yeah, so august is coming up and i've been lucky in the past...in fact, i think it was the past 2 years in a row that i was lucky. i'm talking about seeing jerry cantrell in new orleans at the house of blues. those concerts were both great. the first just because he played his solo stuff and songs from chains. the plus was that both the opening bands were badass...so much so, in fact, that i went and purchased their albums. the second time was even greater, but it wasn't meant to be. you see, jerry had just released his newest album, degredation trip, and was touring to promote it. his opening bands were good, but not nearly as good as the ones from the prior year. his set list, which i found online before going, included all the songs from his new album. his new album is good, but it's no alice in chains. regardless, i was pumped. jerry came out on stage and began the first song, psychotic break...excellent. he continued with two more songs from the new album, but during the third song (towards the end) he was playing a sweet riff and all the strings popped...it didn't phase him any and he kept playing until the song ended, which wasn't much longer. one of his techs got the guitar and must have told him that it would take too long to restring it and tune it, so jerry grabbed his old guitar...the one from his days with alice. the back of the guitar had R.I.P. Layne on it, since he died in april earlier that year. anyway, jerry addresses the audience and asks whether we would like to hear got me wrong and another song....got me wrong won. next he asked if we'd like to hear got me wrong (thunderous screams, claps, yells, etc. erupted from the auidence) or what the hell have i. when he mentioned the latter song, as unbelievable as it is because it was fucking loud, the crowd got even louder. jerry was grinning and then proceeding to kick ass with what the hell have i. after that turning point, my knowledge of what his set list was needed to be discarded because he played all of his old stuff from chains and a couple of songs from his first solo album (boggy depot). excellent concert and i wish he was coming back this august...i'd be there in a heartbeat. as it is, though, i am seeing a concert this august...it's weird al.