What can I say? Summer of 2007 was quite possibly one of the best Summer's that I have ever experienced. Besides the excessive partying, I was able to attend many events. In the interest of length and my carpel tunnel condition, I will name some of the more notable happenings that occured.
The first notable event involved my trip to Sacramento, CA. I was able to attend the "Ultimate Fighting Championship" or "UFC" Pay Per View event. This was thanks in part to some friends of mine over at Warner Bros. Records. The "UFC" is otherwise known as cage fighting. These were five hundred dollar seats and I was thrilled to be there. The crowed was really into what was happening at the event, which made the atmosphere electric. The event was headlined by one of my favorite fighters in the UFC. His name is Tito Ortiz. Unfortunatley, the bout ended in a draw because of a point deduction. Everyone in the crowed knew that Tito dominated that fight, and expressed that sentiment with some choice words for the referee. Regardless, it was still an exciting matchup. The event was a first for me, and I found it to be rather enjoyable.
The next notable event would have to be when I attended "Ozzfest 2007". I had always heard about it from other people, but never attended an "Ozzfest" show myself. That was until I found out that for whatever reason, this year the tickets were free! This event was unlike anything I could have ever expected. It was an all-day event in Mountain View, CA. If you are into hard rock music, then "Ozzfest" is the place for you. The event was headlined by Ozzy Osbourne himself, and other big name acts. This included popular bands such as "Static-X", "Lamb Of God", and the U.K band, "Lordi". How crazy did the show become? Ozzy was spraying everyone in the front rows with a fire hose! He is still a great performer and the main reason I attended the show. Overall, a great time was had and I would love to attend again.
The most notable of all these events occured when I attended what is known as the "Projekt Revolution Tour". This was a tour headlined by the bands "Linkin Park" and "My Chemical Romance", among many other big name and new acts. I am currently in an internship position with Warner Bros. Records as a photographer and promoter, which has allowed me to attend many events free of charge. For this particular all-day event, I volunteered to work one of the booths. The booth I volunteered for was for a charity known as "Music For Relief", which was created by the band "Linkin Park". It is primarily to help victims of natural disasters, and stresses the reduction of Green House Gasses as well. It's a great cause and deals with issues that affect us all. For more information on that, please visit http://www.musicforrelief.org/
Now I must note that my favorite band for the last few years has been "Linkin Park". When I was told that I was going to not only see their show, but also meet them that same day, I was excited. How often do people get to hang out with their favorite band? Not too often. When I finally met them, they were really down to Earth guys. They signed a few things of mine and I took a few pictures. I was also able to meet a few of the other bands that were playing on the tour. The group "Julien-K" was really cool. I just happened to run into them when I was walking down the pathway from the mainstage. They were also down to Earth guys as well. The show I attended and the tour itself, which I had been promoting for a long time, was amazing.
Overall, I would say it was a five out of five star summer, and one of the best I've had yet.
Photo Credit: G. David
