In 2001, Onward opened the Progpower fest in Chicago. Our plane was so late we had to speed to the venue as it was already packed and the audience was waiting. We were trying to get our Heavy Metal bullet belt costumes on en route to the club and I had to give up plans of putting new strings on the guitar and warming up. I told my bandmates we had to do a cover of the Loudness tune "Clockwork Toy". I assured them that performing this song would absolutely win over the audience, and it did.
The Progpower experience was great. It was the first time I'd been approached by fans that had followed my career since day one. In my hometown I'm treated like shit and the further I got away from the area, the more actual supporters started appearing. Here in Chicago there were fans of my first album from 1993 and one guy hummed a riff from that album to me while I autographed his cd. I have to admit, I was thrilled by this. It was crazy to be hanging out having a beer and looking over and seeing Fates Warning vocalist, Ray Alder, doing the same thing. I'm just a fan from isolated Wyoming, so these experiences were surreal.
I flew from Chicago back to Montana to immediately catch another plane to Las Vegas to talk business with my manager and meet Shrapnel Records President, Mike Varney. We picked Varney up from his home and toured the Vegas strip. Varney apologized for the cover art on "Guitar Distortion" and informed me I was the most persistent musician he'd encountered when it came to sending him demo tapes. I enjoyed observing Varney when the guitarists at the clubs would play guitar solos. He listened carefully and took in every note before delivering the verdict; "That guy reeks!". He brought me an advance of Vinnie Moore's latest album "Defying Gravity". I wanted to time travel and tell my 16 year old self all about it. I gave him Onward's "Evermoving" and he liked the guitar work.
Onward soon moved in with our manager. Las Vegas was hot and the house was not air conditioned. My bed was a sleeping bag on the living room floor where the cockroaches dwelt. The gig opportunities began and we got booked to play alongside Agent Steel, New Eden and Steel Prophet in Hollywood. At this show, Century Media staff got me alone and had some mind blowing news that was for my ears only. They had assembled a press kit for me that they were personally going to deliver to Ronnie James Dio. The rumor was, he was going to be at the show to check me out. I went and threw up and then got on stage and played my best. Unfortunately, he never showed.
This would not be the only time that opportunity potential would make me consider leaving Onward.
