By Nicholas James Miller

With sparks in the air, and a fistful of metal, I was had my first encounter with legendary guitarist Scott Ian as his band Anthrax made the State Theater erupt into chaos that one cool October’s night in 2012. I was seventeen, energetic, and more alive than I’d ever felt before as Anthrax brought the thunder to Portland. With opening bands Testament, and Death Angel, Anthrax had a monumental lineup for an unforgettable performance.

Fast-forward to the present in 2014, Scott Ian has returned to Portland, this time, however, as a standalone act, telling stories and jokes about his time on the road, and recording in the studio with his band.

Through he has never been the lead singer of his band (or even the lead guitar player), he has always been considered by the music community to be the front man and spokesman of Anthrax. His group is one of the “Big Four” thrash metal bands of the 1980’s, all four of which are still considered kingpins in the modern metal community.

Through they have not sold as many records as the remainder of the “Big Four” lineup (which include the bands: Megadeth, Slayer, and Metallica), Anthrax has been proven to push more musical norms than any of the other three bands, who remained true to their “Thrash” roots (minus more recent Metallica).

Anthrax has partnered with rap groups, and has had dramatic lineup changes, although today, the band consists of more original members, including this show’s performer, Scott Ian, and original singer, Joey Belladonna, yet they always have managed to stand out, and remain popular with both old and new audiences of the heavy metal genre.

The night started at nine, much later than most concerts would begin. I’m more likely than not the youngest attendee in the crowd. Though the show was eighteen plus, the majority of the night’s audience was men and women closer to my parent’s age than mine!

Though the night was by no means a metal show, everyone in the audience was wearing a band T-shirt, leader jackets or chaps, chains, spikes, and practically every other typical sight you would see in any metal audience. I’ve been to my fair share of metal shows in my lifetime, but tonight was a casual evening, as far as I was concerned. If there had been a mosh pit, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t have been surprised. Come to think of it, a mosh pit at a comedy show would have probably been the funniest part of the night.

Scott Ian began his set with a segment of the book Scar Tissue, written about and by the members of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Depicting the act of doing hard drugs before a show, everyone in the audience appeared puzzled as to why Scott Ian was reading this segment off of his iPhone, rather than making eye contact with his audience. As soon as he was done, in a sarcastic tone of voice, he said to us “HA, you all really thought that was about me?”

He noted that because he had never opened up a stand up show before, only musical performances, he wasn’t exactly sure how to do it. Ever since he began the tour he had been trying new things. What he felt started off the show best was opening it with a bit that someone else had written. As what he read might have come across as offensive, his stories would have seemed tame in comparison.

Following his opening, he began talking about the early days of Anthrax, his youth, their first tour, and how he had gotten started. Telling stories about himself that no one would have ever known or expected, he easily got many gasps, and roof shaking laughter.

The story that stood out to me the most was his first encounter with his hero, Lemmy, the front man of Motorhead. Scott Ian was in fact a straight edge early in the days of his band. Even after turning 21, he never drank alcohol. So when Lemmy offered to buy him a drink, he was able to truly capture the emotion he felt, and different thoughts that were going through his head at the time. As a memory he could look back on it and laugh, sharing it with us gave us, the audience the same reaction.

The night concluded with an open floor, the audience asking Scott any questions they had, that he had not answered in the show. I had taken in more information about Anthrax that night than any behind the music documentary ever could have told me. It was an experimental performance from a fabled performer, and my only word to describe it would not be successful. It would likely be, Legendary.

Scott Ian set in stone my fandom for the rest of my life. For everyone else, I would say to try to see him your self, the next time he comes around.