Jessie and I are seeing Halestorm tonight at the UMBC Event Center. I am usually far better prepared for a concert, but this one snuck up on me.

Somehow, that makes it more exciting.

Concerts are among my favorite social events: a mass of people all excited and happy to be in one place for a few hours.

In the past, I’ve always made it a point to listen to an artist’s or band’s newest music before seeing them live. I like trying to guess their set list and singing along with their songs. (By the way, if you’re the type of person who has to find the set list online before the show, we can’t speak until the music starts. I. don’t. want. to. know.)

But like I said, this show snuck up on me a bit. I bought the tickets a while back for Jessie’s birthday. (We buy each other concert tickets for our birthdays, and it’s the best.)

Plus, the wife and I have had a bunch of baby-related things going on recently.

That all said, Halestorm’s new album, Vicious, just came out, and I’ve suddenly come to the realization that I will not have time to listen to it, let alone learn all the lyrics, before tonight’s show.

So why am I still excited?!

Because Jessie and I have seen Halestorm in concert three times. The few songs I’ve heard from Vicious sound decidedly heavier than 2015’s Into the Wild Life, and I happen to think that’s a good thing. I think this band is at their best — and performs their best — when they heave the Hard Rock label on their backs and charge into the maelstrom.

It’s been a few years since we saw them last. Regardless of how their new music shakes out, I’ve missed them.

Steve D