Rocking Out B-Lo Style

1. Hurricane 2000 - The Scorpions with the Berlin Philharmonic
This is a version of Rock You Like a Hurricane that the Scorpions did with the Berlin Philharmonic a few years back. Before any Hurricanes fans get huffy about this being their song, I only need the first minute and a half or so which is all instrumental. That chunk of the song has introduced the Sabres television broadcasts for the last few years, and I'm now like Pavlov's dog - I hear that opening BUM!BUM!BUM! and I'm running from room to room looking for the hockey game. I'm also selecting this in tribute to Max Afinogenov. When the skittering strings section kicks in I can perfectly visualize him juking and spinning down the ice at top speed. I wish I had a way of posting this somewhere because it is a very cool piece. Oh, hey, watch this very short video to hear part of it.

2. The Lonely End of the Rink - The Tragically Hip.
Oh to join the rush/As the season builds/Jump into the rush/As the season builds
Partly because, like hockey, the Tragically Hip is quintessentially Canadian. Partly because the song totally rocks. Mostly in tribute to Brian "Soupy" Campbell. Soupy continues to blossom and has been a workhorse while Henrik Tallinder is on IR. He should absolutely be starting in the All-Star game. Soupy is a HUGE fan of the Tragically Hip and I've heard that he does a pretty mean cover of the Hip's New Orleans is Sinking.

3. Beautiful Day - U2
It's a beautiful day/Don't let it get away
I can't make a playlist without including U2. I'll shoehorn them in one way or another. This is also in tribute to our co-captains Chris Drury and Danny Briere, both of whom list U2 for favorite band. I chose this particular U2 song because it perfectly captures the state of hockey in Buffalo right now. Three years ago the team was bankrupt, players weren't getting paid, and everyone was sure the team was moving. Now we have a dedicated owner, a super smart GM, and our steady, dependable coach. Despite a couple of questions - Who's going to back-up Ryan next year? Who stays, Drury or Briere? - things even look good on the ice. Most of the boys are locked up for somewhere between 2 and 4 years and a lot of them are young and still growing. We've had our time of worries here in Buffalo... Now it's time to enjoy some great hockey.

4. My Town - Montgomery Gentry
Where I was born/Where I was raised/Where I keep all my yesterdays/Where I ran off cause I got mad/And I came to blows with my old man/Where I came back to settle down/This is where they'll put me in the ground/This is my town/Yeah, this is my town
This song reminds me of Buffalo. It's not a perfect place and it's a place that's not for everyone, but those of us who love it, love it fiercely. (That list includes many former Buffalo athletes who have retired or moved on to other teams but kept their primary residences here.) It's a city that has definitely struggled and and in some ways still is, but Buffalonians can't be beat down. We're bloodied but not bowed, battered but not broken, hard-working and proud. And since you can't be in Buffalo without feeling the impact of the Sabres, this has to go on the playlist.

5. Savin' Me - Nickelback
Show me what it's like/To be the last one standing
OLN or NBC used this in a montage during the Conference Finals last year. That was the first time I'd heard the song so now I relate it to hockey and for some reason, Ryan Miller in particular. (Savin Me = making saves? Ryan saves us when we're not at the top of our game? I don't know what the connection is.) And for the Nickelback haters, yes, I kinda like the few songs I know of theirs. So there!

6. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
I get knocked down/But I get up again/You're never gonna keep me down
My boys are not, as a whole, very big guys, but if you knock 'em around, they'll keep fighting. Special shout-out to Danny Briere and Derek Roy who are both smaller than me but not intimidated by size. In fact, I think they both enjoy making their presence known despite their small stature, the little buggers.

7. All-Star - Smashmouth
Hey now/You're an all-star/Get your game on/Go play
A few years ago I never would've listed this because I was so, so tired of it. But now that it's not played incessantly, I actually enjoy it once in a while. It's just a fun, dumb little song. In honor of Buffalo's All-Star nominees Danny Briere, Max Afinogenov, Chris Drury, Henrik Tallinder, Brian Campbell, and Ryan Miller. (Vote now, vote often!)

8. Come Out and Play (Keep 'Em Separated) - Offspring
Hey/Man, you disrespecting me/Take him out/You gotta keep 'em separated
A bit of an arena cliche perhaps, but come on, that chorus is perfect for hockey. For Paul "Goose" Gaustad who'll tell you exactly where you can shove that disrespect.

9. We're Gonna Win that Cup
You know we're gonna win that Cup/We'll finally get our chance to hoist it up/Me and the Buffalo Sabres/Yeah, yeah, yeah
That's right, slackers, we in Buffalo actually have our own song. The first version of this song popped up in the 70's and it's resurrected and updated every time the team goes deep in the playoffs, '99 and last year being the most recent versions. Buffalo is a city divided when it comes to We're Gonna Win that Cup. Some people say it's a fun if cheesy tradition and a happy sign that the team is doing well. Some people say it's a stupid song (totally missing the point, in my opinion) and worse, that it's a jinx because despite the multiple versions of the song, we've never actually won the Cup. I prefer to think of it as a sign of Buffalo's eternal optimism. You can find the original along with the '99 version here if you really want to hear for yourself. I couldn't find last year's version on the net anywhere. I am truly sorry because truly, it is a thing of beauty.

10. Enter Sandman - Metallica
This is just one of those songs that gets me totally pumped up. I'm not a huge hard rock fan, but I dig this.

11. Crazy Train - Ozzy Osbourne
The beginning of the song - bum, bum - bum, bum, bum, bum, bum, bum - is played througout games at HSBC arena, particularly when we go on the powerplay.

12. Livin' on a Prayer - Bon Jovi
We're halfway there/Oh, oh/Livin' on a prayer/Take my hand and we'll make it I swear/Oh, oh/Livin' on a prayer
The chorus is played toward the end of every game at HSBC. Not really sure why but it's pretty fun to hear 18,000 people singing it. I remember clearly when this song came out (I was in 6th grade I believe) so I think it's awesome.