Rise Against comes to Detroit

For many years Rise Against has been one of my favorite bands. However, every time I looked them up to see where they were playing, it was typically overseas or not very close to Detroit. Then one day on Facebook, I saw the radio station 89x post about their upcoming show and when tickets would be on sale. Bingo. I waited until that day and was able to snag tickets online immediately.

I was especially excited because they were playing at the Fillmore. This would allow us to be close to the stage and would be an exciting crowd based on their music style.

The first opening band was a band by the name of Let Live and they were very good. They are a band from LA and the lead singer actually mentioned how he was diagnosed with a life threatening disease when he was younger. Fast forward many years later and he is still rocking out, literally. Very inspirational in a way and was a great feel good story.

The next band was Killswitch engage. They have been around for many years but are typically known more so for their hardcore rock, unlike Rise Against who is more punk rock. Even though I only knew a few of their songs, they still put on a great opening performance.

Rise against was just as exciting as I had hoped. They play a great mixture of songs that are upbeat and get the crowd involved, as well as a few slow acoustic songs that people can relate to. Here is a clip of their final song.

One cool moment was then the lead singer talked about the venue, the Fillmore. He talked about they travel all around the world and play at a lot of cookie cutter venues. The Fillmore, being one of the most unique and memorable. Having a venue like that in Detroit is very cool.

The outdoor view

In my first blog post I talked a little bit about my first concert and the amazing experience it was. One of my first responses told me about an outdoor venue and that is what I am going to talk about next.

Since that first show in April, I have been to at least one concert a month. To some people that seems like a lot, but I feel like I am just making up for lost time.

I've seen shows in DTE(Incubus, Deftones, Kid Rock) Meadowbrook(Sublime, Twenty One Pilots), Chill on the Hill(A lot of bands), and even attended a music festival in Burlington, Ontario(Finger Eleven, Our Lady Peace, and Weezer), not far from Toronto.

Below are the pictures from the show I went to in Burlington. Although its not a Detroit venue, it was a great time, right on the water with plenty of room.

All of these shows have been great and I have been able to experience the different characteristics each venue shares. The outdoor venues allow people to walk around and enjoy the nice summer weather. However, you don't always get to stand as close as you do for indoor shows. For Kid Rock I had fairly close seats because of the great value he offers in his shows. But for Twenty One Pilots, due to the high demand we weren't as close in the lawn and part of the stage is obstructed due to the beams of the pavilion.

Although you aren't as close in outdoor venues, the environment is still a lot of fun and very memorable. Hope you enjoyed, follow me on Twitter and Facebook!

Home Opener - Babcock's return

This past summer, arguably the best coach in the National Hockey League(NHL) left my hometown Detroit Red Wings to coach their rival, the Toronto Maple Leafs. Many fans were okay with this and felt it was time to move on. Fast forward to the release of the NHL schedule and the Red Wings home opener is scheduled against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Now this game is a hit commodity. Not only is it the home opener, but its against Toronto, AND its against their old coach. Being a college student, a $100 ticket is not something I can afford. Luckily for me, the Red Wings offer single seat tickets for cheap for students. And just like that, we were able to go. Not only that, but the student rush tickets are typically pretty good seats.

Games against the Leafs are always intense. This was no different, but multiplied times ten. The crowd was going crazy alternating between "Let's go Red Wings" to "Go Leafs Go". The intensity felt like a playoff game.

If you have never gone to a game at the Joe, I highly recommend it. Detroit is known for being labeled as "Hockeytown" and they do not disappoint in big games. The crowd really gets into it and helps pump up the team.

The downtown Detroit area is a great place to take in a game whether it be at The Joe or one of the many bar spots.

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The who, what, where and why

A little about me, I am a 24 year old full time student, full time employee that loves attending events in the Detroit area. My favorites include going to concerts and sporting events.

Now believe it or not, no one believed me when I would tell them that I had never been to a concert in my life. Not a single one. That is until this past April in 2015. My new girlfriend and her friends went quite often and were going to see The Used at The Fillmore in downtown Detroit so I said, sure, why not. I was forever hooked and loved every minute of it. Seeing a band in person creates a type of appreciation for the music and there is nothing like it.

Not only do I now love concert, but nearly all Detroit sports. My favorite being hockey and watching the Detroit Red Wings. I love going down to the Joe any chance I get and watching the fast paced action in person.

I intend on using this blog to share my experiences throughout last summer as well as this fall and winter. Not only concerts and sporting events, but also any other events or restaurants I venture off to during the year. Hope you enjoy!