I discovered AF back in 2001, when their second album "Decipher" was released. To this point, I couldn't really bring myself to like any bands with "cookie monster" vocals, but I enjoyed AF's music and Floor Jansen's inimitable voice so much, that I learned to tolerate the harsh male vocals. Eventually, I came to appreciate them and their symbolic place in the music, even to the point where AF songs that featured only Floor's voice seemed like they were missing something. Interestingly, not only did AF become my favorite band by a large margin, they also opened the door to lots of other incredible bands (like Opeth) that I never would have given a chance to since they featured harsh vocals heavily.

After Forever is huge in Europe, and has been for years. They headline many major festivals over there every year, drawing tens of thousands of fans. But it seems I was ahead of the game in the US, because for years no one else I knew, even on the internet, was really into them. This led directly to my fear that they'd never play a US show; or, if they did, that it would be in support of a more popular band, and that they'd get, at best, a 30-40 minute set. So it was absolutely shocking in February when I found out that they would be headlining the ProgPower festival in Atlanta this year. It's the only festival of its kind in the US, and draws about 10% of similar festivals in Europe, but I actually prefer the more intimate feel of this type of show (I'd estimate there were about 1000-1200 people) than a huge venue or stadium show.

So, in February, I shelled out nearly $1000 for two tickets, airfare, and hotel. This past Friday morning, at long last, I boarded the plane to Atlanta. There were a few good bands Friday night, including the biggest surprise of the festival for me, Redemption. I have a few of their CDs and I'd known they were good, but they were tighter on stage than the likes of Dream Theater, which completely blew me away. I'm not a huge fan of the vocals, but the band is spectacular.

Saturday, we met BP and Mr. BP for brunch and a tour of CNN, which was incredibly cool. Many thanks to BP for toting us around, especially to the piercing shop to replace the tongue ring that my gf had lost. Heh.

Then we went to the venue. There were four bands Saturday night, only two of which interested me at all. We sat through Threshold, who put on a great show. We left before Primal Fear's set to get dinner, and returned for their final few songs to make sure to have good position for the AF show. Side note: Primal Fear is the type of band that gives metal its "cheesy" image to people who aren't in the know. Their final song was actually called "Metal is Forever". I just shook my head. SRSLY? Sigh.

Primal Fear's set ended. As the masses filed out to get beer and get rid of beer, T and I pushed through traffic to get as close to the front as possible. As it turned out, there was only one row of people between us and the stage. That plan couldn't have worked out better; to get on the rail, you pretty much have to get there when the doors open and stand for 4-5 hours through all the crappy bands, never leaving for refreshment or the bathroom. Just not practical. We're pretty tall and the stage is nice and high so second row is just dandy, thanks. Then the longest wait of my life began. I was nervous as hell, fidgety and chewing my fingers. I'd been waiting for so long and built this moment up so much in my head; what if they weren't that good?

Turns out I needn't have worried. Before I go on, it's important to note that I'm usually pretty tame at concerts. I don't get into the screaming, and the stupid clapping hands on the beat thing, or fists in the air, or any of that. I usually just sit or stand and take in the show. But, this time, the moment the lights went down, I started going nuts, and I didn't stop until five minutes after they'd left the stage at the end nearly two hours later. I have no voice today. This show can only be described as an "experience" for me. It moved me near tears at several times. It sounds weird to say these things about a metal band, but they hit all the right musical "pressure points", if you will, for me; their music is perfect and it gets to me on a level that no other music has ever reached. I'm struggling a lot here with how to describe this -- I'm not a good writer, especially when it comes to emotional experiences -- but if any of you have a band that means to you what After Forever means to me, you know what I'm trying to say. And it was amplified by the fact that I'd never had a chance to see them live, and didn't expect ever to have that chance.

But back to the show itself. God. I've stared at this page for 5 minutes now, trying to possibly think of a place to start or a way to describe it. So I have to go with the obvious; when you talk about After Forever, you have to begin (and end) with Floor Jansen. She is indescribable. She has a more dynamic range and more power in her voice than in any singer I've ever heard, male or female. She's classically trained, and it shows. She began as an operatic singer in AF's early days, but over time she has evolved a "rock" voice; she uses them interchangably depending on what the song calls for, and transitions between them effortlessly. But I already knew all that about her. What I didn't know was that she is also a tremendous "frontman". She commands the stage. She hits every note with seemingly no effort at all, and holds the long notes for their duration, which is something very few vocalists I've seen can do with all the jumping around the stage going on. And the coolest thing about it was that she seemed genuinely surprised and touched at the response that the band got from the US crowd. They draw ten times the fans in Europe, but I could tell on several occasions she was near tears when she'd mention how much she appreciated that we Americans even knew who they were.

The band was flawless as well. They all seemed so thrilled to be here and seriously looked like they were having the time of their lives. I absolutely love this band and the music, but it is impossible to deny that Floor was the focal point. She's such an overpowering presence, and she shines so brightly on stage, that it truly seems as if the band is only there to support her, much less so than on the studio albums. Regardless, her voice is the perfect counterpoint to the cacophony of the music and the harshness of the male vocals, and that's what makes this band work so well as a unit.

I have to take this opportunity to sidebar a bit, and rave about my girlfriend. She's not a metal fan. She likes some of the stuff I listen to, but wouldn't be likely to listen to it without me there. But, she took a weekend off despite loud protests from work (who has her on 70 hour weeks right now in DC; she's going to miss Bunnystock, dammit) and came with me to be by my side while I fulfilled my dream. Not only that, but she took four rolls of pictures for me so that I could enjoy the show to its fullest. (Digital cameras weren't allowed, but she has a nice 35mm that we brought. I'm having the pictures developed tonight.) She is wonderful to me, and I don't deserve her. It was a thrilling weekend for me, and it was made ten times better having her there with me.

So that was my weekend. I am spent. Show of my life. I don't expect it to be topped. No band has come along in six years to even come close to After Forever for me. They're the yardstick by which I measure all other music.

Did I mention that I'm seeing them again on the 20th at Jaxx in Springfield? My once-in-a-lifetime experience is happening twice. *gush*

I'm uploading a few songs for anyone who might be interested in checking them out, but my work internet is very slow today, so stand by.

... um. Work internet is at a standstill.

Guess I'll do it at home tonight.

That's awesome, mike! I haven't felt passionately about a band since high school when my best friend and I scored third row seats for REM and actually burst into tears in the ticket line. I wish I could recapture that feeling. I'm jealous!

It's so cool that you had the chance to see them perform at this moment in time for both you and them. It's magical, and even though you knock yourself for not being much of a writer, I think you conveyed that magic nicely.

Volume, safetyfork. I find if I have trouble figuring out what to say, simply saying a lot helps. :)

Songs are uploading presently...

Okay, they're up. For a band that's been around this long, whose every song is my favorite song, it's really hard to narrow it down. I managed to find 5 that represented a good cross-section of their material.

My Pledge of Allegiance Part I - My favorite AF track, from way back on the 2001 "Decipher" album. Deals with the oppression of women in some Middle Eastern cultures. ("My Pledge of Allegiance Part II" tells the story of when her husband finds the letter...) I believe this is the Floor Jansen showcase song. Good gravy, she's incredible.
Mea Culpa/Leaden Legacy - This is actually two tracks, but they blend so well that I had to combine them. From the first album, when they were way more goth than they are now. And goth = Latin choirs. Bad ass. I didn't have this one in mp3; hopefully you guys can play AAC files. Winamp and iTunes handle them fine.
Transitory - A straight-up in your face rock song from the new album.
Forlorn Hope - Also from "Decipher". Deals with the Israel-Palestine conflict. This is often the first song I play for people when introducing them to the band. The harsh vocals are there, but only for a short time; I realize that some people find them off-putting at first. I did too. But I'm so glad I gave them a chance to grow on me.
Silence From Afar - A ballad lamenting the loss of a friend. More Latin choirs!

Okay, looking at my choices, I see that I chose more from their earlier era. Their sound has changed quite a bit since then. So I need to upload one more:

Through Square Eyes - My favorite "modern era" AF song. From "Invisible Circles", my favorite AF album. "Free MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Goosebumps.

Awesome!! I'm so glad to hear it lived up to (and even surpassed) your expectations. That's so, so cool.

It was great hanging out Saturday afternoon, too, and we were both really glad we finally got to meet your girlfriend- she's as cool as you are!