Last week I learned that a mountain of metal is almost too much metal to take all in one day. Good thing it was so awesome to make up for it! After the concert I was tired and had to go sleep for a while (no I am not getting old, 12 hours of metal makes anyone tired dang it!). But, my ears are back to normal now (and I can distinguish basic shapes and patterns again). Besides the heat/rain and the astronomical prices of liquids, I would say an all around kick-ass festival. The line up to get inside was comical it was so long (like in the beginning of "Space Balls" when they do the pan along the big ship). So we missed both ZIMMERS HOLE and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN as well PRIESTESS. I was pretty choked about missing Priestess (they're my favorite of the line-up except for Ozzy), but we could hear them from outside.
OK so once we got in we had 3 INCHES OF BLOOD who I've seen before. Then TESTAMENT, VOIVOD, and CAVALERA CONSPIRACY (featuring the Cavalera brothers, formerly of the Brazilian heavy metal band 
Sepultura, a major player in the 80's and 90's thrash metal scene. See? I do so pay attention). They were all good but they kind of bleed together in my memory. I don't remember how I felt about Testament (I think I liked them, they are a little Mettalica-y) and I'm relatively indifferent towards Voivod (we were sitting on the grass at this point, getting sunburned, so I wasn't really listening. But for the record they are cool because the are from Quebec), but I thought Cavalera Conspiracy was the perfect lead into HATEBREED. Hatebreed really stole the show, they were just so high energy (especially singer Jamie Jasta) and having such a great time and they got everyone so pumped up. The mosh pit was definitely something to see too (not necessarily to be in, but to see). Then there was a bit of a lull during the SERJ TANKIAN performance, I don't think it was bad, I liked several of the songs actually, but it was definitely out of place.
JUDAS PRIEST was good for nostalgia value because I knew some of the oldies but goodies that they played. They reminded me of Iron Maiden but with no amazing stage show. I swear I'm not just saying that because they are both British metal bands that got together in the 70's (no, wait, yes I am). Although, their first number, "Nostradamus" (which is off of their newest album), was a good song and Rod Halford came up out of the floor dressed in a big black robe. Also, they played "Breaking the Law", good song.
Finally we had OZZY, who I've also seen before but he was much more intelligible this time (and closer) although the show was much shorter. They started with that same video (with a few changes but I don't remember what they were exactly), he played "War Pigs", and of course Zakk Wilde continues to be mind blowing. Awesome sauce.
There are piles and piles of videos of the festival on the interweb so I was all like "later jerks" to that, but then Madman put some up so everybody wins! Hurray! Warning: Captain McShanty's N'oh!-Fun-4-U Bureau of Censorship and Superfluous Roadsigns has rated rated these as NMF (Not Mom Friendly) for loud music with swearing (but it gets extra points for the sake of Mom-ish curiosity as to what the concert was like).
p.s. Madman also made a prequil post for the concert here (I don't think you can really tell from the post but he was mildly excited).
Update: It has been pointed out that I inexplicably forgot to include Shadows Fall in the lineup. They were on right before Cavalera Conspiracy. Some fun facts: they formed in 1995 in Springfield Massachusetts (the first city in the U.S. to be named Springfield, but they are only the 2nd largest. Also, in 1891, Canadian James Naismith invented basketball there). Lead vocalist Brian Fair wasn't always. He replaced Philip Labonte (now lead singer for All That Remains) after the first album. Which is good because D especially enjoys Fair's nonsensical hair. Good stuff.
Update 2: I remembered that I got hit with a peanut. Also, I saw Sharon Osbourne while I was standing in line for the port-a-potty. She was in the stands behind the stage!
Took in the first annual Saskatoon Fireworks Festival Aug.30&31 (here is the website, there's even a section where they explain all about fireworks). Probably the best fireworks I've ever seen in real life (I know I've lived a sheltered life fireworks-wise but still). Way to go Tourism Saskatoon! Much better choice than the stupid lights lining the Victoria bridge or the more stupid "wheat grains" or some such "art" at River Landing. But I digress.Of course I'm ruined now for all other fireworks, Saskatoon's Canada day ones were like dirt in my eyes compared to these! But what are ya gonna do? Anyway, we watched the fireworks from the new River Landing area as they were shot off the Victoria Bridge (aka "the traffic bridge"). I'd say the Sunday fireworks were better because there were several distinct songs with different styles of fireworks for each one, whereas the first night was more of a single entity. But they were both awesome sauce for sure, I was pleased. I likes all the purdy lights 'n all.
