Second Summer of Seether Pre-Game April 6, 2022

 

Seether, Idaho 2021

Touring strikes me as being told where to go every day for months by a sadistic travel agent.  In the continuing saga of seeing Seether on tour, we start our second Summer of Seether waiting for concert dates posted on their website.  The very first one I saw was for the Welcome to Rockville 2022 in Daytona Beach Florida.  I approached my husband, who is my plus one on these trips, to discuss the merits of this choice.  For us, these are our vacations for the year, so although seeing Seether is the focus (for me at least), the location is also a consideration.  I described the event, more like Aftershock than a single concert.  It's a four day festival with pretty much all the hard rock/metal bands I've ever heard of.  A four-day general audience pass is $1,039.00 each person.  It's Florida in May.  Airplane tickets plus accommodations.  I said, "I'm not sure about Florida."  My husband just said, "Well, we've never been there."  I answered, "I'll think about it."  It's a long way from home for a lot of money and I'm not feeling this one.  So I presented some alternatives. Inkcarceration Festival in Ohio. I liked the lineup and was very interested in the Ink part of the Festival, being a tattoo Freshman.  My husband raised his eyebrows. "Ohio in July? That's as bad as Florida."  "How about Texas the end of May? The Hu are playing also." The Hu is a band from Mongolia that my husband has been listening to on YouTube.  We missed their concert here, from my inexperience. I didn't know there was an alternative to GA standing only.  So I find out there are two locations.  Houston (well The Woodlands, to be more accurate) on May 28th and Dallas May 29th.  Houston is Buzz Fest 2022 and also features Papa Roach, Bush, The Hu, Dead Sara and 10 Years.  Dallas is BFD 22 also with Papa Roach and The Hu as well as Bush, Fuel, Dead Sara and Giovannie & The Hired Guns.  Cool! Is there anyway we can go to both?  Logistically there just isn't time for us to drive down to The Woodlands on the 28th and back up to Dallas for the 29th and make it.  And sleep, too.  I hope the guys are in a comfy tour bus sleeping whilst being driven between the two locations.  They are the ones doing the work here.  So we had to pick one.  Since my Dad's father's family lived in New Boston, Texas which is closer to Dallas than Houston, we decided on Dallas. 

New Boston is close to the borders of Oklahoma and Arkansas.  It was a small town back when my parents went to visit in the 1950's, but now lists a population of 4,600, which is still a small town, but double what it was back in their day.  Evidently, when my mom went to the family reunion then, all the guys looked like my dad.  But we'll save genetics for another day.

May 28, 2022

My sister and I had sort of a "dry travel run" in March.  I tried to think when was the last time I went on an airplane and I think it was 2007 or 8.  Definitely after September 11th because I remember taking my shoes off.  But it was even more intense at the airport in March of this year.  Masks were still required.  Went through id check line.  Went through security check line.  First time I forgot to take off my shoes.  Second time didn't know I had to take larger electronics out (besides my laptop).  Third time I forgot to take my phone out of my "brocket" (i.e. bra) and had to put it in a bin all by itself.  Woops, forgot about the belt.  Separate scan for that.  So, this is why my husband and I like to drive places.  That and the heated truck seats.  Hey, it's his "retirement truck".  The vehicle you buy and don't drive much hoping it will last from when you purchase it before you retire to when you can't drive any more.  We made it to San Diego and proceeded to drive around in a rental, bitching out the Google Maps lady for not letting us know far enough ahead when to get over to take the exit. 

I think she got her revenge by deciding we were too stupid to follow her directions and randomly started trying to take us back to the airport.  Just go home.

I've been following the Seether tour and watching the pictures and video everyone has been posting as the band travels around the country.  As it turned out, Daytona was windy, wet, hot and Friday night had enough lightening to force the venue to cancel the remaining concerts for the night.  Seether finished by the skin of their teeth before the rest of the bands had to stop. I was not impressed with some of the complaints.  What?  Do you want your favorite band to get electrocuted so you get your money's worth?  The same thing happened Saturday night as well.  OK, I'm sure the fans wouldn't want them to perform in those circumstances, but paying over 1,000 bucks to see your bands and not getting refund would be hard to take.  And it was a lot of bands.   From the Daytona Beach News Journal "Along with Korn, the Friday rain delays and show cancellation also nixed sets by popular bands including Skillet, Underoath and Breaking Benjamin. That afternoon, it also was announced that Megadeth would not be making its performance due to “travel delays.”  Saturday's cancellations included Guns N’ Roses, Bush, Rise Against, Dirty Honey, Alexisonfire, Sick of It All and Saul.

Five Finger Death Punch played on Thursday and their vocalist, Ivan Moody dizzy from the heat, tripped over a laser which shot him in the eye. Video from his trip to the emergency room shows him visiting with fans who were there for a variety of injuries, including those brought on by the heat.  90 degrees with 85 percent humidity.  Mr. Moody seemed more worried about the injuries of the fans in the ER than his own eye.  He seemed like a very caring person.  

I got on a tangent again.  Seether's tour has moved from the more northern states earlier in May to the southern states.  The drummer from Breaking Benjamin, Shaun Foist, was gracious enough to sub for John Humphrey so he could go to his son's graduation.  I'm guessing this is their younger son, Jett, who would be about the right age for a High School graduation.  This was for the Simpsonville, South Carolina concert.  It's entertaining to follow them around the country.  Alabama (May 14th), Florida (17th), Mississippi (18th).  The wet and humid Rockville at Daytona Beach.  Georgia (May 21st), Tennessee (24th), Oklahoma (25th).  Did you know it's almost a 9 hour trip (by car) from OK City to Corpus Christi?  Am I the only one that finds this stuff interesting? I like maps, too, so there.

Now they are in Texas, travelling from Oklahoma to Corpus Christi for yesterday's concert and then over to Houston tonight.  And that will bring us to May 29th, my first Seether concert of the year.  My first Papa Roach concert (ever) as well.  It's also interesting how the bands are scheduled together at some venues and not at others.  Seether and Breaking Benjamin, along with Lacey Sturm and Starset have been touring together since the end of April.  Everyone and their dog was at Rockville, apparently.  Though I don't see that Starset was there.  After Georgia, Starset was off to Missouri and was in Denver last night and Breaking B appears to be off until July.  Seether, Bush and Fuel played in Corpus Christi last night and Seether and Bush will be playing with Papa Roach and Dead Sara tonight.  Tomorrow: Papa Roach, Seether, Bush, The Hu, Fuel, Dead Sara and Giovannie & The Hired Guns.

Like ships that cross in the night, our bands are traveling, meeting each other at some venues passing each other at others.  Seether was in Oklahoma on the 25th. Papa Roach on the 24th.  Papa Roach has been in Texas since Thursday at the Tech Port Center and Arena in San Antonio.  The coordination of all this is mind-blowing.

EM

PS: Not so fun fact.  There has been multiple instances of bands being shocked or even electrocuted during a performance.  Electric guitars, microphones, amps, all the electrical equipment that have the potential.  Musicians who accidently make an electrical circuit with their own bodies.  Musicians that get water thrown on them.  You would think having to remember all the songs would be enough, but no!  They have to worry about what they are touching.  So instead of wishing them luck with, "Have a great show."  we should be saying, "Stay grounded."