Wild story just getting home from work and relaxing the phone rings about 6pm one of my wife’s friends Mary Fitzpatrick is calling. I hear screams from the other room and my wife coming to me and she said her favorite band SKILLET is doing a live set and autograph session at Vintage Vinyl Records in Fords, New Jersey only a fifteen minute ride from our house (due to NJ traffic.. five minutes without).
I check into details and their new CD “Rise” was being released and if you bought the CD you could enter the store to see the live set and get two items autographed by the band. I mean paying only twenty bucks to get a live intimate set and autographs that’s a deal. After reviewing SKILLET's last release Awake 5/5 and naming them Best band and CD of the year on RockEyez plus being my wife’s favorite band how could she miss this. My daughter Ashley really wanted to go along with Stephanie to see the ultimate set.
The signing was at 8pm and as my wife and daughter waited on line about 7:30pm a Black Cadillac Escalade pulls up and first out the door is John Cooper along with the rest of the band. Waving to the crowd thanking them for coming told the people it will be a few minutes for them to set up and the party will begin. 8 pm hits and the crowd of at least 75 people entered the store as the live set of three songs will be played by SKILLET. “Sick of It”, “Rise” and “Monster”. In the middle of each song Mr. Cooper would be mentioning people in the crowd and talking to them also mention they will be on the Carnival of Madness tour with SHINEDOWN, PAPA ROACH, SKILLET, IN THE MOMENT and WE AS HUMAN and starts August 11th in New Jersey. The three song set was amazing as the fans were in pure ecstasy seeing an icon band in a small setting. After the set the band signed autographs to the ultimate fans.
One thing I’ll have to admit impression on a young fan goes a long way in success of a band. Many bands who do autograph sessions just keep their head down and just keep signing and not recognize their fans, not in the case with SKILLET as you can see in the photo with my daughter Ashley, John Cooper embraced a friendship smile with Ashley and his hand out as a new SKILLET fan has arose. Mr. Cooper thank you for treating my daughter with respect my hats off to you and the band
Brian Rademacher CEO of RockEyez…
The new SKILLET “Rise” release is out now in regular format and deluxe CD/DVD on Atlantic/Word plus on iTunes.
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