I'm one lucky SOB! It happened a few years ago as HALESTORM was out on tour for a number of shows with country-rebel guy Eric Church at the Denny Sanford Center in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

OK, yet another story from the lap of 'uncle trainwreck'! (ahhhh forget that statement....that sounds pretty bad) Country-rebel Eric Church was out on tour on his 'Outsiders Tour, and he wanted to shake things up a bit on this tour. He had been working with record producer Jay Joyce, who would also go on to work with HALESTORM with their 'Into The Wild Life' album, and subsequent tour.

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Well, that common ground and interest must have spawned an idea, as Halestorm ended up on Church's tour, opening 5 or 6 shows in the upper Midwest, including one I had already
scored tickets to on December 6th of 2014. Needless to say, I was thrilled with this streak of good luck, because plain and simply, HALESTORM rocks!

photo:'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends
photo:'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends
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While waiting 1st in line at the VIP check-in table a few hours before the doors would open, (yes, it was Dec but we were able to line-up in an inside corridor) I quickly recognized Halestorm  axe-man Joe Hottinger from a previous Halestorm show at Taste Of Minnesota in Waconia, MN.

Joe was strolling a corridor of this large performance venue when I saw him enter a men's restroom. He really must have had to take a wicked 'dump', because he was in there a good 10-15 minutes. I'm thinking LZZY must have asked him to find a better place than the HALESTORM Dressing Room to unload. (this is sheer speculation on my part, but a good bet nonetheless) Makes sense, right?

As he exited the men's room and headed towards where I was sitting in the corridor I stood up and said "hello Joe", "I caught your show at Taste Of Minnesota. Glad to see you & LZZY up here in the frozen north this time of year". We chatted for several minutes about his youthful days growing up in Hartford, WI , while taking his guitar lessons at local Hartford guitar store. It just so happens that I was working in Hartford, WI during the same time frame as an asst mgr of a local grocery store. We talked 'Packers', music in general, and I thanked him for a killer show previously at Taste of MN.

Joe agreed to a photo, and then continued on his way down the long concourse. Just a helluva nice guy overall. I swear, I was a lucky SOB that day, and even more so, as I was able to meet him again, along with LZZY, brother Arejay Hale, and Josh Smith a couple years later at their most recent performance at The Myth in Maplewood, MN..

Sorry Z-Rockers if this is a little long, but here's hoping YOU have your own little HALESTORM encounter here in Rochester this coming Tues. at the Mayo Civic Center - Rochester, MN

'Train Wreck' ~ Z-Rock Weekends \m/\m/ (see you at the show Tues 9/26!)

NOW........here's a chance for YOU!

TW-Halestorm
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