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Kamelot are one of the few bands I would consider driving 600 miles to see, and so I did. This is the last leg of their Ghost Opera tour before they return to the studio, and if I missed them this time, it might be 2010 before I'd get another chance. The Scout Bar is a chain through the Midwest, and this one is not big, with a capacity of maybe 300 people. It was Halloween, so a lot of people were in costume, which was something to amuse yourself with while waiting for the show.

We got there about 8, and the first opener was already on stage. Local boys Destruction Evolution were not bad, but were much too Black Label Society for me. There are no chairs of any kind in the venue, and so I sat on the floor, determined not to be worn out by the time Kamelot took the stage.

Las Cruces were next. They are supposedly a Doom band, but they were mostly just stupid groove. My first thought was 'why are the roadies playing a song?' They sucked, and their extra-lame vocalist sitting behind the drum kit made them incredibly boring to watch.

By now, the place was getting packed, and the Kamelot roadies seemed to take for-ever to get the stage set up. The fans were an interesting mix, with a lot of the long-haired, t-shirted guys you'd expect, but there were also a surprising number of literally gray-haired fans and a lot of chicks — many of said chicks dolled up in sexy Halloween getups. When the band hit the stage everybody went nuts. They came out in masks, apropos of the holiday, and launched into "Rule The World". I don't know if I have ever seen a live band with so much stage presence, and I was deeply impressed that they played just as hard for 300 fans as they did on their DVD for thousands.

The setlist was Kamelot classics spiced with some more unusual numbers. From live standards like "Forever" and "When The Lights Are Down" to cuts I didn't expect to hear, like "Descent Of The Archangel". Throughout, Khan was a magnetic presence on stage, and it was hard to take your eyes off him, though all the band performed with energy and tight, aggressive playing. Bassist Glenn Barry was apparently ill, and so former Savatage four-stringer Johnny Lee Middleton took over for him. I was surprised to see him there, but he played with complete confidence and really added to the show. The band closed with a one-two punch of an encore with "March Of Mephisto" and then "Karma". Towards the end, a kid next to me texted a friend and said FACE ROCKED OFF, which was pretty much my assessment.

Going to see a band you love and having them absolutely rule may be one of the best things ever, and Kamelot ruled. An absolute top-notch band in peak form — I wasn't about to miss that; and if they come anywhere near you, you shouldn't either.