I'll start it off.
Back in January 2011, Meat did 2 shows in Lincoln Oregon. He gave me my first ever reason to drive off Vancouver Island and into the USA! I drove 12 hours in my little Hyundai, got lost about 5 times, and had a hell of a great time exploring on my own. I will never forget it!
The shows were vocally in top form, Meat and the band performed so brilliantly that everyone walking out of the Casino was talking about how he was better than the last time they saw him, and was so amazing. These were guys and girls in their 20's and 30's.
Then my girlfriend and I went in March to two shows in Vancouver BC. This was a vacation for my girlfriend and I for the first time in years, and we thoroughly enjoyed watching Meat perform at the Red Robinson Show Theatre, ordered room service for the first time and also gambled for the first time!
(I broke even!)
We agreed that Meat performed fantastically both nights back to back, and my girlfriend said afterwards that he's really good, and he definitely still has it! She isn't the Meat fan, I am, and she listens to heavy metal and only modern bands, so the fact that she thought he was still great means something to me! I also thought he was breathtaking, and standing there up at the barrier as he sweated and sang all his songs is with no exception the most exciting moment of my life, and I will cherish it forever.
He also showed how much he cares about his fans. For both nights that I was in Oregon, Meat talked with me on the forums, and thanked me for my compliments. A true, humble gentleman and even though I am a stranger, he treated me like a friend. I do not know many other famous performers, who have been around for 40 years, who put that much effort in to please their fans and form relationships with them.
Meat, you are without a shadow of a doubt, an amazing Man, a performer who still has it all, and for this lucky young Canadian, you are someone who inspires me to do great things in my life, but not to follow the money, and to remain humble and grounded no matter what. Thank you for that lesson, and for living it every day, You can be certain that these last few years of excitement, getting to talk with you on the forums and see your shows, is something I will cherish for THE REST of my life, and something I'll tell my grandkids and kids. I hope others will do the same, because you truly do lead by example, and you live by every word you speak.
Rock on 2012 for more EPIC show experiences! Student loan funded
