Slash Tour in Orlando, FL – There is no better feeling in the world than when one of your favorite artists announces they are going on tour. But what about when you look through the tour itinerary and you don’t see your city? There are two obvious options and a much more exciting third option that others often over look…

The first option is to lick your wounds and wait for the next Slash tour. This option is the one that we recommend never choosing. The second option is to look for the city closest to you in the Slash tour schedule and taking a road trip. When in doubt, this should always be your default decision. But there is a third and more exciting option. Look through those tour dates and find a city that excites you. A city where you have always wanted to go, or perhaps the city that you have been longing to go back to. Then buy tickets for that city and use the concert as the centerpiece for your next adventure. That is what we did when Slash feat. Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators announced their Living the Dream tour.

There was no Cincinnati date to be found in the announced dates. This is not an uncommon occurrence, so we scanned for dates in the Tri-State area. We found shows in Cleveland and Indy that were on the list, but we found a bigger potential adventure on the list, Orlando, FL. Orlando is already one of our favorite spots, but throw in a killer concert and it is the ultimate destination spot.

Top Hats & Mickey Ears

Once we secured our concert tickets and airline tickets, the real fun began. It was time to plan the rest of our adventure around this amazing concert. Planning an adventure in Orlando is fairly simple. After all, no adventure to central Florida would be complete without a visit to the the most famous mouse in the world, Mickey Mouse. We chose to stay at Disney’s Port Orleans Riverside Resort. We booked things so that we would arrive in Orlando a few days early to give ourselves a day to get settled in and then have a couple of days at the Walt Disney World Parks.

Universal City Walk

On concert day we kept our day open so that we could relax some and have plenty of energy for the show. We received notice on the day of the show that we would have a photo pass waiting for us at the box office. Usually you get credential approval a few days before a show, but day of approvals do happen. We were prepared and brought the camera with us, so that was a very welcomed surprise bonus to the trip.

The show was at Hard Rock Live Orlando which is located at the Universal City Walk. We decided to take an Uber over to Universal to give ourselves some time to walk around a bit and to grab some dinner before the show. The Universal City Walk is the area just outside of the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure theme parks. You do not need to have theme park tickets to access the City Walk. You take in the shops, restaurants and attractions for free.

Toothsome Chocolate Emporium

While there are several options for dining, we knew exactly where we wanted to go, Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. We discovered this place on a previous visit to Universal and loved it. It is a steam punk themed restaurant that has awesome food and desserts that are to die for. You can’t miss the place if you are within the City Walk. It is pretty noticeable and is located right next door to Hard Rock Live. It can get pretty busy, so be sure to give yourself time. If you have to wait, that is okay. They have a very eclectic gift shop filled with steam punk themed items and yummy treats. But don’t fill up. The menu items have large portion sizes and you will not want to fill up and have to skip dessert. They have a number of unique shakes and sundaes that are worth extra time in the gym later.

Hard Rock Live!

After dinner it was time to head over to the show. A pretty long line had already stretched from the venue down the street of the City Walk. From past experience in other venues, I was concerned that we would not make it in before the start of the show. My concerns were soon dismissed as we made it to the front of the line and into the venue in a short amount of time. The venue staff were friendly and efficient at getting every one through security and into the venue.

When we got inside we were blown away by the appearance of the venue. It looked really cool and was very clean. We made our way to the floor and picked out our spot for the night. Even though the show was sold out like many dates on the Slash tour, we never felt crowded or uncomfortable. We were not quite sure where the merch or restrooms were, and again the venue staff could not have been any more friendly in helping us find our way. From a photographer stand point, it was by far the best shooting experience we have had in a venue. There was ample room to get to the photo pit without pushing and shoving our way to the front. And once in the pit, there was plenty of room to work. Being an outsider to the city from a photographer standpoint can be a bit intimidating as local photographers tend to have a tight knit circle that can be hard to enter. This was not the case. The Orlando photogs were very welcoming and inviting. It felt like we had worked with them for a long time. The whole experience at Hard Rock Live Orlando was amazing. From top to bottom, this venue knows how to put on a show.

Show Time!

The whole trip revolved around what happened next. It was all about Slash, and he did not disappoint. He was there with his band, Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators for the last night of the Living the Dream tour. The band was absolutely amazing, They played a set nearly two hours long and the crowd was into it the whole night. Slash was clearly into the Orlando vibe as he sported a Mickey Mouse in Gene Simmons makeup t-shirt. It is worth mentioning that the band only played one Guns n’ Roses song the whole night. It came late in the set when they launched into “Night Train” off the album Appetite for Destruction. While the crowd went a little extra crazy, the lack of G n’ R material was not a deal breaker to say the least. To read more about the show and see photos from the set just click here.

We hope this serves as proof that a tour does not always need to come to your city for you to enjoy it. Sometimes it is better when it doesn’t. When you look at the tour dates just dream big, plan ahead and go where the music takes you! This Slash tour took us to the happiest place on earth!