I consider myself a serious Skillet fan, having racked up over 1,000 miles to see them three times, in three different venues, over the last 18 months. So why Skillet? Quite simply: They rock! To me, they represent everything rock should be: Loud, bombastic and all kinds of fun. Without being decadent, every show is a party, a chance to show their appreciation to the fans who make their music possible. They're also good people: I sprang for the VIP pass at my first concert, got to meet them for pictures and autographs before the show and the very first thing that happened was John Cooper, the lead singer, looked at my "Monster" t-shirt and said, "I love that you have that shirt!"
On stage, Skillet is one of the best-sounding acts I've ever heard. Their songs sound as technically and vocally proficient in concert as they do on CD, yet there's even more energy to their music when they're performing live. They take something awesome and turn it up to 11.
They managed to take things a step further in Bemidji, throwing in a few new twists, like bringing Jen Ledger, their drummer, out front to sing lead on an acoustic version of one of their songs. Jen sings the female vocals on their hit "Awake and Alive" and has, for my money, one of the most unique and amazing voices in all of rock, a sentiment many of my fellow Skillet fans share. Putting her in the spotlight as they did was absolutely brilliant--they gave us something we fans had been clamoring for, but absolutely had not expected.
The band members make it very clear that they're enjoying themselves each and every time they take the stage, and as a fan, it shows. John's a Wisconsin native and spent most of the evening poking fun at our (alleged) Scandinavian accents, referring time and again to "Minne-SOH-ta." Likewise, he had fun noting how none of us, himself included, ever would have imagined that a small town like Bemidji, Minnesota, would end up hosting the biggest show on their tour.
The only knock on the evening was the facility itself. For the $75 to $100 million the city spent on the Sandford Center, they have little to show: A cramped facility, smaller than many high school rinks I've seen; poor location on 1st Street South, which is not a through-street, and results in traffic backing up severely (I was literally passed by a guy in a wheelchair while waiting to turn onto the street); a poorly designed parking lot that stretches far from the building to the west, along the south side of Lake Bemidji, where I had a long walk in a cold wind (most facilities put parking on all sides to minimize their patrons' walking); and confusing roundabouts which resulted in someone in an SUV drifting into my lane and nearly running me over. Likewise, I can only describe the operations as "bush league," from their failure to mark seating sections and seat numbers, to their numbering everything from right to left--in direct contravention of the standards of the Western world, to their bizarre practice of stamping both your hand and your ticket and requiring you to present both for something as simple as using the bathroom. I have never seen such a poorly run operation.
So: I would absolutely see Skillet again in a heartbeat, but I won't be going to any concerts at Bemidji's Sandford Center anytime soon.
Sanford Center @
- Bemidji @
, MN @
- Wed, Nov 2, 2011 @
Favorite moment: Jen Ledger has an AMAZING voice. Bringing her up front to share lead vocals on one of their hits was a BRILLIANT idea. @
Setlist: All the hits--Comatose, Savior, The Last Night, It's Not Me It's You, Awake and Alive, Whispers in the Dark, Better Than Drugs, Lucy, Monster and Rebirthing... and many more. @
Opening act(s): We As Human, Manafest and Disciple @