eye – ‘All I Want’ and ‘Love is on the Way’.

    Soto Bieler

    They also played a surprise version of Iron Maiden’s ‘The Number of the Beast’ and left the stage to a rousing, standing ovation from the crowd. Definitely, a highlight set for me from the weekend and it was great to say hi to Rob.

    Disillusion

    German progressive metal band Disillusion was the first band that I saw today and they were another band performing for the first time in the United States. Once again, the heightened level of excitement was in the air as their set started.

    Disillusion

    Their music shifts between flashes of intense, crunchy heaviness and softer, more melodic sections, and their vocalist effortlessly switches between genre-defining growls and clean, melodic singing, which adds an emotional depth to their music.

    Yet another band that plays across several of the metal genres and again their musical technicality and complexity was on full display, balancing aggression and melodies.

    As this set was concluding, Rob and I met back up and I went in and checked out the merchandise room in more detail. We met and chatted with two band members of Apetron Bound. They made a comment that they were in a band based out of Tampa and instantly new friends were made. Contact information was exchanged and sadly, Rob had to depart for the airport.

    Illumishade was next, and this is another band performing for the first time in the US. After the fact, I learned that this band originated as a class project for one of the members to complete her Master’s degree.

    Illumishade
    Illumishade

    “The band’s name is a combination of the English words illumination and shade and refers to the contrast between light and darkness that emerges in the songs, as well as the contrast between quiet and heavy songs”[1].  

    Illumishade
    Illumishade

    Their music has an epic storytelling feel, and again with the twin guitars, one being a seven string. Heavy, but not overpowering, synthesizers add to their musical structure and compliment the powerful vocals. This was the band that Christina and her friends ‘sponsored’ this year.

    Illumishade

    Again, here is where the uniqueness of this festival comes to light, in that as part of a band ‘sponsorship’ the sponsors are given exclusive access to their sponsored band both before and after their set.

    From the photos I saw from Christina, and other sponsors I met and chatted with, it takes their festival experience to a whole different level having additional access to hang out with their favorite bands.  

    Damian Wilson

    Damian Wilson was up next and he is an English singer-songwriter and musician who has been in the progressive metal scene since 1991. What in impressive fireball of energy this wild man was. Convinced at this point that every band had two guitarists, this man had the crowd absolutely mesmerized within the first few notes of his set.

    Damian Wilson

    During the second song, while I was still up front in the photo pit Damian, with help from the VIPS, sponsors and photographers in the front pit area, gingerly stepped onto the barrier and fell back to crowd surf while still singing.

    Damian Wilson

    Somehow making a surprise appearance at the back of the venue he made his way down and literally parted the crowd before making his way back on stage. Posts and comments in the online Facebook group for this event, people were still talking about this set for days after everyone had made their way home from Atlanta.

    Damian Wilson
    Damian Wilson

    Winger was up next and this was to be a special one-off show where the band would be performing their third studio release, ‘Pull’, in its entirety. This would be my tenth time seeing Winger and their set was my musical highlight of the festival.

    Winger
    Winger

    Kip Winger introduced his brother, Paul, as he would also be performing and contributing backing vocals with the rest of the band, for the ‘Pull’ portion of the show. The band sounded fantastic. Crisp and spot-on from note one.

    Winger

    It was easy to tell on some of the faces in the crowd near me, these songs were a trip down memory lane for most of us in the crowd. Kip mentioned “…This is by far the most difficult show I’ve ever had to sing. It’s been very fun to play this again, so let’s hear it for the promoter for insisting on us doing this show. We had a great time putting this together, and it’s probably the only time we are ever gonna do this…”[2].

    Winger

    One musical hiccup resulted in a song being restarted and Kip reminding us that this proved they were indeed playing live in front of us. Even being one of the longer sets of the day it went by too fast and all of a sudden, out of nowhere, there is only one band left to play for the weekend.

    One thing to note is that “…Promoter Glenn Harveston has shared the following message in the aftermath: “There has been universal praise across social media that Winger not only had the best sound this year, but perhaps in the history of the fest. Every single thing was crystal clear and pitch perfect….and zero backing tracks.

    There are two reasons:  

    1) Their soundman is world class.

    2) They took this show so seriously that they went out and rented the exact FOH board that Center Stage has and rehearsed with it for a few days prior to the fest. They soundchecked for 45 mins on Saturday morning without even going through a full song – just jumped around to certain verses and choruses of different songs: ‘Third chorus, A- minor…’ and they instantly started on that spot.

    I have never seen anything like it. They were just testing various sound aspects they had worked on prior to even walking in the door. No one has ever done that at the fest and I doubt no one ever will again.”[3] It really was the definite moment of the festival for me, it was the set I was most looking forward to and delivered awesomeness in literally every aspect of their performance.

    Pagan’s Mind
    Pagan’s Mind

    Pagan’s Mind was the headliner of the festival and it was a complete shock to find out “…Their music is influenced by Stargate, especially the theatrical film. In an interview, frontman Nils K. Rue said: “I wouldn’t say I like the TV series Stargate, because I never saw an entire episode of that. But I really like the film Stargate. Of course, I took some inspiration from that…”[4].

    Pagan’s Mind

    After the fact as I read up on this band, their longevity as a cohesive unit has lasted through the entire existence of the band beginning in 2000. Vocalist Nils is very theatrical in his delivery, almost operatic in stance. This band blends their intricate instrumental sections with both melody in the guitar and vocal lines.

    Pagan’s Mind

    Certainly a fan favorite the band was shown love from the crowd from before their first note. Playing their complex arrangements flawlessly, their songs go from intense, riff-heavy sections filled with time signature changes to the melodies that result in massive, climactic moments. The band was certainly interesting and was another added to my list of must check out more in depth.

    Pagan’s Mind

    Their set concluded a festival experience where fifteen of the seventeen bands I was able to see were new to me. I very much compliment the promoters of the event, Nathan Block, Day 1 Promoter, Milton Mendonça, Day 2 Promoter, and Glenn Harveston, Owner & Days 3-4 Promoter for their well thought out and executed festival.

    It truly is intimate enough where you are not surrounded by tens of thousands of others and actually have a chance to meet and interact with members of the various bands. They are staying in the nearby hotels just as we fans are so there is fan interaction at every turn.

    While intimate, the festival is also internationally reaching and recognized, their pull evident by the strong contingent of bands making their US debut year after year.

    It was a heartfelt parting of ways with new friends and the friends I had traveled here to see. Likewise to venue and festival staff who were all so friendly and welcoming. I ran into several familiar and smiling faces at the airport and it was a somber trip home and back to reality, and a ton of new music to listen to. 

    PPUSA was certainly a fun adventure, with a ton of interesting, and highly talented and technical bands, incredibly friendly and passionate attendees and staff. It is a community of people who all have at least one common interest.

    With VIP tickets already sold out for the 2025 festival, 900 general admission tickets will go on sale October 19th, 2024 at 12PM EDT. I highly encourage any fan of any of the metal genres, or even all of them, to check out this festival at least once.

    For more photos of the day’s festivities, go here.\m

    [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illumishade

    [2] https://www.instagram.com/p/C_53i_pPsQR/

    [3] https://bravewords.com/news/watch-winger-s-entire-progpower-usa-2024-show-crystal-clear-and-pitch-perfect-and-no-backing-tracks

    [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pagan%27s_Mind#Influences