ON THE FRONT LINES WITH... FREAK!
by Q101's Freak
ROAD TRIP JOURNAL ENTRY: "295 Miles To Megadeth!"
Megadeth - 9/29/01 in Sauget Illinois
(Editor’s Note: Road trips have always been a part of rock ‘n’ roll.
Freak is no stranger to following the white line of the highway and living
life in a blur. Beginning this month, the popular Q101/Mancow Morning
Madhouse radio personality will share his rock ‘n’ roll adventures on the
front lines of the music scene with the readers of Midwest Beat. Buckle your
seat belts and hold on...because with Freak at the wheel, it’s sure to be a
wild ride from month to month!)
There I was sliding sideways at a considerable rate of speed when I
suddenly jolted back into consciousness. Trying to focus, I jammed the wheel
to the right in an effort to correct the skid before the bastard started
barrel rolling in the tall grass. A few fishtails later, I caught a bit of
air as the rented Saturn careened back onto Interstate 55.
It was mid-afternoon and I was halfway through a 295-mile ride, running
on two hours of sleep and five cans of Red Bull. The night before had been a
vicious journey through south-suburban bars culminating with a pit stop at an
Olive Garden for a meal I was still burping up at regular intervals.
The mission was Megadeth. One of the few bands in existence that can
still get me motivated enough to shove a disc in my Walkman and embark on
such a dubious journey on a Saturday afternoon.
They were jamming in an industrial part of America called Sauget,
Illinois. A desolate little patch of soil littered with belching and
billowing smokestacks, some strip clubs, and a joint called Pop’s.
I rolled into the parking lot around sundown to find a minor riot in
progress as a last minute autograph session had several hundred Rattleheads
jockeying for a place in line to meet their red-headed guitar hero, Dave
Mustaine. Not wanting to deal with the chaos at hand and in dire need of
emptying my over swollen bladder, I ducked around back to where the buses
were parked and slipped in through a side door.
Inside, I found Mustaine sitting behind a table along with the rest of
the guys shaking hands and signing whatever was put in front of him. He was
in great spirits despite the fact that he was getting his ass kicked by
allergies which also brought on a case of laryngitis. We talked a bit while
he continued signing stuff then parted ways as he headed backstage to do
whatever he does to prepare for a show while I headed for the nearest beer
station.
Now, before reading any further, know this. I have seen Megadeth on
every tour they have ever done. From the "Killing is my Business and
Business is Good" tour in 1985 with Mercyful Fate up through the "Risk!" tour
last year, I have seen them perform with several different line-ups and in
various states of consciousness. So when I say that this was the finest
Megadeth show I have ever seen, it is in comparison to at least twenty other
examples over the last fifteen years.
Driven by the thunderous drumming of Jimmy DeGrasso and the solid bass
playing of David Ellefson, the level of aggression reached in songs like
“Holy Wars,” “The Punishment Due” and “Peace Sells” was surpassed only by
the blistering lead changes between guitarists Dave Mustaine and Al Pitrelli.
The set list was a litany of greatest hits featuring new songs like
“Moto Psycho” and “1000 Times Goodbye” and old school thrashers like
“Mechanix” and “Hangar 18” giving the kids little time to catch their
breath during the show.
Other highlights included an extra crunchy rendition of “Symphony of
Destruction,” a great Osama Bin Laden story into “Sweating Bullets,” and a
capacity crowd of sweaty drunks singing “Paranoid” along with the band.
Now I know that things are weird in the world right now and that we’re
living in times of uncertainty, but as I stand in this truck stop refilling
the rented beast with gas for the ride home I can think of only one thing I
need to impress upon you. Megadeth will be on the road well into 2002 making
stops in Lafayette on 11/3, Indianapolis on 11/5, Grand Rapids on 11/7, and
Merrillville (at the Star Plaza Theatre) on 11/10. If you don’t see them
when they’re in your neck of the woods, you’ll miss one of the best metal
acts on the road this year and you’ll hate yourself for it. Trust me!
A lot lizard has now appeared on the other side of my Saturn. Cigarette
hanging from her freshly glossed lips, I nervously continue to pump gas as
she casually recites her decadent little menu – Hey! Free head for a ride up
to Springfield?”
Hmmmm...This story may NOT be over yet!