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Margaret’s first Big Mac!

@ U of C

This post is for Vanlandw & Fulljeff.

Monday night brought the long-awaited (delayed, venue change, etc.) Dragonforce show at the House of Blues. They played with Powerglove and Turisas, but I was unfortunate enough to miss Powerglove’s set because I didn’t have a ride to the venue straight from work. The problem with all ages shows is that they start promptly at 5 pm, and with a lack of proper planning you’re only going to catch the headliner.

Cap met me downstairs, and we got up just in time for Turisas’ set. I saw them earlier this year in Mokena for PaganFest, so I knew what to expect. They sang about victory and beer and such. Quite a few of their songs were off the latest album this time, so I was more familiar with the music.

Troy and I started talking about Dragonforce between sets. Where were they from? We had no idea. How many albums did they actually have? *shrug* We didn’t know that either. At that point all that was clear was:

1. They had a great setup. Their equipment was amazing, and before the music started it looked it like would be a great production.
2. They have a huge fan base. The place was packed.
• Their fans are incredible nerds. I saw everything from Star Trek shirts to Blind Guardian patches.
• Their fans are diverse. I have never seen so many teenagers at a metal show, and a lot of them were there with their parents. I saw an entire family, for example, with matching Dragonforce shirts. The moms looked to be the only women in the entire building (ok, so they aren’t that diverse). There were also a lot of people my age, and older guys in Gamma Ray garb.
• Their fans are wholesome. This is to be expected at a Power Metal show, I suppose. The metal heads were there to have a good time, no one took anything too seriously, and everyone had a grin on their face. A lot of them looked like my buddy Dave.
3. People knew them from guitar hero. Lots of people had guitar hero shirts on, and I overheard several people talking about how they beat Dragonforce on expert (they were probably lying), etc.
4. We were in for a shit load of awesome guitar solos. I suppose we knew this from guitar hero as well.

When Dragonforce took the stage we were completely blown away. I kept shaking my head in disbelief at what I was seeing. Here is what we learned from the set:

1. Dragonforce will burn your face off with awesomeness. They are technical masters, and do not miss a note. Herman Li, especially, was unbelievable.
2. Dragonforce are from England.
3. The lead singer has classic Power Metal hair. He looks identical to the lead singer from Rhapsody of Fire.
4. Fulljeff I’m sorry…. I think they may be more technically talented than ROF. Their narratives aren’t quite as epic, but their instrumental prowess is unmatched.
5. Confirmed: Dragonforce bring out the best in people. Their entire set was an exercise in happiness.
6. Dragonforce are athletic. I have never seen so many 360 guitar jumps in a row.
7. Girls with bleached blonde hair like Dragonforce. Their guitarists kept looking up at the balcony and pointing. I moved around to the side of the venue to see the only two girls in the venue (besides the moms) smiling and waving. This was a real moment of clarity for me.

The highlight of the show was when Herman Li and the keytar guy (?) went way around off stage and somehow ended up playing a duet on top of the bar. I got a few quick pictures and showed my approval by high-fiving the 12 year old kid next to me. What an amazing night.

I dedicated this post to Full and Van because they were considering visiting at some point. I wish they could have been there to witness the titanic chaos that ensued when DF took the stage. You guys should get out here sooner rather than later, and I really mean that. I go to a lot of shows, but this kind of concert doesn’t happen very often. JJA, I know you don’t like going out, but I really think you would have had a good time, for what it’s worth.

Also: Now that YouTube finally supports high definition video, I bought the Flip Mino HD, which will let me record some of these memories in 720p. The video it takes will look something like this. Not bad for a device that is smaller than your cellphone, I guess. I’ll try to get some interesting footage from these shows, among other things.

Vince took me to lunch at a dining facility on campus that looked to be a combination of Hogwarts and Old Country Buffet. Needless to say, we consumed a mighty Monday meal. I tried to bring my “A” game by combining a reuben sandwich with traditional mixed vegetables, but in the end he won the day by exploiting their single serving paper cups. We happened to walk by the feral parakeets on the way back to work, who were having an epic meal of their own.

I love Fridays.

Fiche the fish, who hangs out in the digitization room at work. The sticky note is to make sure you get the joke.

Hi Danielle!