Xcel Energy Center has been Busy

The Xcel Energy Center St Paul has been a busy place the last two weeks. Hosting Coldplay, AC/DC and a slew of Minnesota Wild games. The arena has even got the attention of the DIY network and a show called Project Xtreme. Apparently, the DIY TV Show crew was there during the Xcel conversion from rock concert to NHL ice arena. According to the shows web site: “No project is too massive, too dangerous or too jaw-dropping to prevent contractor Jason Cameron from attempting it… These ain't your everyday DIY projects. These are projects truly taken to the extreme — with Jason's life often hanging in the balance.”

I am not sure if an arena conversion is life threatening, but it will be interesting to see our hometown Xcel Energy Center get recognized on a national show. The show airs Wednesday nights at 8:30pm.

The rest of this week is hockey for the Xcel, no dangerous transformations there, just keeping the ice temperature at a cool 32 degrees or less.

Have a great Thanksgiving! I am thankful to live in a city that has such a fine entertainment facility like the Xcel Energy Center.

Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center

The Minnesota Wild are spending a lot of time at home over the next few weeks playing on the Xcel Energy Center ice a total of 8 out of the next 10 games. Wow – that is quite a long home stretch, let’s hope the Wild can make the most out of it. I know Minnesota hockey fans will as they make their way to the Xcel to check out their hometown team. The Xcel Energy Center is one of the best hockey facilities in North America, if you haven’t been there, buy Wild Hockey Tickets and make plans to experience a real hockey game in the state of hockey.

Trans Siberian Orchestra at Xcel Energy Center

If you haven’t seen Trans Siberian Orchestra in the Twin Cities yet, you are missing out. The group comes almost every year right around the holidays and puts on a rockin’ hit show full of music, lights and special effects. Trans Siberian Orchestra is touted as one of the biggest arena attractions in rock music and the 2007 Winter tour played to over 1.2 million fans putting them 2nd on Billboard Magazine most attended tour list. If you missed the show last year, do not miss it this year.


Trans Siberian Orchestra will put on two shows at the Xcel Energy Center this year on Sunday, December 7 at 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m – I think going to the 3pm show and then heading out to dinner after ward would be the perfect way to spend a Sunday in December! If you have been to the Trans Siberian show before, leave comments so others will know how great of an experience TSO really is!

Beastie Boys!

The day after Halloween is usually a day of recovery, a day where you don't leave the comfort of your own couch. But yesterday I before I could even fully recover from the night before, I got privlage of going to see the Rock the Vote show last night at Roy Wilkins. The line up for the show was one I could have only dreamed of: Beastie Boys, Ben Harper, AND Tenacious D.

To say that this Roy Wilkins Auditorium ticket was hard to find is a great understatement. There was not a single person outside selling tickets or a single ticket left at the box office. The whole concert sold out in 3 minutes. I wondered why they booked it at such a small venue, but the I realized that the Timberwolves had a game and the WCHA Gopher games were being held at the Xcel Engery Center. Timberwolves tickets and Xcel Energy Center tickets did not have the supply and demand problem that the Beastie Boys tickets did. The show was awesome, I am so glad that I got to go!

Jack Black and Kyle Glass's band, Tenacious D opened the show. They are truly a band I did not think I would ever get the chance to see. Since Jack Black makes movies full time now there is not a lot of tiem left for The D to tour and record. They played all their jams and they even came out and did a cover of "Under Pressure" with Ben Harper. Ben Harper was also a suprise. Usually a very acoustic folky sound, he played with a full band and really rocked the house down. It was a nice segway to the Beasties Boys! Mix Masxter Mike started their set showcasing some of his mad DJ skills which was followed by "Super Disco Breakin."

I sat thorugh all the jams like, "Sure Shot," "Pass the Mic," Body Movin," "Intergalactic," "No Sleep til Brooklyn," and "Sabatoge." As a sat there my eyes truly could not believe what a I was seeing and my ears could not believe what I was hearing.

I will post pictures from the show (I took about 100!) soon. I couldn't help myself sitting in the front row of the balcony - center.