leslietucker, Author at Q102 Springfield's Rock Station

What We Listen To At Home – Leslie

As much as we like to rock, there are some awesome songs we just don’t play on Q102, so every week, we’re going to take a look at what a different Q staffer is listening to when they’re not here. Today, I asked Leslie what she was listening to at home. Here’s her list:

by leslietucker

Burning Down the House w/ Shinedown

First off, let me start by saying that I knew this show was going to be amazing. What I didn’t know was how intense everything was going to be. I was already hyped at the fact that the show was at JQH Arena, a venue that I have never been to, so I was excited for a new experience.

Rain was in the forecast but given the fact that this is Missouri, rain turned into a torrential downfall, and also given the fact that this is Missouri, that did not make any difference to the fans who lined up early. Kudos to those who braved the elements in the name of rock.

I was given the task of escorting listeners to the Papa Roach meet & greet. Once everyone filtered through, I had the opportunity to meet the band although I met them 19 years ago through a mutual friend while they were touring for the Infest album. Papa Roach has always been a great group of guys and are always stoked to meet their fans. I love that about them. After the meet & greet was over, I went outside and noticed just how many people were waiting for the doors to open. The line was long, as far as I could see and it was then that I started to realize that this isn’t just a regular show. This is something more.

Savage After Midnight isn’t new to Springfield. They were here at The Riff with Memphis May Fire back in March and with that being a smaller venue, their energy was just barely contained there. I was really excited to see what they’d bring to the arena setting, however I missed my chance due to a slight issue at Will Call with my photo pass. It didn’t get straightened out until after their third song. So, Savage After Midnight, if you’re reading this… Sorry, guys! Next time, I promise!

Up next was Asking Alexandria. The cool thing here wasn’t just their performance, but how gracious they were to a particular fan. You may have to ask Baden for all the details on this one, but the gist here is that we helped make this guy’s night, and making people happy makes us all happy. I have seen Asking Alexandria several times and each time is more awesome than the next. The stage setup gets better and better but this time I noticed something. Danny Worsnop was wearing a suit. Now, wait, hear me out. I’m not trying to sound like some rabid cougar out on the prowl, but speaking from an artistic photography point of view; the contrast of your typical rock show versus something that’s clean cut and proper is super appealing to me. Think of it like something sweet and salty in one bite. You wouldn’t think they go together, but just wait until you see the pictures.

It was about this time when I started to feel everyone and everything in JQH Arena. The response to Asking Alexandria was wild. Everyone kept getting louder and space started to get smaller. Papa Roach was about to take the stage and I knew what was coming.

It has probably been about 12 years since I last saw Papa Roach. They played Remington’s Downtown and I remember Jacoby jumping off the stage, grabbing a trash can, throwing it across the floor and just rocking out with everyone in the pit. Papa Roach pours every ounce of themselves into each performance and every show is insane. They had the entire audience in their hands. Everyone was singing, bouncing and getting louder. When Jacoby jumped off the stage and ran around the arena, it felt like the place was going to explode, especially when the words “cut my life into pieces” came out of Jacoby’s mouth. Papa Roach absolutely murdered it. Whether you’re a fan or not, you have to admit that you wish you had the smallest amount of the energy that they have.

I looked around and saw nothing but happy people. From the floor all the way up to the ceiling, all the way up in the nosebleed seats. Springfield really turned out for this show.

And now for the main event. Shinedown.

The only time I saw Shinedown was at Rocklahoma this past May. Someone told me that they usually have pyro at their shows but for some reason they didn’t at Rocklahoma. Well, anyway… summer festival logistics aside, I got the fire this time. The only time I shot a show that had pyro was Slayer, but theirs was towards the back of the stage. Shinedown had some pyro set up towards the middle of the stage at a safe distance, of course. When that first blast went off, I had this mental image of explosions in movies and people jumping away from the force of the blast. I was kind of amazed at the amount of heat that myself and the whole front row at the rail felt. I couldn’t imagine how the band felt. hahahah I like to say that I have experienced all of the occupational hazards that come with concert photography: being spit on, kicked in the head, having drinks spilled over me, knocked to the ground, being squished in a pit where the crowd was pushing the barricade toward the stage… but being that close to fire was a new one for me.

I have a newfound love and respect for Shinedown. They genuinely care for their fans and it showed. Before the third song began, Brent wanted everyone in the audience to make friends with the person they’re standing next to. I take this time as he’s talking to adjust my camera settings and I notice though my lens that he’s motioning for me to come close to the stage. I thought that he wasn’t addressing me. No way. But as everyone in the audience is making new friends, Brent is also doing what he has asked everyone else to do. He takes my hand. Boom. Now we’re friends. After my three songs were up, it took me a while to fully understand what happened. This might be a little much for a blog post like this, but like Brent and a lot of other people in the world, I’ve been through some stuff in life. I struggle with depression and found ways to cope. One of my methods is to love the small things. They may be insignificant to some, but for someone who has always felt invisible, this brief moment in time felt amazing.

As the show goes on, I’m realizing that this was not like any other show. JQH Arena was alive. The place was packed and while looking around when everyone had their lighters and cell phone lights on, It was otherworldly to say the least. It was beautiful. Floor to ceiling. It felt like we were in a larger city like St. Louis or Kansas City. We have packed and sold out smaller venues with equal energy but the feeling of those shows did not compare to what Shinedown brought to Springfield. I think that they made everyone in that room feel loved, and maybe that’s what we all needed that night.

by leslietucker

ROCKLAHOMA PICS!

by leslietucker

Leslie Goes to the Slayer Final World Tour

Friday May 17, 2019 marks the date as the last time Bonner Springs, Kansas will ever see Slayer live on stage. The fifth leg of the tour featured Cannibal Corpse, Amon Amarth and Lamb of God in support of the thrash metal legends.

This was my second Slayer show and the first time seeing Cannibal Corpse. I was late to the show due to traffic on Interstate 435 (thanks, Kansas City) and I missed my opportunity to photograph their set. As I watched their set, I started to remember the time spent with my first boyfriend and how he wrote love letters that contained some lyrics to “F***ed with a Knife”. The guttural growls and controversial lyrics reflects the band’s passion for the art of horror, the screaming, the speed of which they play and the images that the lyrics paint could be disturbing for some, but for me it’s a little therapeutic in some ways. Cannibal Corpse is a great way to let your daily stresses out, that’s why I have them on my workout playlist for the gym.

And speaking of imagery, Amon Amarth brings what some call Viking Metal to the tour. A replica of a Viking Longship placed on the stage; the hull, prow and the figurehead of a dragon peered out at the audience setting a Nordic tone to the show. I hadn’t seen Amon Amarth before and honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. They brought the deep, dark intensity of melodic death metal and sang stories of myth, legend and some truth. Amon Amarth never let their energy never wane. The power that they brought from Sweden to Kansas left me wondering what a headlining show of theirs would be like. Word on the street is that Amon Amarth has a headlining tour scheduled for this fall, and an Amon Amarth show is one that cannot be missed.

Some people are emotionally attached to bands and I never thought that I’d be the one who would go full “fangirl” because they’re just regular people after all. However, after watching “As the Palaces Burn”, a Lamb of God documentary, I was feeling some sort of way, enlightened or empathetic perhaps? I can go on for hours about how emotionally invested I was in this film, but that’s a different story for a different day. Once Lamb of God took the stage, I became flooded with thoughts like “omg RAAAAANNDDDYYYYY!!”, “John looks like he’s a gentle person” after seeing how content he looks as he plays and “I wonder what it was like for Mark to record with Chester Bennington”, which is always a thought as “Cross Off” comes up during my shift. Lamb of God is one of those bands that I will always be excited to see. Their show is intense, the presentation is very energetic and you can tell that every person on that stage puts every ounce of themselves into their performance. Sometimes I find that the line between fan and photographer is very thin and this night, I was down in the photo pit singing along. Behind me, I heard other fans scream Randy’s name all throughout their set. I wondered if they were having emotional moments as well.

And then it was time for Slayer. You could feel the energy in that amphitheater and the anticipation waiting for that curtain to drop. Then suddenly everything went red, fire provided the background and fans were screaming from every direction. My thoughts went back to my first boyfriend trying to impress me by playing songs from Seasons in the Abyss with his black Ibanez guitar and tiny amp. Slayer played an impressive 20 song set, playing something from all but 3 of their studio albums making their last show in Bonner Springs a memorable one.
There are so many people out there who has a story that begins with “the first time I heard Slayer” and “I rocked the hell out of Reign in Blood on Guitar Hero III.” All of the bands on Slayer’s farewell tour range from 25 to nearly 40 years in the metal scene. We grew up with them. We are all emotionally invested in them in some way. One of the best things about this entire concert was when I looked around at the audience that night, I saw so many families. All these little kids threw the horns up, dads headbanging with their daughters, mothers danced with their sons. Even Jesus made an appearance.

Slayer might be done with touring, but their legacy will continue with these kids and I hope one day they’ll tell a story that begins with “my parents took me to my first concert and it was Slayer, Lamb of God, Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse.”

Be sure to listen to The Pit, Sundays from 10 to Midnight where Baden and I will undoubtedly talk more about this show.