Incubus V.I.P. Experience
So I purchased a set of tickets from the Make Yourself Foundation to see and meet Incubus while I was in California. I brought Gina along with me. Here's what happened...
We left around 12 and got Dunkin Donuts for the road. I got a blueberry coolata and a chocolate glazed donut. We drive all the way to Boston while just talking about anything and listening to a bunch of music. It was way easier to get there than I thought. We got there around 2:30 and I found a parking lot to park in right near the Bank of America Pavillion, although parking cost $20. But I bit the bullet and just did it because there was nowhere else. As I stepped out of my car, I heard the song Just Because by Janes Addiction being soundchecked. It was Perry Farrell's Satellite Party doing it. Pretty awesome. So we set out to find a place to eat and we found this place nearby. We used the bathroom and then ate. I had a Rice Krispie treat and Gina had a salad. I'm weird like that. When I saw Incubus in NYC in the winter, I had a sweet ass cookie. I don't know why I do that but whatever.
After we ate we hung around outside the venue. It was funny because I saw this girl I'm friends with on Facebook named Ashley, yet I did not speak one word to her. lol We had to wait til 5 for the meet and greet guy Greg to come and give us our tickets and passes. In the meantime, Gina sat in gum and I had to pick it off her ass. It was quite fun but the gum was gross. 5:00 came and Greg showed up, gave us our passes and stuff, and explained the band was a little late due to traffic so the meet and greet is delayed til 6:15. So we went inside and looked around. We saw some free rubber ducks for signing up your email for some Mass Ocean shit, so I just used an old one for my duck. Gina got one and was gonna name it Anna Molly, but we called it Bella instead (haw haw they're Incubus songs!). We decided to find our seats and watched the first band Township, some local band that won a contest to open. I didn't like them. 6:15 came and we lined up where Greg told us to. Meanwhile Black Rebel Motorcycle club played and I didn't like them either. Greg told us it may be 7:00 now so we just waited. Then The Bravery played, and I liked them. Their song Believe is pretty cool. So while they played, they finally let us in!
I was in the first group so it was pretty cool. We walk in and just see them sitting at the autograph table, drawing on the table cloth. The art on it is beyond amazing and they must have been doing it the whole tour. Mike was first. I just flat out told him that he is my idol on guitar and I respect everything he does. He seemed very flattered and was like "right on." Ben was up next and loved my Smyrk shirt since he produced their EP. Mike chimed in that they were good guys. We didn't really talk though which sucked because I wanted to ask him about his solo stuff. Next up was Brandon. I was lured in by his tattoos. They look so nice in person. Then I look him in the eye and he was just looking right at me. I love how he pays close attention. He just goes "Hey I'm Brandon..." I said my name is Nick, shake his hand, and he signed my card "Hey Nick!" I told him I love his lyrics and their music. He thanked me and shook my hand. Next was Kilmore and Gina and I commented on his hair saying it was fucking awesome. He said thank you and signed the card. Last was Jose and he was goofing around with something. He was pretty funny. I said he's one of the best drummers I know of, and that Dan says he's the best. He said thank you very much and signed the card. We walk over to the banner and we all get our picture taken twice. Kilmore stood next to me and I was next to Gina and behind Mike. As Brandon walked past us, he graced Gina's boob and she just said "Oops accidental boob grace..." and Kilmore walks over and was like "What? You've got a lot of boogers?" Kilmore is seriously one of the coolest black guys ever. So we take the two pics and that's that. We all disband and I shake Kilmore and Brandon's hands and then walk to Mike and tell him thanks again for inspiring me and everything and shake his hand. I asked him if he has a pick for a little inspiration but he didn't. He said he'd try to throw one my way, but he eventually never did. But still, just the fact that I fucking talked to my idol in person and told him how I felt was enough for me to be inspired.
We walked to our seats to watch Perry Farrell's Satellite Party. They were damn good. They played a few of their songs and a bunch of Janes Addiction songs. After they finished, Incubus' crew came out and set up the stage for them. There was a little wait and then they came out and the place went nuts. Here's the setlist:
Quicksand | Kiss To Send Us Off | WYWH | Anna Molly | Pistola | Summer Romance | Under My Umbrella | Love Hurts | Drive | Megalomaniac | Sick Sad Little World | Let's Go Crazy (Prince Cover) | Oil and Water | Dig || Stellar | Punch Drunk | Aqueous Transmission
The entire show was amazing and was flawless. Some drunk guy ran on stage during Summer Romance and danced. He got halfway across before security tackled his ass out of there. The Prince cover was amazing live. Hell, everything was! In Sick Sad Little World, Ben had the sickest fucking bass solo ever. Mike almost fell over into his amps at one point. At the end of the Prince song, Mike was being obnoxious and making feedback and Brandon was trying to get him to stop by tossing water at him.
I can go on about the concert, but I think the setlist speaks for itself otherwise. We left and got back on the highway. We found a rest stop and got food and gas. We found our way back to I-91 and I almost made it to I-95, except I got pulled over by a state trooper by exit 9 in North Haven. Apparently I was speeding and he caught me on radar. So I was literally shitting myself. I was hoping for a small ticket or a warning since it was my first offense. But nooooo... A fucking $294 ticket! Goddamn... I didn't even know what speed I was really at. I was playing with a cd and next thing I know I see lights and hear a siren. It sucks too because no one was on the road and I know speeding is wrong and the guy is doing his job, but come on. But whatever. Can't fight it because I'll lose so I'll just pay it.
Other than that, that was the perfect night. I just hope they tour sooner than I think they will next. But this summer has definitely been awesome and that totally topped everything!
Stellar
Click to viewPunch Drunk
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