Girl at the Rock Shows

Thursday was a bad day for me. It’s not that anything particularly bad happened, but I was drowning in work all day, and by the time I left my day job, I was just spent. All I wanted to do was hide in my closet with all of the lights off and cry while listening to the saddest of sad music. Although, in my mind, this would have been the perfect way to spend my evening, the concert Gods had something else in the works for me. I peeled myself off the couch, grabbed a quick bite to eat, and made my way to downtown Minneapolis, where I instantly felt at home surrounded by a sea of people all wearing black. Okay, not everyone in attendance at The Armory on Thursday night was wearing all black, but it was close, and my heart fluttered with every passing face as I made my way into the giant venue, and I felt at ease for the first time on Thursday.

Let’s call out the elephant in the room before I go any further here. The music on Thursday night was classic metal. I’m not one of those kids who grew up with their parents blaring Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, and other legends. I more fell into this scene in my angsty teenage years. Because of this, I didn’t spend a lot of time with the bands performing on Thursday night. Don’t get me wrong, I recognize the weight of the bands that I saw on Thursday night, and that’s why I was at this show, but I do not know the songs (outside of the hits) and am a bit lost when it comes to the culture. At the end of the day, though, none of that matters. All that matters is that I felt the music of Sabaton and Judas Priest down to my soul, which told me everything I needed to know about the night and this timeless genre in general.

Swedish power metal band Sabaton got their start back in 1999 and has been making waves ever since. Their sound is almost militarized in a way, with their signature war chant vocals and epic stage setup, including a drum set set up to look like it’s on top of a tank. Really, everything about this band was over the top, but I low-key loved that. I wasn’t singing along or pumping my fists in the air like everyone around me but I could feel every thunderous beat down to my bones. Listening to Sabaton’s music was like going on epic journeys– each song leading you down a different path. I know that seems a bit intense for a concert, but it just shows the power that this band has behind their sound. From booming tales of war to more fantasy-like journeys of power, I loved how Sabaton was able to take me away from the day I had had and usher me into a world that was so far removed from my everyday life.

Sabaton showed a sense of perfection and severity throughout their hour-long set when it came to their music, but when it came to the moments between songs, they showed nothing but pure emotion and gratitude. This contrast caught me off guard but was what really made me fall in love with this band. Instead of keeping up the “tough guy” facade between tracks, vocalist Joakim Brodén spent the majority of his time addressing the crowd by thanking them from the bottom of his heart. Sure, Sabaton is “tough guy” music, but when Joakim was thanking the packed audience, all you could feel was humble appreciation. One of my favorite parts of Sabaton’s set was when Joakim called out a young boy who had spent their entire set perched on his dad’s shoulders right up on the stage. It was a touching moment of a rockstar acknowledging the future of the genre by getting the youngest people in the audience involved. I’m not sure that this kid will remember this moment or how Joakim threw out a signature pair of sunglasses for him, but I know I will because it humanized this larger-than-life band in such a beautiful way.

Whether you grew up on metal music or not, you know Judas Priest. You may not know their music, but you at least know their name and being in the presence of a band as legendary as Judas Priest will never get old for me. Judas Priest has been around since 1969. Hailing from England, they have been called one of the greatest metal bands of all time, and I will not be the one to dispute that. Although their music seems a bit less intense than the metal music being put out today, their sound is timeless and classic. Add vocalist Fob Halford’s flair for a slight sense of drama and sprinkle in some wicked drum and guitar solos, and you will be left with a hell of a way to spend a Thursday night.

The nearly sold-out audience was treated to a perfectly curated eighteen-song set that included one cover (Fleetwood Mac’s “The Green Manalishi”). That being said, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the majority of the crowd would have stayed for hours more if given the chance to hear more. Even though I may not know the songs outside of some of the hits, I would be one of those people who would have stayed. There’s something so captivating about this band but also something so understated. Sure, it wasn’t the most exciting show, and Rob Halford definitely showed his age a wee bit with the way he slowly sauntered across the stage throughout the set, but at 72 years old, what do you expect? On top of that, it’s Judas Priest. Do we really want to stand here and judge the band for not doing epic jumps or having a super intense stage presence? I, for one, am not even going to start to climb that hill because Judas Priest doesn’t need any of that. With a voice like Rob’s and a band like theirs, Judas Priest is all about the music, and it was refreshing to be at a show like this where the focus was on just that- the music.

The truth is, we don’t know how much longer we will have this band in our lives. I hate to be the buzz kill, but I’m just being a realist here. This band has done so much for the heavy metal world, and we can’t ask them to be around forever. That being said, this band is not fizzling out like many others in the scene. They grabbed their set on Thursday night by the horns and led the audience into a fury of excitement. This may not be the world that I grew up in, but it’s a world that I treasure, and being able to see some of the greatest of the greats was a true treat. Long live Judas Priest.

Line Up:

Sabaton

Judas Priest

Venue: The Armory

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 52

Crowd Surfers- 0

Mosh-ability- 6 out of 10 (I honestly thought this would be higher but I just didn’t see it)

Amount of Alcohol Spilled on Me- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out Kids- 0

Idiots Taken Out By Security- 0

How Many Canes Were Waving in the Audience – 1 (I laughed so hard at this)

Best T-Shirt I Saw – This was this super tall kid who had a shirt that, on the back, said “I’m Sorry That I’m The Tall Guy In Front of you”

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

Sabaton – 0

Judas Priest – 1

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score- 8 out of 10

Show on Deck- LA Buckner and BiG HOMiE / Shrimp Olympics / America y Los Sentimientos

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