The Stadium Tour featuring Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Poison and Joan Jett Sept.4th 2022 in Edmonton

On a beautiful Sunday on Labour Day Weekend in Edmonton the Stadium Tour hit Commonwealth Stadium. When this tour was first announced and I saw that it was going to be in Edmonton I was excited about going, as these groups were what I was listening to back in the 80's. This just sounded like a very fun day out. But tickets were stupid expensive and seemed to go really quick. Well, day of the show I managed to get tickets for the show and at a decent price of 50 bucks a ticket. Ya the seats were way up in the nosebleeds, but fuck it, we were at least going to be at the show. So Janis, Cuz, Buzzard and I got our shit together and were going to the big show. By the time we got to Commonwealth Stadium the line ups to get into the venue were crazy long. I was starting to think that by the time we got in we would miss half the show. We did miss the very first act, a band called Classless Act out of Los Angeles. But surprisingly the line ups went super quick and we got in, in time to catch Joan Jett & The Blackhearts which was one of the main bands I wanted to see. As you can see, our seats were in the nosebleeds.

While our seatd sucked for Joan Jett, we couldn't see much from where we were, but we could hear her, though the sound was fucking awful from where we were. The sound bounced around the stadium. What we did hear, Joan and her band The Blackhearts kicked ass. This was my 4th time seeing her in concert. Joan Jett and The Blackhearts.

Next band up was Poison. There is a band that I hated growing up in the 80's. I only saw them once before and that when they opened up for Tesla back in 1989. They were terrible back then. I believe the band were all loaded to the tits back then and didn't sound good at all. But over the years I've grown to actually like their first album Look What The Cat Dragged In, it's just a fun album. This time around the band actually sounded pretty damn good. Even though we were still in out shitty seats for them, the stadium was filling up and the sound got a touch better. What was fun during their set from where we were sitting was watching a couple of guys in the corwd rocking the fuck out air guitaring away and generaly just having a blast. We had some good laughs at their expense, but it was fun watching them having fun. And by now we had a few beers in us which made things more fun. Poison.

By the time Def Leppard hit the stage the stadium was filled with 50,000 people. And after sitting in our shitty seats for the first two bands we decided to move down to better seats. Enough of the shitty sound up there. This would be my 3rd time seeing Def Leppard in concert. Now that we had moved down to better seats, still not great seats but at least the sound was better and we were closer to the beers and smoking area. Speaking of the smoking area, had they had screens in the smoking area I probably would have just stayed there for the show. What a blast, lots of weed being smoked and you could actually take your beer with you in the smoking area. And the antics and fun in the smoking area, drunks, stoners, old metal heads and 50+ year old women dressed like they were still teenagers, some could pull it off, but you had to laugh at some of them. They didn't seem to care as they were having a good time and after all, that's what this show was all about. Re-living your youth! As for Def Leppard, I would say they stole the show. They put on a great show, the band sounded great, good light show and we could finally enjoy the sound from our new seats. Def Leppard.

Closing out the night was Motley Crue. This would be my 8th time seeing The Crue in concert. The band came out of retirement for this tour and for good reason as this tour way a huge payday for the boys. I wasn't expecting much as the last time I had seen the band I didn't think they were all that great back in 2015. Motley Crue were a band that I grew up on, so for nostalgic reasons I was hoping for a good performance. I will admit they were better then I was expecting. I thought Vince sounded better then expected. The Crue played everything you would expect of them and Tommy Lee is still a teenager at heart but his schtick is old and embarassing. But the crowd was digging them which made for a fun show. All and all this was a very fun night out on a beautiful fall evening. Good times!!! Motley Crue.

Punk In Drublic Festival in Edmonton September 3rd 2022

My Buddy Nazz and I went to the Punk In Drublic Festival at the Edmonton Expo Centre, this was our second time attending this festival together. The Punk In Drublic Festival is a day of punk rock and beers. The festival starts with a taste testing of dozens of local breweries. With your ticket you get ten free tickets to sample some of the local craft beers. And because my buddy Nazz doesn't drink, I make out on this deal pretty damn good. After sampling lots of different beers a few hours before showtime, a guy can get a little buzz on. Thanks Nazz for the beer tickets! One of the many beers I tried.

The day started with local punkers Real Sickies. This was my 7th time seeing them in concert. They were great, nice to see that they always have local band in the line-up. The Real Sickies.

Next up was Cagary's Chixdiggit. This was my 2nd time seeing them play. They too were great. Chixdiggit.

Up next was a band called Voodoo Glow Skulls, a band from California that play a mix of punk rock and ska. I had never seen them play before and was really looking forward to seeing them in perosn. I was a fan of this band in the mid nineties and in all honesty didn't even realize they were still around. The only original members now are the two brothers Eddie Casillas on guitar and Jorge Casillas on bass, their other brother Frank who used to be the lead singer quit the band in 2017. On vocals now is Efrem Martinez-Schulz who also sings in the band Death By Stereo. I didn't know this until my brother told me before the show. I was a big fan of Death By Stereo back in the day. Seemed odd that Efrem would be fronting a ska band as Death By Stereo were a hardcore band. So I wasn't sure what to expect, but have to say I thought he did a great job. Voodoo Glow Skulls were high energy and awesome. Voodoo Glow Skulls.

Next was a band called Strung Out. Nazz and I caught a few of their songs but I didn't take any pictures. We had decided to hit the smoke pit outside for a smoke. Well the smoke pit was always fun every time we went out. It was always full and it was more like a weed pit as there were just as many people smoking weed as cigarettes. And with everyone having a good buzz on, it was full of funny drunken antics. And if you were sly enough you could sneak a drink out with you to the smoke pit. We hungout there for a while. We went back in to the venue to catch a bit of the band Pup, but decided it was more fun outside, so out we went for fresh air, ya right, more smokes and laughs.

Up next was another band out of California called the Descendents, a band that formed in 1977 and still going strong. This was the main band that Nazz and I were very excited about seeing as I had never seen them perform before. And they did not disappoint, there style of music would be a mix of hardcore melodic punk if that makes any sense with humour mixed in. They were excellent and probably the main reason most in attendance were there for. An awesome set by the Descendents. The Descendents.

Headliner of the festival was Los Angeles band NOFX, who have been around since 1983. This traveling festival was put together by lead singer Fat Mike of NOFX and the festival is named after one of their albums Punk In Drublic. This would be my 2nd time seeing NOFX in concert. I'm not the biggest fan of NOFX but thought they put on a good show. All in all we had a great day out at the festival. Good times!!! NOFX.

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