Minneapolis/St. Paul, 18Aug09 (recap only, photos to come)
After the Chicago Blink-182 show and A&K, we slept late (minus a trip to Midway to drop off eckerlilas :(). When we finally rolled out of bed, shutyourface, vic_ramsey, her sister, and I walked over to Navy Pier, where we met bloodygoodgirl and pressdbtwnpages and amused ourselves doing tourist-type things despite the torrential downpour. We ended the day with ericaplease and fiddleyoumust and Elissa at Rosebud (we were under the impression that 44th Ward was closed on Sundays, or we would’ve gone there), where again a fair amount of alcohol was consumed. I was amused. I believe our waiter was, too. Rinse and repeat: slept in the next morning, then lugged our bags onto the El and down to Midway for our flight to Minneapolis. (It POURED right as we were boarding, so we were delayed.)
shutyourface's friend Janine met us and took us to meet seimaisin at Snuffy's, where I had the best butterscotch malt ever. We wandered around downtown Minneapolis in an effort to work off the ten thousand calories consumed - I enjoyed counting band names on the facade of 1st Ave :DDD and eyeing the Prince memorabilia at the Hard Rock there - and then we had drinks at the bar at Gameworks. We were still hanging out there when Kadaver (sp?) and Dre and the other FOB techs came in, played some video games and then went over to bowl. Later, Joe Troh moseyed in. One stranger went up to talk to him, and then he got back on his cell phone. None of us were feeling stalkerish enough to go talk to him. IDK, he looked sort of tired and out of sorts.
OK, so for the TX girls? Minneapolis was COLD. It was 60* when we left the hotel Tuesday morning, but sunny and bright. We got to the Xcel Center and wandered around before we realized that there was no line because everyone was waiting INSIDE. BONUS, Xcel Center! Bathrooms and a cafe, DOUBLE BONUS! Except that there were multiple gates that would open rather than a single one, guaranteeing a clusterfuck at 5:30pm.
M&G - We thought from the NDP list that there was going to be a guy there with the gaggle of women, but it ended up being his wife. Also, JSYK, sometimes Zack, Brendon, and Spencer look over the names and email addresses of the people with M&G and speculate what they mean.Or just make fun of them. Zack took us inside the gates to a really dark corner and explained the way it would work, including sort of jokingly accusing the TX crew (whom he recognized from the previous M&G, since there wasn't one at the Iowa/Nebraska show, and from previous tours) of being the reason we wouldn't do a big group shot this time. I know nothing about that. At one point he said something about Spencer liking the darkened area we were in, and when I (we?) gave him an inquiring look, he just muttered that it was an inside joke. Then he went downstairs to herd them out to us.
Brendon emerged from the stairwell singing, LOL. He smiled & waved at me and shutyourface (vic_ramsey hadn’t had M&G at Chicago) and said "hi there again" before going to the other end of the line and greeting the people there.
Spencer started at our end of the line. We sort of monopolized him - shutyourface asked about beats for new songs, and we discussed merch designs - they approve them personally, and he said they have a hard time deciding between what they'd like to wear vs. what other bands sell. Spencer promised no purple hoodies when we jokingly-but-not-really blamed the ugly-merch phenomenon on Gabe Saporta. I asked him who did the editing on the concert part of the Live In Chicago DVD, and he said they did the sound editing, but the cutting out of the between-song banter wasn't up to them, it was done because it varies from show to show (I call bullshit on that, b/c I’ve been to enough shows to know that while the EXACT wording might change, the general script does not , but I see his point), so of course we pointed out that we LIKE that interaction, and we DON'T like all the crowd shots, because we know what we look like, thanks. He gestured like he was going to take his iPhone out of his pocket and take notes, but then realized that he didn't have his iPhone with him, but said he'd try to remember all the stuff we suggested. He signed the new tote bag I got for Tabby (I didn't need 2 things signed from the same tour) - wrote out the "To Tabby" that I requested, but then had to be reminded to actually SIGN it. Brendon had gotten all the way through the line by then, so Zack circled around to urge Spencer to the other end of the line while we talked to Bden.
Conversation was easier since he recognized us. He signed the tote and drew a little picture, asking, "Why does everything I draw look like a monkey?"
My initial question for him was a seriously general question - which state was the previous show in, Nebraska or Iowa? and we talked about geography for a sec, randomly enough. Then vic_ramsey and shutyourface and the mom at the end of the line joined in, and we talked about being on the road, and how he was ready to go home even though the tour had been short, because he was missing Bogart (he called Bogart his kid - he's adorkable, I'm telling you) and we suggested bringing him on tour next time. But apparently Zack winds him up? IDK, Zack thought that would be a good idea for one day, then he'd have to kill him. Or switch from a bottom bunk, whichever. Nameless Mom somehow got him talking about the weather, and how it was nice in Minneapolis now, but not in the winter, and Brendon said he was lucky that he got to see lots of places, and how his job was perfect b/c of that. He mentioned that he got sweaty when it was hot and sweaty when it was cold. LOL, bb, we love you no matter how sweaty you are.
We were allowed to take photos with them as a small group, and we did so with Brendon, but we didn't get to do with Spencer - we were about to ask him when Zack shooed him to the other end of the line. So we only got individual photos with them. Which I have not given to my companions yet. *facepalm*
When shutyourface was taking hers, Spencer asked for a reminder (again) about which venue to come to in Houston. Warehouse Live, boys!
I took no creeper shots b/c the M&G happened in that darkish corner, and the lack of lighting made the flash really obvious. And because I actually spent pretty much the entire M&G talking to one of the two of them.
Then Zack herded them back downstairs, and Brendon started humming/singing AGAIN, and I missed this, but apparently Spencer joined in? I totally imagine them rattling around their condo, Brendon singing under his breath as he does whatever daily chores, and Spencer coming into the laundry room or kitchen and ordering him, "Write that shit down!" or even carrying a mini recorder around, and whenever Brendon starts humming, he turns it on so they have it for later.
The show? I was sort of behind shutyourface, who was at the barrier, stage left. Dallon/Pete/Tom's side of the stage. vic_ramsey was next to me.
+ I am still not impressed with Chester French.
+ P!ATD added Martyrdom/Suicide (I don't remember it being played at the Chicago show - maybe I'm just blanking?) to the set list, which is still heavy on AFYCSO, including Sins, Lying, Time To Dance, Better If You Do, and Camisado
+ Brendon introduced Ian and Dallon but not himself or Spencer, and said Dallon was taken but Ian not, which I thought was not the case. Apparently Ian objected to that, too. They had a little conversation away from the mic, anyway.
+ FOB - same set list as previous show - and there was lots of banter btwn Pete and Patrick. I sort of love it when Pete starts something and Patrick is like, "Gee, thanks for interrupting/stealing my words." Because their entire careers have been made by Patrick taking Pete's words and making them into songs.
+ Pete always dedicates a song to the circle pit, but I would be AMAZED if there had been enough room in that crush for a circle pit.
+ They stopped near the end of I Don't Care b/c people fell in the crush, asked everyone to step back from the barrier to give people room. It didn't really work, as Pete & Patrick clearly do not have the power of GWay.
+ I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was A Kid Named Bronx. NO, REALLY.
+ Pete sympathized with Vikings fans over hating the Packers, even though Bears and Vikings are rivals, and of course Andy, when given Pete's mic, basically said fuck Brett Favre, fuck the Bears and fuck the Vikings, that the Packers would trounce the Vikings in both games this season.
+ Apparently they hung out with Motion City Soundtrack dudes that afternoon? Justin, at least, was spotted at the venue. Where Is Your Boy Tonight was dedicated to them.
+ Brendon positively *flailed* himself onto the stage for the Journey cover; I don't think the cover was as good as at the Chicago show, but it was still Journey.
Blink-182 - abandoned the barrier, but stayed down on the floor for them this time.
+ Mark Hoppus was clearly not impressed with Omaha.
+ Fucking Mark's dad was the common joke? along with blow jobs.
+ When thanking the opening acts, they requested that the audience "give the clap" to them. IDEKY, but the crowd was pretty enthusiastic about cheering to STDs
+ Travis's kit was way more elaborate than I expected; I'd heard that it was a flying drum kit, but somehow that didn't connect with him actually zooming around and swirling in circles.
Then we hitched a ride back to our hotel with seimaisin and her roommate, b/c we had to get up at ass-o’clock to make it to the airport for our 7am flight out of town. Just in time, too, because apparently there were tornados later in the day, and we’d’ve been stuck!
ETA: photo album is here
shutyourface's friend Janine met us and took us to meet seimaisin at Snuffy's, where I had the best butterscotch malt ever. We wandered around downtown Minneapolis in an effort to work off the ten thousand calories consumed - I enjoyed counting band names on the facade of 1st Ave :DDD and eyeing the Prince memorabilia at the Hard Rock there - and then we had drinks at the bar at Gameworks. We were still hanging out there when Kadaver (sp?) and Dre and the other FOB techs came in, played some video games and then went over to bowl. Later, Joe Troh moseyed in. One stranger went up to talk to him, and then he got back on his cell phone. None of us were feeling stalkerish enough to go talk to him. IDK, he looked sort of tired and out of sorts.
OK, so for the TX girls? Minneapolis was COLD. It was 60* when we left the hotel Tuesday morning, but sunny and bright. We got to the Xcel Center and wandered around before we realized that there was no line because everyone was waiting INSIDE. BONUS, Xcel Center! Bathrooms and a cafe, DOUBLE BONUS! Except that there were multiple gates that would open rather than a single one, guaranteeing a clusterfuck at 5:30pm.
M&G - We thought from the NDP list that there was going to be a guy there with the gaggle of women, but it ended up being his wife. Also, JSYK, sometimes Zack, Brendon, and Spencer look over the names and email addresses of the people with M&G and speculate what they mean.Or just make fun of them. Zack took us inside the gates to a really dark corner and explained the way it would work, including sort of jokingly accusing the TX crew (whom he recognized from the previous M&G, since there wasn't one at the Iowa/Nebraska show, and from previous tours) of being the reason we wouldn't do a big group shot this time. I know nothing about that. At one point he said something about Spencer liking the darkened area we were in, and when I (we?) gave him an inquiring look, he just muttered that it was an inside joke. Then he went downstairs to herd them out to us.
Brendon emerged from the stairwell singing, LOL. He smiled & waved at me and shutyourface (vic_ramsey hadn’t had M&G at Chicago) and said "hi there again" before going to the other end of the line and greeting the people there.
Spencer started at our end of the line. We sort of monopolized him - shutyourface asked about beats for new songs, and we discussed merch designs - they approve them personally, and he said they have a hard time deciding between what they'd like to wear vs. what other bands sell. Spencer promised no purple hoodies when we jokingly-but-not-really blamed the ugly-merch phenomenon on Gabe Saporta. I asked him who did the editing on the concert part of the Live In Chicago DVD, and he said they did the sound editing, but the cutting out of the between-song banter wasn't up to them, it was done because it varies from show to show (I call bullshit on that, b/c I’ve been to enough shows to know that while the EXACT wording might change, the general script does not , but I see his point), so of course we pointed out that we LIKE that interaction, and we DON'T like all the crowd shots, because we know what we look like, thanks. He gestured like he was going to take his iPhone out of his pocket and take notes, but then realized that he didn't have his iPhone with him, but said he'd try to remember all the stuff we suggested. He signed the new tote bag I got for Tabby (I didn't need 2 things signed from the same tour) - wrote out the "To Tabby" that I requested, but then had to be reminded to actually SIGN it. Brendon had gotten all the way through the line by then, so Zack circled around to urge Spencer to the other end of the line while we talked to Bden.
Conversation was easier since he recognized us. He signed the tote and drew a little picture, asking, "Why does everything I draw look like a monkey?"
My initial question for him was a seriously general question - which state was the previous show in, Nebraska or Iowa? and we talked about geography for a sec, randomly enough. Then vic_ramsey and shutyourface and the mom at the end of the line joined in, and we talked about being on the road, and how he was ready to go home even though the tour had been short, because he was missing Bogart (he called Bogart his kid - he's adorkable, I'm telling you) and we suggested bringing him on tour next time. But apparently Zack winds him up? IDK, Zack thought that would be a good idea for one day, then he'd have to kill him. Or switch from a bottom bunk, whichever. Nameless Mom somehow got him talking about the weather, and how it was nice in Minneapolis now, but not in the winter, and Brendon said he was lucky that he got to see lots of places, and how his job was perfect b/c of that. He mentioned that he got sweaty when it was hot and sweaty when it was cold. LOL, bb, we love you no matter how sweaty you are.
We were allowed to take photos with them as a small group, and we did so with Brendon, but we didn't get to do with Spencer - we were about to ask him when Zack shooed him to the other end of the line. So we only got individual photos with them. Which I have not given to my companions yet. *facepalm*
When shutyourface was taking hers, Spencer asked for a reminder (again) about which venue to come to in Houston. Warehouse Live, boys!
I took no creeper shots b/c the M&G happened in that darkish corner, and the lack of lighting made the flash really obvious. And because I actually spent pretty much the entire M&G talking to one of the two of them.
Then Zack herded them back downstairs, and Brendon started humming/singing AGAIN, and I missed this, but apparently Spencer joined in? I totally imagine them rattling around their condo, Brendon singing under his breath as he does whatever daily chores, and Spencer coming into the laundry room or kitchen and ordering him, "Write that shit down!" or even carrying a mini recorder around, and whenever Brendon starts humming, he turns it on so they have it for later.
The show? I was sort of behind shutyourface, who was at the barrier, stage left. Dallon/Pete/Tom's side of the stage. vic_ramsey was next to me.
+ I am still not impressed with Chester French.
+ P!ATD added Martyrdom/Suicide (I don't remember it being played at the Chicago show - maybe I'm just blanking?) to the set list, which is still heavy on AFYCSO, including Sins, Lying, Time To Dance, Better If You Do, and Camisado
+ Brendon introduced Ian and Dallon but not himself or Spencer, and said Dallon was taken but Ian not, which I thought was not the case. Apparently Ian objected to that, too. They had a little conversation away from the mic, anyway.
+ FOB - same set list as previous show - and there was lots of banter btwn Pete and Patrick. I sort of love it when Pete starts something and Patrick is like, "Gee, thanks for interrupting/stealing my words." Because their entire careers have been made by Patrick taking Pete's words and making them into songs.
+ Pete always dedicates a song to the circle pit, but I would be AMAZED if there had been enough room in that crush for a circle pit.
+ They stopped near the end of I Don't Care b/c people fell in the crush, asked everyone to step back from the barrier to give people room. It didn't really work, as Pete & Patrick clearly do not have the power of GWay.
+ I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was A Kid Named Bronx. NO, REALLY.
+ Pete sympathized with Vikings fans over hating the Packers, even though Bears and Vikings are rivals, and of course Andy, when given Pete's mic, basically said fuck Brett Favre, fuck the Bears and fuck the Vikings, that the Packers would trounce the Vikings in both games this season.
+ Apparently they hung out with Motion City Soundtrack dudes that afternoon? Justin, at least, was spotted at the venue. Where Is Your Boy Tonight was dedicated to them.
+ Brendon positively *flailed* himself onto the stage for the Journey cover; I don't think the cover was as good as at the Chicago show, but it was still Journey.
Blink-182 - abandoned the barrier, but stayed down on the floor for them this time.
+ Mark Hoppus was clearly not impressed with Omaha.
+ Fucking Mark's dad was the common joke? along with blow jobs.
+ When thanking the opening acts, they requested that the audience "give the clap" to them. IDEKY, but the crowd was pretty enthusiastic about cheering to STDs
+ Travis's kit was way more elaborate than I expected; I'd heard that it was a flying drum kit, but somehow that didn't connect with him actually zooming around and swirling in circles.
Then we hitched a ride back to our hotel with seimaisin and her roommate, b/c we had to get up at ass-o’clock to make it to the airport for our 7am flight out of town. Just in time, too, because apparently there were tornados later in the day, and we’d’ve been stuck!
ETA: photo album is here