I'm Back, and So Is Rocktober

Holy shit, what a trip.  If you've never been to Brussels, Amsterdam, and/or Munich, I highly recommend each.  My day-by-day recap of the trip -- which I call BAM! -- will be coming soon, whenever my fellow travelers send me their photos.  Rest assured, it will be informative.  Particularly, there will be advice on the best White Stripes songs for starting chants at the Delirium Cafe, whether you should attend sex shows, appropriate conversation topics on a first date when you are sharing a table with six strangers, and how many doner kebabs you should consume in a 24-hour period.

But in the meantime, Rocktober is officially upon us.  As we all know, October is the greatest month of the year.  For several years, I reviewed a rock album every day in October, and then last year, I switched it up and had a rock video each day.  Between corralling two toddlers, maintaining gainful employment, and a paralyzing need to watch TV when I'm not doing either of the former two, I won't have time to review an album every day this October.  I am switching it up again this year, focusing on live music.  You know I love going to concerts.  Seeing live music is a religious experience for me, and I know it is for a lot of other people too.  Each weekday this month (when I'm in the office), I'll be posting a video featuring live music.  It might be just a song, or it might be a whole damn concert.  Shit man, it might be two concerts -- although, in all likelihood, it won't be because who has the time?  

As in Rocktobers past, there are no set genres I'm going to use, but the music must generally rock, whether it's metal, hard rock, classic rock, grunge, punk, garage rock, or any other genre, song, or concert that rocks. Fridays will, of course, feature videos by hair bands because Friday without the Hair Band is like Oktoberfest without the dirndls. As always, the week before Halloween will feature videos that have evil or dark themes. Rest assured, everything video featured will, in fact, rock.  As with last year, the Retro Video of the Week will be suspended during Rocktober.

So, with that, the first live video this Rocktober is "Freedom" by Richie Havens at Woodstock.  Havens died earlier this year, and this is probably his most famous song and by far his most well-known live performance (and one of Woodstock's most well-known performances).  Notice how drenched in sweat Havens is at the end of the song.  Good stuff.