Our August Edition took place on Saturday, August 14th, 2004.
How can I sum up August at Anger In Chicago? I can’t. I have realized more than ever that AIC is a dynamic beast. AIC is a creature that is not dormant for very long. It is ever morphing into different things. Allow me to explain. On Saturday, August 14th, we got together for about the eleventh or twelfth time in fourteen months of local chapter existence for our August, “Midwest Tour” Edition. The point of this meeting/party/get together was the usual party it up ‘Tallicastyle and enjoy each other’s company for as long as we possibly could. In addition to that reason we also had an express purpose of getting together one last time before the Chicagoland touring cycle begins for most of us. We all planned on going to at least one or more of the Chicago, Moline, Peoria, Milwaukee shows, and a few of us plan on making it to all of them. This would be a time of finding out who has got what plans and like any family see if we could help one another out. Many of us were able to make it out to HQ that night and party til the sun came up (or crash and pass out at 11 pm!) and make plans for the shows with other AIC members. There was joy had by all of us during the evening at times for winning a prize, taking a shot, seeing someone we haven’t seen in an Edition or two and sharing the usual stories which we all have in common and can relate to.
Some people were missing for whatever reasons. But like a family we plan around it and accept what we cannot change. And like a family we grieved deeply the following day when we learned our friend and fellow AIC member Scott Moore had passed away. It is with a heavy heart and tears in my eyes that I write this. We came together as a family of friends to remember Scott during the following week. Friends, we are more than just a local chapter. We are a family of friends that care for one another and when one of us grieves we all feel the pain and we come together in numbers realizing that there is always more strength in togetherness. We all remember Scott in our own way and we will not allow any one of us individually or together as AIC to be destroyed by his leaving us. We instead have grown stronger and together as we share his fond memory together. Thank you Scott for impacting us.
We move on.
Moline, IL. Home of the friendliest concert venue that I have ever been to by far. A venue that will open up early, allow people waiting in line to come in and use their facilities prior to the show. A venue where the security/ushers will make friends with you and carry on conversations about anything. A venue where parking is affordable and the building is clean and orderly. And a venue where Godsmack’s electrician will discuss some of the finer points of life on the road while you wait for the show to start. Moline was also the place where Metallica ripped the fucking roof off that nice place, The Mark of the Quad Cities. Five AIC members were in attendance, five AIC people take our usual positions, all on the front row rail, and not any of us went away empty handed. I have come to realize for certain now that AIC MetClubbers are not only some of the most fortunate and lucky fans in the world but also some of the smartest. We have to be. How else can you explain that in a room filled with 10,000 to 12,000 people could the five of us walk away with 10 guitar pics, a drum stick, a cup of Lar’s water and get video-taped before the show and photographed after the show by Niclas Swanlund of the MetClub. We had to have been the Metallica all-star fans in Moline. Five people from Chicagoland in this farming community end up being singled out several times by Lars, James and their staff for special treatment. Picks and sticks were handed to us by them, questions asked to us about our experience and we were asked to pose for an after concert photo. We worked for all this stuff but things were also thrown in our laps, or cleavage for that matter.
Many of us were certain that we had a “moment” with them. Believe me I was there. When Lar’s throws water at you or James points you out to Gio to hand you a pick or a stick there is a “moment” between you and them that just happened!
We will see you on the road this week, and again on October 9th!
Our next meeting is planned for October. Stay tuned for details! Contact us if you would like to attend, or to learn more!
Our chapter is had it's first meeting on Saturday, June 21, 2003, at HQ-Chicago.
You can find Jeff's description of that event here. Check it out!
You can also find our archived Chapter meeting notes here, here, here, here, here and here. Please dig in and check it out!
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Email the chapter! AngerInChicago@yahoo.com we'd love to hear from you.
Or email your webmaster! djp519@yahoo.com I'd love feedback.
This site last updated Tuesday, August 24th, 2004.
