Meet your hosts: TJ

I'm finally getting around to posting this. Sorry for the wait, everyone. Here you go...

How long I've been a host:
I've been at Metal Oxide since fall 2009 (I think, maybe winter '09). I wasn't an "official" host until January-ish, but I started hanging out with Melanie and Rita at the show a while before that.

Major:
Heh, Melanie told you hers, so I guess I should too. I'm a Classics Major at the moment, that's why I try to read Latin in song titles whenever I can, even though I'm bad at it

Favorite Genre:
Folk Metal. The amount of culture, heritage and history that folk metal bands can put into their material is amazing. The history buff in me can't get enough of Tyr singing about when a Bishop came and converted the Faeroe Islands by force, or when Turisas sings about sailing down to "Konstantinopolis". Also, it blends all the best aspects of other genres to create in my opinion, the best one.

Top 10 Bands:
1. Blind Guardian
2. Ensiferum
3. Turisas
4. Tyr
5. Korpiklaani
6. Eluveitie
7. Nevermore
8. Sonata Arctica
9. Equilibrium
10. Amon Amarth

Favorite Song:
"The Heart Collector" - Nevermore

Favorite Album:
Live - Blind Guardian

First Concert:
Well....my first concert was Weird Al Yankovic, years ago. But my first metal concert was Sounds of the Underground 2007. It was intense, especially for my first concert. About 12 hours just to see Amon Amarth play 4 songs. Gwar was cool, but I didn't really care for the other bands.

Favorite Concert:
Hmmmmm.......really hard to say. My first thought (and very close second) is the Nevermore concert I saw recently at Reggie's; they just played such an amazing show and I met them, thanks to Melanie. There's also the Tyr, Alestorm and Act of Destruction show back at the Pearl Room, which was the first time I saw either of them. And there's the Tyr an Korpiklaani show, also amazing. But I think I have to go with Ensiferum, when they headlined at Logan Square was amazing because they played two sets worth of time (One of the bands opening for them couldn't make it, so they went on early and played until the regular time). And that leads me to my favorite live band...

Favorite Live Band:
ENSIFERUM!!!!! They play such a good show. They all have such a good stage presence and their songs are so great. It's hard to choose though, and even though I think there are bands hat might play better (Amon Amarth, Nevermorem, etc) but I just love Ensiferum so much, that I had to pick them.

Favorite Book:
The Godless World Trilogy, by Brian Ruckley
(Winterbirth, Bloodheir, The Fall of Thanes)

Favorite Movie:
13th Warrior

Hobbies:
DISCLAIMER: I'm a nerd.
I play World of Warcraft. Too bad, I love it.
I also play other games like Day of Defeat, Counter Strike, Mount and Blade, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Rome: Total War, and Starcraft.
I also rides bikes sometimes, and I'm a bit of a carpenter. But that's about it.

Favorite Sport:
Hockey (Blackhawks, of course!)

Well, that's about it. I hope you enjoyed it.
If you want to know anything else, you'll have to ask me.

TJ