With Arms Wide Open: My Life in Creed's Lyrics
- Mickey Miller
- Aug 24, 2025
- 5 min read
Some concerts are just concerts. And then there are the ones that touch your soul so deeply that you carry them forever. My night at Soaring Eagle with Creed, Mammoth, and Hinder was one of those.
The Road, The Seats, and the People
The trip down was an hour and a half, and I told myself I’d document it all. I took pictures along the way, I captured video, and I let myself ride the high of anticipation. The weather was beautiful, almost like the universe was giving its blessing for a night I’d long been waiting for.
When I arrived, I ran into an old childhood friend, Al, and got to meet his wife. I saw my concert buddy Rick. And I made someone’s night—because Damien had been wanting to see Mammoth since their inception.
Of course, the first place I headed was the merch tent. I used to skip shirts because of the cost, but I’ve decided to start collecting tour shirts again. It’s become my way of honoring the nights that shape me. This is me, the live music junkie and it will be me until the day I leave this earth.
My two youngest sons, Skylar and Roo, were the ones who surprised me with the tickets. What I didn’t realize until I got there was just how amazing the seats were—I was so close to the stage I could take in every detail. The venue itself is a nice, smaller amphitheater, which made the whole thing feel intimate, though the staff was a bit on the strict side.
Hinder: Nostalgia, But Not My Band
The night opened with Hinder. They sounded good, and the crowd was into it, singing along to the songs that defined so many moments for people in the 2000s. I’ve never been a huge fan myself, so while I could appreciate their set, I knew my night was really about what was still to come.
Mammoth: Eddie’s Legacy, Wolfgang’s Brilliance
Then Mammoth took the stage and all I can say is wow. I don’t listen to them as often as some of my other go-to bands, but after that performance, I’d see them again in a heartbeat. Wolfgang Van Halen is absolutely his father’s son, you can see Eddie in his playing, in his smile, and in the way he commands the stage. But you can also see Wolfgang’s own artistry shining through, and that’s what makes it so powerful.
They were phenomenal. Tight, polished, and full of passion. They blew me away.
Creed: A Bucket List Band Fulfilled
And then—it was time for Creed.
To understand what this night meant to me, I have to go back. I was living in a place we called “Shacktown” in the Westland/Wayne area, hanging out with friends, when I first heard My Own Prison. That song hooked me instantly. My Own Prison felt like it was written for me, every lyric hit deep inside, because I sometimes make my own prison in my mind. From that day on, Creed wasn’t just a band on the radio.....they were a part of me.
I’ll admit it: I’ve always been what you might call a “closet Creed fan.” (Not actually sharing how much I actually like them) Yes, they’re on my playlists, and yes, they’ve been one of my bucket list bands to see live. And on this night, I finally got to check them off.
From the moment they opened with Bullets, it was everything I had hoped for. Creed sounded just like their albums tight, polished, and powerful.
When My Own Prison began, I felt the weight of every lyric all over again, as if I were back in Shacktown, wrestling with myself.
When One started, I thought about unity, how divided the world feels sometimes, and how music is one of the few things that can still bring people together. Looking around at the crowd singing as one, I felt that truth in my bones.
When What’s This Life For played, it was like being asked the questions I’ve always carried deep inside: why are we here, what’s our purpose, what’s the meaning of it all? And in that moment, I felt comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone in asking.
Then came With Arms Wide Open, and my heart broke open.
The Song That Hit My Soul
In June 1999, I gave birth to my youngest son, Roo (Austin). I’ve always tied a song to each of my kids. My oldest has Guns N’ Roses’ Sweet Child O’ Mine, my daughter has Steelheart’s I’ll Never Let You Go, my third has Live’s Lightning Crashes. But for Roo, I couldn’t find the right song—until April 18, 2000, when Creed released With Arms Wide Open. It fit like it had been written for him.
When Creed played it that night, I tried to FaceTime Roo so he could share the moment with me. The call dropped, and where he was, he had no service. That’s when the tears came. I’ve always dreamed of standing next to my kids when “their song” was played live. I got that once—with Skylar, when Live played Lightning Crashes. I wanted so badly for Roo to have that moment with me, too. But it wasn’t meant to be.
Still, as the song poured out into the night, I sang through the tears. That moment wasn’t just for me. It was for him. It was for us.
Higher, One Last Breath, and My Sacrifice
When Higher began, the whole amphitheater lit up with phone flashlights, voices rising like a choir. That song had always been my escape a way to rise above the weight of life. And here, surrounded by thousands, I wasn’t escaping alone.
One Last Breath has always been my reminder of how fragile life is—how close I’ve come at times to letting go, and how grateful I am that I held on. (Not in a suicidal way) Singing it with the band that night felt like survival turned into celebration.
And when My Sacrifice played last, it carried the weight of all I had been through. That song had been with me through struggles, reminding me of resilience and strength. Ending the night with it felt like a powerful, full-circle moment.
Their Setlist
Bullets
Ode
Torn
Are You Ready?
Never Die
My Own Prison
Freedom Fighter
Say I
What If
One
What’s This Life For
With Arms Wide Open
Higher
Encore:
One Last Breath
My Sacrifice
Why I Keep Going
By the end of the night, I was drained in the best possible way. My voice was gone from singing, my cheeks streaked from tears, but my heart was full.
Concert trips take more out of me these days. The drives aren’t easy, and I’m not getting any younger. But once I’m there, all of that disappears. My youth comes out, my soul lights up, and I feel more alive than I do anywhere else.
This is who I am—someone who lives for music, who finds herself in the lyrics, who comes alive in the lights and sound of a stage. And as long as I’m here on this earth, I’ll keep going to shows, collecting my shirts, and letting the music carry me.
Because some bands don’t just play songs. They give you words to live by. For me, Creed has always been one of those bands. And at Soaring Eagle, I finally got to live it—with arms wide open.
Peace, Love and Loud Music
Mickey
Creed 8/23/25
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