I found out where Rock lives, it’s On The Range

As I checked the weather for what seemed like the hundredth time that week, I asked myself why the temperature was only going to be in the mid 60s with a 10-40% chance of rain the first time I went to Rock On The Range.  But I didn’t let the crappy forecast sour my mood as I drove down to Columbus Thursday afternoon on May 15th because that night I was going to see THE Corey Taylor of Slipknot and Stone Sour get roasted.

While this was the third year that Revolver Magazine was going to do a roast, the previous year’s roastees being Dee Snider and Zakk Wylde, this was the first year that they would do this in a “kickoff” event to Rock On The Range 2014.  As Corey and some of the panel of roasters walked the red carpet and posed for pictures, you could feel the anticipation of the night as the fans started lining up at the door and bands such as Seether and Crobot, both performing at ROTR filed into the LC Pavilion.  As Corey took the stage complete in blue plaid suit, red tie, and matching Chuck Taylors, the audience and especially me wondered how this particular panel would turn out.  The panel consisted of Roast Master Sebastian Bach, who I think by the end of the night wondered if it was actually him who was slated for the hot seat as the jokes seemed to go back to him at every chance.  Anthrax’s Scott Ian, his wife Pearl Aday, daughter of Meat Loaf, which provided even more fuel to the proverbial fire, Finesse Mitchell, whose claim to fame, or lack thereof, was being a cast member on Saturday Night Live with a total amount of ten minutes on air were some of the first to take their seats.  Next on the list were Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed who had to deal with several quips about his missing thumb in addition to defending his band and co-founder of Slipknot and friend Shawn “Clown” Crahan, who did not disappoint as he showed up complete in clown mask brandishing his own mason jar of alcohol that never seemed to get more than half empty before it was refilled.  Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson of VH1’s Classic hit heavy metal talk show That Metal Show were in rare form as Jim at one point asked “Clown” why he wasn’t the dead one from Slipknot in reference to the tragic death of former drummer, Paul Gray.  Craig Gass and Brian Posehn rounded out this panel of the people selected to make Corey question not just his career but also the people whom he supposedly calls friends.  What was really moving about this whole event was while everyone had fun at people’s expense, one of the things said a number of times was that although Corey has done a lot in life and maybe not made the best decisions, he is a great person and takes care of the people he loves.  Every single person on that panel talked about his friendship, professionalism, and ability to just relate to people and make them feel comfortable.  It says something when people cannot say anything bad about you even at a roast.  As the evening ended, it was not surprising anymore that every time Corey or one of his friends said something about him that there was an immediate burst of applause.  You could feel the love and admiration all night and to me it was definitely a highlight of my weekend.

Day One of my ROTR experience began at about 8 AM when my alarm went off.  At first I awakened preparing to go to my day job but then realized that I was about to embark on what would become not my only Rock On The Range experience, but the first in many to come.  As we drove on the highway, you could see the traffic beginning to slow as people exited the ramp leading to Columbus Crew Stadium.  I was really excited as it would not only be my first time at this sold out arena show, but would be the first time I would be seeing Guns N Roses, Black Stone Cherry, Black Label Society, Redlight King, and a host of others and also getting to see Seether, Staind, and Living Colour, all bands I have not seen for some time.  Friday’s list of performers ensured that I would most likely not be sitting down for any reason as bands on all three stages were worth looking at.  First up was Redlight King, a band hailing from Hamilton Canada, a Steel, blue-collar town.  Singer-Songwriter Mark Kasprzyk, better known as “Kaz” and his band mate Jules, seem to have found the perfect mix of rock and hip-hop which they put their own unique twist on to create a sound that is unlike any other.  Raised by middle class parents, Kaz’s songs tell you his story, which has its happy moments and not so happy moments.  I had the chance to sit down with Kaz Friday afternoon after their set and talk to him about touring and his beginnings.  From the minute they took the stage, they commanded and entertained the audience like a band that has been around for a long time.  Kaz spoke about how they are concentrating on the festival circuit this summer adding Michigan’s Dirt Fest, Carolina Rebellion, Rocklahoma, and Uproar to their list as well. When asked about Dirt Fest, which is primarily a metal festival, Kaz assured me that he could play metal among the best of them.  He reminisced about playing a show with Body Count, claims that “Ice-T threw it DOWN”, and said that he appreciates metal because “you usually have to be good at your instruments or otherwise it becomes a complete mess.”

As the day went on and I was able to see stellar performances by Seether and Staind, it was time for the main event.  The one and only Axl Rose was scheduled to play at 10 and out he came in all his denim glory.  Now, I have heard mixed reviews about this performance but what I have been saying to most naysayers is that this is not 1992.  The days of 30 year- old spandex clad Axl are over and this is 50 year old, smoking two packs a day finally caught up to him, 20 lbs heavier Axl.  For me, it was about the nostalgia of getting to sing songs like “Welcome to The Jungle” and “Mr. Brownstone” live and relive many childhood memories that always seem to be flooding back when you hear certain music.  For all that, its worth, I think that he performed to the best of his ability and gave people their money’s worth.  I was very excited to see what was in store on Day 2.