Wow, What a Show!!

When we left the paddock at M&T on Friday afternoon, Maryland was under a tornado watch from the heavy winds and violent thunderstorms -- both of which dropped by that night.

But as often happens, the day after the havoc was blessed with spectacular weather --sunny and cool.   Fans flocked to Camden Yards to enjoy it with the Monster Trucks and their teams.

You can see from the crowd at the afternoon Pit Party that this is a family affair.  While the show didn't start until 7:00, having the opportunity to visit the behemoths is the best part of the experience.  So the action here started early.

El Toro Loco, the rampaging orange bull from Texas with the menacing set of horns, was an eyecatcher.  El Toro Loco is one of the better known competitors on the circuit and is owned by Live Nation.






Yes, Monster Trucks are popular with girls, too.  This young lady is wearing the colors of Medusa, the Monster Truck named for a wrestling diva who became a driver after retiring from the ring.  She's getting her shirt signed by Tom Meents of Maximum Destruction.









As this year is Grave Digger's 30th birthday, (making him only slightly older than the Junquemobile,) the Pit Party featured a special exhibit dedicated to his heroics.

Fans who took their seats early were treated to some extra practice rounds before the competition began at 7:00 pm.

This is Mohawk Warrior, whose driver has a blond version of the truck's hairdo, and whose young fans were also sporting the look -- dyed some pyschedelic shade I haven't seen since the Dew Tour left.


Here's the Grave Digger, in mid-flight.  As mentioned in an earlier post, Grave Digger is not an only child.  In addition to the clones who also travel the country so simultaneous shows are possible, GD travels with his forebearers.

Grave Digger, The Legend, is one such antecedent, originally constructed from a 1951 Ford panel truck painted blue and silver.

In 2010, the Legend was exhumed and added to the stable with Dennis Anderson's son Adam at the wheel.

(We're not exactly sure what The Legend is doing here, but it looks like fun.)

At the end of the evening, Grave Digger was the big winner, taking both the Freesytle and timed competitions.

Perennial crowd-pleaser Max D responded to the crowd by performing a vertical ascent that seemed to put him on eye level with the upper deck.  From there, he did some kind of flip which bounced him onto to his roof for the landing. 

(I don't think Monster Trucks "turtle" like sailboats, but the end result sounds pretty much the same.)

So it was a great day all around. The Monster Jam, which we hope will become an annual stop on the tour, is the kind of event we love to host at Camden Yards because it is the kind of affordable entertainment that brings families to our complex and gives them opportunities to create lasting memories. 

(Like this indelible Grave Digger tribute.)