concerts: HCT, Thursday, 4-24-08
So here's the thing: I like Panic at the Disco, but not as much as I do, say, FOB or MCR or The Used. I haven't seen them live before, and I do, on occasion, think Ryan Ross is not a boy as much as he is a robot from the future that does not fully grasp human emotions just yet. (That said, he and Keltie? Ridiculously cute. I never said my brain made sense, y'all.)
The point is, standing off to the side in the House of Blues in Orlando last Thursday, I kind of...wanted it to be over? Like, beforehand, when everyone was filing in like tiny children in a cattle car. I feel like Cranky Concert Grandma a lot of the time; I'm not tall, so unless I have barricade I can't see unless I stand off to the side, preferably on some stairs. And a lot of times people at concerts, are, um...insufficiently socialized? Seriously, I'm one of those bitches who believe that if you want to stand in front of me, you should have gotten there before me. (And we were there at 10:30 in the morning. And we were still fifteenth in line. That's not counting VIP, of course, but still.)
(And before anyone stars in with "Well, then WHY EVEN GO?", shush. I'm building to something.)
Phantom Planet was good -- really good, actually, better than expected. I bought a CD! And I am a cheap bitch where bands I haven't heard previously are concerned, so that says something. ...possibly I also bought a hoodie. DON'T JUDGE ME.
The Hush Sound was amazing. I still don't really get the Greta thing (shut up, okay, I DON'T. I don't want to fuck her. I want to go shoe shopping with her and maybe get scones), but Chris Faller? Mmmmn. Also, at one point Bob's monitors screwed up and he was like, "Screw it, I don't need monitors to play." And he didn't! For an entire song! It was awesome.
Motion City Soundtrack was really, really good, though their fans tended to be. Um. Shove-y? But everyone did handclaps on the run-up during Everything Is Alright, and I thought we were going to use our combined energy to levitate the roof off the building, which is always a pleasant surprise. (For the record, it's a lot like how my brain goes away about halfway through FOB playing Saturday live. As soon as the confetti drops, I just kind of -- white out. It's pretty awesome, and look, no drugs!) And Justin made everyone take four big steps back when the pit threatened to kill people, which is nice.
Aaaaaaand then. Panic.
--see, here's what I was getting to earlier: I like Panic, but I'm not loopy over them. I get that. Spencer's my favorite, I think Ryan's a tiny feminine terminator who forgot how to kill, Brendon Urie is powered by Red Bull and sunshine instead of oxygenated blood. Fine, good, great.
And then they started playing, and I just. I got it. Not permanently, but they're just so *happy* up there, you know? They're doing something they love, and it translates, and I just. I don't know. They are sneaky little bastards, and I kind of love them. Stupid Panic. (Seriously, I think they pumped mind-control gas in while I was hypnotized watching that goddamn Honda Civic tour video.)
Random thoughts:
--You know what's not awesome? People screaming out "RYAN I LOVE YOU WOOOOOO" when I am trying to listen to carefully scripted banter.
--You know what *is* awesome? Said screaming lady being in her 40s. And kind of drunk.
--Ryan Ross had facial expressions! I think he needs a reboot, or maybe Symantec.
--They were out of the cute striped hoodie. FAIL, MERCH STATION, FAIL.
(Merch Station: Metro Station cover band, y/y? adellyna, you get to be Trace.)
--Two little kids in line directly in front of us were 12 and 16. The following conversation occurred:
Girl 16: How old are you guys?
Nicole: ...how old do we look?
Girl 16: I don't know. Twenty?
Nicole: That works!
Me: Yeah, that's fine.
Girl 16: No, really.
Nicole: I'm 29.
Me: I'm 28.
Girl 16: No WAY. That's kind of creepy!
Maybe. But one of us can get smashed at the bar, kid, and it's not you.
--Spencer talked! Apparently he does this sometimes. He has a lovely speaking voice, which I remember for as long as I hear him speak and promptly forget afterwards.
--Jon Walker: victim of a lobotomy, or just on some really good shit?
--The lead singer from Phantom Planet announced he was gonna stage-dive during the last song then go hang out by their merch booth, "so if you guys could just pass me back that way, it'd be great." Which happened. He passed within, like, ten feet of me. It was great! Pete and Bill Beckett could not do that shit, they'd lose limbs.
--I honestly did not realize the hot guy filming the whole time was Shane. I thought Ian and Spencer got combined in a teleportation booth and a new life was created as a result.
In other news, I still do not have Whisper War. WHAT THE HELL, FBR, YOU'RE LIKE TWO HOURS AWAY FROM HERE. FAILBOATS.
The point is, standing off to the side in the House of Blues in Orlando last Thursday, I kind of...wanted it to be over? Like, beforehand, when everyone was filing in like tiny children in a cattle car. I feel like Cranky Concert Grandma a lot of the time; I'm not tall, so unless I have barricade I can't see unless I stand off to the side, preferably on some stairs. And a lot of times people at concerts, are, um...insufficiently socialized? Seriously, I'm one of those bitches who believe that if you want to stand in front of me, you should have gotten there before me. (And we were there at 10:30 in the morning. And we were still fifteenth in line. That's not counting VIP, of course, but still.)
(And before anyone stars in with "Well, then WHY EVEN GO?", shush. I'm building to something.)
Phantom Planet was good -- really good, actually, better than expected. I bought a CD! And I am a cheap bitch where bands I haven't heard previously are concerned, so that says something. ...possibly I also bought a hoodie. DON'T JUDGE ME.
The Hush Sound was amazing. I still don't really get the Greta thing (shut up, okay, I DON'T. I don't want to fuck her. I want to go shoe shopping with her and maybe get scones), but Chris Faller? Mmmmn. Also, at one point Bob's monitors screwed up and he was like, "Screw it, I don't need monitors to play." And he didn't! For an entire song! It was awesome.
Motion City Soundtrack was really, really good, though their fans tended to be. Um. Shove-y? But everyone did handclaps on the run-up during Everything Is Alright, and I thought we were going to use our combined energy to levitate the roof off the building, which is always a pleasant surprise. (For the record, it's a lot like how my brain goes away about halfway through FOB playing Saturday live. As soon as the confetti drops, I just kind of -- white out. It's pretty awesome, and look, no drugs!) And Justin made everyone take four big steps back when the pit threatened to kill people, which is nice.
Aaaaaaand then. Panic.
--see, here's what I was getting to earlier: I like Panic, but I'm not loopy over them. I get that. Spencer's my favorite, I think Ryan's a tiny feminine terminator who forgot how to kill, Brendon Urie is powered by Red Bull and sunshine instead of oxygenated blood. Fine, good, great.
And then they started playing, and I just. I got it. Not permanently, but they're just so *happy* up there, you know? They're doing something they love, and it translates, and I just. I don't know. They are sneaky little bastards, and I kind of love them. Stupid Panic. (Seriously, I think they pumped mind-control gas in while I was hypnotized watching that goddamn Honda Civic tour video.)
Random thoughts:
--You know what's not awesome? People screaming out "RYAN I LOVE YOU WOOOOOO" when I am trying to listen to carefully scripted banter.
--You know what *is* awesome? Said screaming lady being in her 40s. And kind of drunk.
--Ryan Ross had facial expressions! I think he needs a reboot, or maybe Symantec.
--They were out of the cute striped hoodie. FAIL, MERCH STATION, FAIL.
(Merch Station: Metro Station cover band, y/y? adellyna, you get to be Trace.)
--Two little kids in line directly in front of us were 12 and 16. The following conversation occurred:
Girl 16: How old are you guys?
Nicole: ...how old do we look?
Girl 16: I don't know. Twenty?
Nicole: That works!
Me: Yeah, that's fine.
Girl 16: No, really.
Nicole: I'm 29.
Me: I'm 28.
Girl 16: No WAY. That's kind of creepy!
Maybe. But one of us can get smashed at the bar, kid, and it's not you.
--Spencer talked! Apparently he does this sometimes. He has a lovely speaking voice, which I remember for as long as I hear him speak and promptly forget afterwards.
--Jon Walker: victim of a lobotomy, or just on some really good shit?
--The lead singer from Phantom Planet announced he was gonna stage-dive during the last song then go hang out by their merch booth, "so if you guys could just pass me back that way, it'd be great." Which happened. He passed within, like, ten feet of me. It was great! Pete and Bill Beckett could not do that shit, they'd lose limbs.
--I honestly did not realize the hot guy filming the whole time was Shane. I thought Ian and Spencer got combined in a teleportation booth and a new life was created as a result.
In other news, I still do not have Whisper War. WHAT THE HELL, FBR, YOU'RE LIKE TWO HOURS AWAY FROM HERE. FAILBOATS.