Long time no updates!
So I have a bunch of concert reviews I need to write. I'll start with the most recent since it was amazing. On Tuesday, November 29, 2005, I went to the Fillmore to see Avenged Sevenfold with Saosin, Death By Stereo, and Bullets & Octane. I went to school for half the day and didn't get to San Francisco until almost 1:00. I met Shannon in line with Colleen and Danielle and I also met two other cool people that came on a bus from Fresno. I love meeting new people at shows. There was a guy named Guy and a girl named Noami. They were both super-rad. It rained on and off in line, but it wasn't too bad. I had noticed band members walking past the line throughout the day, but no one from A7X dared walk past the line since it was their headlining show. I saw the Rev walk from the venue to the bus a bunch of times, and I saw Syn once. The best part of waiting in line was when Cove walked by. I have had some very interesting encounters with that boy. I didn't expect him to remember me like he did. The first time I met him in March we talked for about 20 minutes, just having a basic conversation about stuff. The second time I met him in June, he pointed at me after their set and told me he remembered me and we talked for about 20 minutes or so after the show about random stuff. Now when the band members walked past the line, they barely made eye contact with the people in the line because they didn't want to be bothered or approached, which is totally understandable. I saw Cove walk by around 3:30 and I looked at him to see if there was a tiny chance he would notice. He hadn't looked at ANYONE ELSE in the line, but right as he walked past me, I see him turn his head, then I smile, then he smiles back and stops for a second and says "Hi. How are you?" Absolutely ecstatic, I tell him that I'm good and ask how he's doing. He told me he was good too. And this was 5 months after the last time I saw him! And I was the only person he talked to, even though he's met other people in the line! It's amazing. I feel like we're meant to be best friends or something. I mean kids from school barely remember me sometimes, let alone the front man for a touring band on a major label that get to travel the world and meet new fans every day. A few hours later the doors opened a little past 6:00 PM and I snuck 3 cameras in. I got right to the front row and stayed there until the opening band went on. Bullets and Octane opened and I was really excited to see them again. Jack and Skye had left the band since the last time I saw them and they were replaced by James who used to play in Adair. They played a lot of new songs I didn't know but also played some ones I did know including "Pirates" (my personal favorite), "Sweet Dreams", and "Sing Me Sorrow". Gene was still hot as hell, shaking his ass and getting all the little girls worked up. Ty drummed with a cigarette in his mouth, James played really well and fit into the band perfectly, and Brent sounded awesome too. The second band to go on was Death By Stereo. I had heard good things about them but I actually wasn't that impressed. A girl behind me was trying to squeeze in between me and my friend Liz, but I refused to let her. She fucking tried scratching me too. Don't try to steal someone else's spot. It's fucking lame. I did end up letting one guy in though, because I knew I couldn't fight him. It turns out he had a broken leg because he even had a crutch. He was actually a nice guy too. I felt bad for not letting him in sooner. The best thing about DBS was that they managed to bash our lovely president on stage. I always love that. Next up was Saosin. Of course I was excited. There was one thing I noticed about Cove on stage. I see a ton of myself inside of him. We act the same a lot. It's just something I realized that night. Before their set he was kind of hiding on the side. He came out to check the mic and stuff, but he was the last one to come on to check the mic. I'm the same way. I hide away from things and then come out only when I need to. Perhaps it was because he has less to check since he's the vocalist, but I think it has more to do with having quiet time away from everything. Like for me at lunch I don't like to be with a bunch of people, because I just like to have time to think to myself and chill. I think Cove just wanted quiet time before he went on. When they did go on, they did amazing. They played the entire old EP (from when Anthony Green was the vocalist), and songs off the new EP (with Cove) including "Bury Your Head", "No Angel", and "I Wanna Hear Another Fast Song." They also played "I Can Tell." Beau looked totally different with a shaved head, but he still sounded awesome. Justin played beautifully too. Chris looked kinda sick but still managed to keep up, and Alex pounded his drums. I also noticed more things about Cove on stage. He likes to get the audience's attention and as soon as you think he's looking at you, he turns away. I noticed that a lot. He'd be staring in one direction, making it seem like he was going to single someone out, but then one second later he'd turn away. I do the same thing with people. I'll look at someone and as soon as I have them thinking I'm staring, I'll look away. Not too many people do that. I also think that me and Cove have the same enjoyment of having control of a crowd. I've never been on stage playing music, but in general I love to have control over a crowd and just have them be mesmerized by what I'm doing. It's part of the reason I want to be in a band, is to have crowds focus their attention on me. In between songs Cove was saying very weird random things. It was one of the staff member's birthdays and I think we sang "Happy Birthday" or said it or something. Cove even tried to spank the guy's ass. I have the same sense of humor. When I'm being funny, people just think I'm nuts. I do think that Cove stared at me once during their set, while I was clapping during a song, he kneeled down and I swear he just stared at me. After their set he didn't say "hi" or anything, but I was still satisfied. Lastly was Avenged Sevenfold!!!!! They opened with "Second Heartbeat" and they were amazing. I wish I could play guitar like Synyster Gates. He shredded the fuck out of his guitar. It was like he had four arms. Zacky was just as good. They all looked amazing. Zacky looked like he lost some weight and was wearing a bandanna with these cool pants and shirt. Syn was wearing three belts and a hat. Matt wore a jacket with shades and these really weird leather shoes I took a picture of. The Rev was topless and Johnny wore a long-sleeved shirt with a hat. He looked adorable. For such a little guy, Johnny is really well-built for such as small guy. A7X also played "Beast & the Harlot", "Strength of the World", "Burn It Down", "Unholy Confessions", "Chapter Four", "Eternal Rest", "M.I.A.", "Strength of the World", and "Bat Country". It was amazing to watch the Rev drum. He is my inspiration for wanting to be a great drummer. His kit is beautiful and just watching him play is like watching him do his own little show along with the band of course. But if it was just him it would be just as good. Syn got to do an amazing solo, and I think the Rev should get to do a drum solo because he's amazing. A7X still has the best stage show I've ever seen. Smoke machines, lights, and backdrops. It's expensive but it adds so much to the show. They ended at about 11:20 PM and I knew I wasn't going straight home. I got some merch and I met a few of the guys from Bullets and Octane and talked to Chris from Saosin for a tiny bit. I also ran into a friend from school, whose name I still don't know >.<. I went outside to wait with Shannon and Liz. I met a really cool conservative in line who was from the Napa area. So I talked with him and his friends and after about an hour Matt from A7X came off the bus. I got to tell him they were amazing and asked if his platinum fangs were real. He smiled and said "yeah, they are." He signed the little flyer I got from a street team member and was really cool. After meeting him I walked back and forth to the Saosin bus which was parked around the corner to see if I could get a chance to talk to Cove. I did see Chris and Alex, but no Cove. At about 1:00 the A7X bus left and I decided to take one last look to see if I'd see Cove. I didn't even go over to the bus the last time. I may not have gotten a conversation with him, but I was still happy to get acknowledged by him while standing in line. Shannon had to take Colleen home to San Jose, so I didn't get back to Dublin until nearly 3:00. My mom was pissed but it was all fucking worth it. I had a blast. I can't wait to see A7X and Saosin again.