Halfway Jam - Day 3 July 26th, 2014

All good things must come to an end or so the cliche goes.  Its a simple fact that when there is a type of schedule everything does indeed come to an end.  Day Three of "Halfway Jam" came to an exceptional conclusion under a backdrop that featured some incredible bands.

Halfway Jam - Day 2 July 25th, 2014

The second day of anything is always easier than the first day.  Jitters have lessened, a routine may have begun, and the comfort level begins to increase.  That's true for the second day of kindergarten, the second day of a new job or career, even the second day of band camp is easier.  Please forget the band camp reference but you get the gist.  July 25th was the second day of "Halfway Jam" did it get easier?

Halfway Jam - Day 1 July 24th, 2014

The first day of "Halfway Jam" started like any typical first day of a music festival.  With a beautiful day looming and first day jitters of the attendees a typical start was assured.  What every music festival has is surprises but when the surprises make a big impact it makes everything more fun.

Halfway Jam - The 11th Annual Music Festival, A Primer

What does a sleepy little town in Minnesota and rock and roll have in common?  What does a chainsaw wielding front man and lead singer capable of swooning every female patron with a simple smile have with rock and roll have in common?  What other questions can I ask that compare stuff?  Well...

RATT - A Three Part Series of Sorts

Growing up in the '80's had a profound effect on my little slice of heaven.  Without crawling back down Memory Lane (no seriously I did that once) or "memory lane" the time I could spend talking about sports, politics, world events, hopes, dreams, crushes and school will be reserved to the annals pf the thing I remember the most: Music.  When I was a "wee lad" we didn't have MTV (no I'm not breaking into a "When I was a kid" moment) because the cable company didn't provide it to.  When we would work our way to the town many of my cousins lived I was able to watch it despite the fact that the town in which they lived was smaller.  That was actually very important to me, why you ask?  Well...

Survivor - Halfway Jam

Survival is a tenuous position, you either survive or you become high-grade loam so its very easy to delineate between the two, if you succeed in surviving I suppose.  Depending on your beliefs of life-after-death you may know which way your cookie crumbled but survival is never that easy.  Second chances must be figured into the equation if not for the simple reason that survival and second chances are kind of the same thing.  In the world of music second chances are as close as their next performance.

Halfway Jam - The Tenth Annual Family Reunion

Summertime is one of the most highly anticipated times of the year for families as well as those of the single persuasion.  Between softball games, trips to the swimming pool, fireworks and barbeque's on the deck it always seems like the summer is completely full.  It seems that between all of those things that upon learning about a "family reunion" schedules can be rearranged and subsequently trips can be planned.  This summer I did just that, I planned a trip to a "family reunion", but why is that on a music blog?  Well...

Survivor - America's River Festival

Adversity is a phenomena that plagues everyone at some time in their lives.  What happens to a person that faces adversity is really up to the individual.  Yes we all have faced some type of adversity whether it be a test in high school or one's station in life but survivors overcome adversity.  Sometimes one has to have guts just to get to the glory and at other times you have to go the distance and never stop.  Sounds familiar doesn't it?  Why you ask, well...

Queensrÿche - Halfway Jam

It would be surprising that there isn't some time in our lives that we didn't have that "know where you were" moments.  The attacks of September 11th, the Challenger explosion, the shooting of President Reagan, my high school graduation (trust me that one was touch and go) all are potential moments.  In 2012 I was really starting to hit my stride with this very blog and I had one of those moments.  Why am I telling you?  Why do you care?  Keep reading...

Trixter - Halfway Jam

Magic, Silly Rabbit's and kids, levitation, David Blaine, Cheap Trick, Vegas and Harry Houdini, each of these are associated in some way to "tricks".  Whether it be magicians, cities, or breakfast cereal we all have a curiosity with tricks.  While we were young, we would stare intently, watching someone doing some type of magic trick, and we would sit mesmerized as the magician (or an uncle at a family gathering) did some type of trick whatever it was.  In the summer of 2012 I felt like that child as I stared at a stage in Royalton, MN.  You may ask yourself, why?  What does magic and Royalton, MN have to do with magic?  Well...

Bang Tango - Halfway Jam

The era that was "Hair Metal" was full of bands that had been signed by record companies eager to make a buck.  Bands from the era varied from the unenviable position of "one hit wonders" to arena-worthy "mega hit" bands.  For many of the "one hit wonders", their fame faded, rather collapsed around them but some of them survived to play another day.  The three days of "Halfway Jam" and so many other music festivals provide those "survivors" with a way to bring their music to those that lived through the hair metal days as well as a new set of ears; their children.  For one of those bands, they did more than just "survive".

Half Way Jam - Skid Row

The decade of 2010 seems to have become a decade that every rock band from the '80's has made a triumphant return and the lineup of "Halfway Jam" really reflected that.  Skid Row closed out the third day of what could only be described as an All-Star lineup.  Was Skid Row and the singer "that isn't Sebastian Bach" worthy of closing out the event?

Halfway Jam - Kix

Have you ever listened to a band that you think has had only one good song, and although you never listened to well, anything but that one song of theirs, you still assume there isn't much else there.  Recently I attended "Halfway Jam" (I'm guessing you have already discovered that) and that one band, with only one good song climbed onto the stage.

Halfway Jam - Stephen Pearcy

I'll be honest, I went to "Halfway Jam" to see Stephen Pearcy and having seen Ratt before as well as his solo act earlier this year, I was excited to travel to Royalton, MN for just that reason.  What would make a man travel so far to see a show that he has seen previously?  Its Stephen Pearcy (weren't you following that?).