As 2018 few by in a flash, I sit here today reflecting on the year as a whole. The local Rock & Metal scene and photography are a HUGE part of my life … and this year it was never more true. Those that know me (and those that don’t) may not know that 2018 was a challenging year. The year started off with surgery and a cancer diagnosis (yep, the Big C). After 6 months of chemo, life is good, but there were definitely many dark days. So what does this have to do with music? To me … everything! The local music kept me going, kept me hopeful, and fed inspiration into a not so pleasant situation.
There have been so many great shows that I have been able to capture this year, however within those shows there were sets that made hair on my neck stand up and were 110% BADASS. Here is my list of favorite sets from 2018 (in no particular order):
Buried Above Ground @ The Amsterdam (9/9/2018)
“Raw energy that just exploded when Buried Above Ground hit the stage. From start to finish they were in complete overdrive, delivering a rock solid performance.”
Glutton for Punishment @ The Cabooze [Minneapolis Death Fest] (8/3/2018)
“Brutal and extremely hard-hitting, Glutton for Punishment destroyed the stage and kept the crowd screaming for more.”
Druid @ The Amsterdam (11/23/2018)
“Druid never held back. They unleashed a constant stream of pure high octane energy which quickly hooked in the crowd.”
Agony Reigns @ The Cabooze [Top Secret Metal Fest IV] (8/18/2018)
“Jaws completely dropped when Agony Reigns ripped through their set. Solid and extremely musically tight with telling influences from Thrash and Classic Metal, these guys are legit. Mind-blown!”
XIII Arrows @ The Amsterdam (3/2/2018)
“Digging into the heart and soul of Rock & Blues, XIII Arrows delivered a set that spans across generations while staying 100% relevant.”
We all know that styles change, new fads replace old ones, but in the end Rock and Metal will never die. The local Rock and Metal scene continues to build in strength, so look out 2019 … something epic is coming your way!
