RockBand Live @ O'Connell Center - Gainesville 11/8/08
So after two shows in two days in two cities with lots of driving and very little sleep, we were ready for the third show on the third day in the third city. \o/
Since we had lots of things to get done before the show that night, our group got up at 8:00am (yes, that's < 4 hours of sleep!), split into three cars and went on our ways. My team handled our stuff and then drove the two hours to Gainesville and rolled up to the venue at 5:00 exactly.
Meet & Greet
After meeting up with everyone again, babygotbass and I jumped into the M&G line. I also saw 83649 other people that I knew there too (HI BBs!).
Zack's Don't Be Creepy speech was much longer than it was at HCT. And while I'm sad that it had to be because that means people have started to be creepy in new and interesting ways, it only made me get bigger heart eyes for Zack. Srsly, he is my favorite. (Best quote: "After they have signed things, we are going to move the table and chairs. Then they are going to stand up on their legs; it's this neat trick that they've learned.")
I work in Disney World, as some of you may know, and since we have a 50% holiday discount on park merch right now, I got the Panic boys and Zack Mickey Mouse ears with their names embroidered. Zack was clearly not in a good mood (from The Speech: "I don't want to be here right now. I'm tired and I'm sick of you people." ♥) and all his talk about presents made me a little scared about giving them the ears after all. But as my luck would have it, Brendon was first at the table so I figured if nothing else, his excitement (cuz really, based on my last Panic Meet & Greet experience, at least Bden geeking out about Disney was bound to happen) would soften Zack up.
I got to the table and told Brendon I had something for him and then told Zack I had something for him too. Brendon smiled curiously at me and Zack raised an eyebrow skeptically. I gave them their ears. Brendon started to laugh all happily. Zack freaking beamed and said, "HELL YEAH!" and put them on right away, chinstrap and all. (Zack wore them for the entire rest of the Meet & Greet and even when he was walking us all out into the venue to find our seats after doors had opened.)
Brendon said he was going to put them on with his name facing forward (and did!) and thanked me for them and said he liked them a lot. By this point, Ryan was leaning over to see what was going on, so I gave him his. He got a little crooked smile and ran his fingers over the stitching of his name and said they were cool and thanked me in his quiet Ryan kind of way. I think he put them on for a minute, but I can't remember?
During The Speech, Zack had made a big deal about NO SPECIAL PICTURES. So I'd resigned myself to not getting a pic with the Mouse ears. But since Zack was in such a good mood now, I thought it was worth a try. I asked him, "Will you let them wear their ears in my picture?" all hopefully and he said "HELL YEAH!" like it was even a question. \o/ Brendon seemed just as happy as me, lol.
By then Jon was watching to see what was up, so I said, "Hey, I've got something for you" and gave him his ears. He grinned lazily (NNNGH JON WALKER) and said they were awesome and put them on. When I managed to look away from Jon, I saw Spencer was looking at Jon's ears too, so I gave him his. He looked genuinely surprised that he was getting them, like I'd get them for the other three and Zack, but not him. He told me that when he went to Disneyland he got the Peter Pan hat ("Y'know? With the red feather in it?") for himself but he didn't have regular mouse ears and so he thanked me very much. We talked and laughed about how back in April he asked me to get him on Tower of Terror.
I said my thanks and goodbyes and headed back into line for the pictures. I got halfway there and realized that because we were talking, Spencer forgot to sign my thing. I went back up kind of tentatively and waited for him to finish with the girl he was talking to before I was like, "Um, I think we forgot for you to sign this?" and he grinned at me and laughed and said, "Yeah, oops. Sorry!" He signed, I thanked again and headed back into line.
So, I was talking to babygotbass and moving along and a few people later, I looked back over at the table. It seemed that Spencer was sort of staring at me? I smiled kind of tentatively and he caught my eye and grinned at me again and went back to what he was doing. Um, what? Idek, but that was kind of amazing.
So then eventually it was my turn for pictures. Mind you, Zack was still wearing his ears as he took everyone's pictures, lmfao ♥. The boys were standing in front of a closed concession window, so there was a ledge behind them that the ears had been sitting on. Ryan and Spencer were looking at me as I walked up and since I'm a giant dork I said something like, "Guys! Put your ears on!" Ryan squinted at me for a sec and then remembered and they both turned around and got them. Jon saw and grabbed his too. Brendon was being... Brendon and not focusing at all so I was like, "Brendon! EARS!" and he blinked around for a sec and then went, "OH! Right! Yeah!" Someone (Brendon, I think?) said they should make sure their names were in the front, and Spencer seemed to miss that so he said, "Are we doing names in the front?" and Brendon said, "Yeah!" So then I feel Brendon put his arm around me and lean in and squeeze my shoulder in toward him. This had a hilarious effect of making me slouch down a little so I look awful in the pic but whatever. I am the LEAST interesting part of this photograph, by FAR. Brendon, Ryan and Spencer were smiling and doing thumbs up. Jon has a contented little grin and jazz hands or something, idek. But I love them so much.
adaydreamspills, who knew I was giving them the ears, saw the picture happening and clapped a little in glee. This somehow initiated a round of applause from some of the rest of the line. LMFAO. So then I get high fives all around from Ryan, Jon and Spencer and a high TEN from Brendon. ♥
I went to collect my camera from Zack and asked if he'd let me take a picture of him with his ears too. He said I could, but only from the back, because it was a better view and you could see his name and everything that way. So I did. And then later, he relented when someone else asked him for a pic from the front with the ears so I jumped on that opportunity too. Zack Hall. Is my favorite.
Brendon kept the ears on for all the rest of the pictures. I was about halfway down the line and there were easily 50-60 people in that room, so I sincerely apologize to anyone who got pictures with him in the ears that didn't want them, lol. Pics were eventually done, the boys collected their ears and other gifts, waved goodbye. Spencer somehow caught my eye again and grinned at me. UGH.
It was past doors, so Zack (still wearing his ears!) lead the non-floor-seats people out into the venue and was pointing people toward their sections one group at a time. We were standing directly across the venue from our seats and I spotted my girls right away. I waved my arms and they saw me. I thumbs up-ed, made Mickey ears on myself and motioned to Zack. Most everyone got confused, but eleanor_lavish saw what I meant and lost her shit laughing. UGH, ZACK. UGH, PANIC AT THE MOTHERTRUCKING DISCO.
...it was only afterwards, when I was recounting my story to eleanor_lavish that I zoomed the pic on my camera and realized Spencer Smith was wearing a WOLF SHIRT.
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT.
The Cab
Our seats turned out to be amaaaaazing. Second row of the closest raised section on Ryan-side, in eyeline with Brendon when he was at the piano. There was no one in the row in front of us until Dashboard, so some of my girls that had seats other places sneaked in and hung out there during The Cab's set. Johnson came out first, grinning dorkily and doing the Gator chomp (hilariously, that's the best video of the hand motion I can find!), since we were at the University of Florida's arena. The other boys followed, doing it too. It was also the first time I'd gotten to see Ian's haircut (it grew on me...). We had a ridiculous time dancing and singing along to the boys. Cabbies = ♥
Sadly, not ONE of my pics came out worth anything at all, but I did get a decent video of a little bit of Risky Business (or go here and select HQ):
Dashboard Confessional (and that other band I skipped)
We all ran before Rinickulous and the T's could start to annoy us and reconvened out by the fooood. My dinner was a pretzel with cheese. \o/ My girls and I got a group pic (who's camera was that on by the way, ladies?) and I recounted my Meet & Greet adventure.
eleanor_lavish and I went back to our seats for Dashboard. Turns out, I really don't know any of their music. Oh, well. It was fun anyways. Marshall, Ian and Singer came out to do So What? with them again and at least I knew that one?
Panic at the Disco
As I said, MUCH better view this night. I remembered a little bit more from this show (but now, sadly as I'm writing this up and very, very sick, I've forgotten a lot of it again *shakes fist*) and I definitely got better pics and video.
Things I do remember:
-When Jon did the thing where he mentions the other bands, he asked for golf claps for them, but of course everyone screamed instead. He said, "HEY! Quiet down!" and it was so adorable I want to punch him.
-Brendon had a mic mishap, which I caught on video (see below). During When The Day Met The Night while he was at the piano, he tried to adjust his mic higher but only made it worse and it kept slipping down until he was hunched over and almost singing into the top of the piano. He made a "HELP PLS!" face offstage and eventually a tech came out to save him. Brendon made a grateful face and it was so cute.
-Their banter before Shout. I didn't get any of it on video this time and I can't remember what it was exactly cuz I'm so sick, but I do remember having huge heart eyes at Ryan especially.
-eleanor_lavish just reminded me that I forgot this one: During one of the songs where Brendon was at the piano, he wanted some water. While he was playing, he picked up a bottle from the ground by the piano and tried to twist it open quickly with his teeth so he could get back to playing with both hands. But this particular bottle, of all the bottles, was the ONE that hadn't been pre-opened for him, so he had a hilarious time trying to break the seal with his teeth and open it by twisting his head, all while still playing one handed and making lots of faces. Once he finally got it open, he made an embarrassed/relieved face, spit the cap out, took a swing and went back to playing with both hands. UGH HOW SO ADORABLE, BDEN?
Some of my pics:
Videos!
As always, I recommend going to each video's YouTube page and selecting "watch in high quality" under the video player. My camera is pretty amazing for a point-and-shoot and YouTube's normal view really destroys that.
She's A Handsome Woman (or go here and select "watch in high quality" under the video):
Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off (or go here and select "watch in high quality"):
Brendon having mic stand problems during When The Day Met The Night (or go here and select "watch in high quality"):
And then there was more shenanigating with lots of friends before some of us piled back into those three cars for the two hour drive back to Orlando.
UGH, AMAZING WEEKEND. ♥
Since we had lots of things to get done before the show that night, our group got up at 8:00am (yes, that's < 4 hours of sleep!), split into three cars and went on our ways. My team handled our stuff and then drove the two hours to Gainesville and rolled up to the venue at 5:00 exactly.
Meet & Greet
After meeting up with everyone again, babygotbass and I jumped into the M&G line. I also saw 83649 other people that I knew there too (HI BBs!).
Zack's Don't Be Creepy speech was much longer than it was at HCT. And while I'm sad that it had to be because that means people have started to be creepy in new and interesting ways, it only made me get bigger heart eyes for Zack. Srsly, he is my favorite. (Best quote: "After they have signed things, we are going to move the table and chairs. Then they are going to stand up on their legs; it's this neat trick that they've learned.")
I work in Disney World, as some of you may know, and since we have a 50% holiday discount on park merch right now, I got the Panic boys and Zack Mickey Mouse ears with their names embroidered. Zack was clearly not in a good mood (from The Speech: "I don't want to be here right now. I'm tired and I'm sick of you people." ♥) and all his talk about presents made me a little scared about giving them the ears after all. But as my luck would have it, Brendon was first at the table so I figured if nothing else, his excitement (cuz really, based on my last Panic Meet & Greet experience, at least Bden geeking out about Disney was bound to happen) would soften Zack up.
I got to the table and told Brendon I had something for him and then told Zack I had something for him too. Brendon smiled curiously at me and Zack raised an eyebrow skeptically. I gave them their ears. Brendon started to laugh all happily. Zack freaking beamed and said, "HELL YEAH!" and put them on right away, chinstrap and all. (Zack wore them for the entire rest of the Meet & Greet and even when he was walking us all out into the venue to find our seats after doors had opened.)
Brendon said he was going to put them on with his name facing forward (and did!) and thanked me for them and said he liked them a lot. By this point, Ryan was leaning over to see what was going on, so I gave him his. He got a little crooked smile and ran his fingers over the stitching of his name and said they were cool and thanked me in his quiet Ryan kind of way. I think he put them on for a minute, but I can't remember?
During The Speech, Zack had made a big deal about NO SPECIAL PICTURES. So I'd resigned myself to not getting a pic with the Mouse ears. But since Zack was in such a good mood now, I thought it was worth a try. I asked him, "Will you let them wear their ears in my picture?" all hopefully and he said "HELL YEAH!" like it was even a question. \o/ Brendon seemed just as happy as me, lol.
By then Jon was watching to see what was up, so I said, "Hey, I've got something for you" and gave him his ears. He grinned lazily (NNNGH JON WALKER) and said they were awesome and put them on. When I managed to look away from Jon, I saw Spencer was looking at Jon's ears too, so I gave him his. He looked genuinely surprised that he was getting them, like I'd get them for the other three and Zack, but not him. He told me that when he went to Disneyland he got the Peter Pan hat ("Y'know? With the red feather in it?") for himself but he didn't have regular mouse ears and so he thanked me very much. We talked and laughed about how back in April he asked me to get him on Tower of Terror.
I said my thanks and goodbyes and headed back into line for the pictures. I got halfway there and realized that because we were talking, Spencer forgot to sign my thing. I went back up kind of tentatively and waited for him to finish with the girl he was talking to before I was like, "Um, I think we forgot for you to sign this?" and he grinned at me and laughed and said, "Yeah, oops. Sorry!" He signed, I thanked again and headed back into line.
So, I was talking to babygotbass and moving along and a few people later, I looked back over at the table. It seemed that Spencer was sort of staring at me? I smiled kind of tentatively and he caught my eye and grinned at me again and went back to what he was doing. Um, what? Idek, but that was kind of amazing.
So then eventually it was my turn for pictures. Mind you, Zack was still wearing his ears as he took everyone's pictures, lmfao ♥. The boys were standing in front of a closed concession window, so there was a ledge behind them that the ears had been sitting on. Ryan and Spencer were looking at me as I walked up and since I'm a giant dork I said something like, "Guys! Put your ears on!" Ryan squinted at me for a sec and then remembered and they both turned around and got them. Jon saw and grabbed his too. Brendon was being... Brendon and not focusing at all so I was like, "Brendon! EARS!" and he blinked around for a sec and then went, "OH! Right! Yeah!" Someone (Brendon, I think?) said they should make sure their names were in the front, and Spencer seemed to miss that so he said, "Are we doing names in the front?" and Brendon said, "Yeah!" So then I feel Brendon put his arm around me and lean in and squeeze my shoulder in toward him. This had a hilarious effect of making me slouch down a little so I look awful in the pic but whatever. I am the LEAST interesting part of this photograph, by FAR. Brendon, Ryan and Spencer were smiling and doing thumbs up. Jon has a contented little grin and jazz hands or something, idek. But I love them so much.
adaydreamspills, who knew I was giving them the ears, saw the picture happening and clapped a little in glee. This somehow initiated a round of applause from some of the rest of the line. LMFAO. So then I get high fives all around from Ryan, Jon and Spencer and a high TEN from Brendon. ♥
I went to collect my camera from Zack and asked if he'd let me take a picture of him with his ears too. He said I could, but only from the back, because it was a better view and you could see his name and everything that way. So I did. And then later, he relented when someone else asked him for a pic from the front with the ears so I jumped on that opportunity too. Zack Hall. Is my favorite.
Brendon kept the ears on for all the rest of the pictures. I was about halfway down the line and there were easily 50-60 people in that room, so I sincerely apologize to anyone who got pictures with him in the ears that didn't want them, lol. Pics were eventually done, the boys collected their ears and other gifts, waved goodbye. Spencer somehow caught my eye again and grinned at me. UGH.
It was past doors, so Zack (still wearing his ears!) lead the non-floor-seats people out into the venue and was pointing people toward their sections one group at a time. We were standing directly across the venue from our seats and I spotted my girls right away. I waved my arms and they saw me. I thumbs up-ed, made Mickey ears on myself and motioned to Zack. Most everyone got confused, but eleanor_lavish saw what I meant and lost her shit laughing. UGH, ZACK. UGH, PANIC AT THE MOTHERTRUCKING DISCO.
...it was only afterwards, when I was recounting my story to eleanor_lavish that I zoomed the pic on my camera and realized Spencer Smith was wearing a WOLF SHIRT.
THANK YOU AND GOODNIGHT.
The Cab
Our seats turned out to be amaaaaazing. Second row of the closest raised section on Ryan-side, in eyeline with Brendon when he was at the piano. There was no one in the row in front of us until Dashboard, so some of my girls that had seats other places sneaked in and hung out there during The Cab's set. Johnson came out first, grinning dorkily and doing the Gator chomp (hilariously, that's the best video of the hand motion I can find!), since we were at the University of Florida's arena. The other boys followed, doing it too. It was also the first time I'd gotten to see Ian's haircut (it grew on me...). We had a ridiculous time dancing and singing along to the boys. Cabbies = ♥
Sadly, not ONE of my pics came out worth anything at all, but I did get a decent video of a little bit of Risky Business (or go here and select HQ):
Click to viewDashboard Confessional (and that other band I skipped)
We all ran before Rinickulous and the T's could start to annoy us and reconvened out by the fooood. My dinner was a pretzel with cheese. \o/ My girls and I got a group pic (who's camera was that on by the way, ladies?) and I recounted my Meet & Greet adventure.
eleanor_lavish and I went back to our seats for Dashboard. Turns out, I really don't know any of their music. Oh, well. It was fun anyways. Marshall, Ian and Singer came out to do So What? with them again and at least I knew that one?
Panic at the Disco
As I said, MUCH better view this night. I remembered a little bit more from this show (but now, sadly as I'm writing this up and very, very sick, I've forgotten a lot of it again *shakes fist*) and I definitely got better pics and video.
Things I do remember:
-When Jon did the thing where he mentions the other bands, he asked for golf claps for them, but of course everyone screamed instead. He said, "HEY! Quiet down!" and it was so adorable I want to punch him.
-Brendon had a mic mishap, which I caught on video (see below). During When The Day Met The Night while he was at the piano, he tried to adjust his mic higher but only made it worse and it kept slipping down until he was hunched over and almost singing into the top of the piano. He made a "HELP PLS!" face offstage and eventually a tech came out to save him. Brendon made a grateful face and it was so cute.
-Their banter before Shout. I didn't get any of it on video this time and I can't remember what it was exactly cuz I'm so sick, but I do remember having huge heart eyes at Ryan especially.
-eleanor_lavish just reminded me that I forgot this one: During one of the songs where Brendon was at the piano, he wanted some water. While he was playing, he picked up a bottle from the ground by the piano and tried to twist it open quickly with his teeth so he could get back to playing with both hands. But this particular bottle, of all the bottles, was the ONE that hadn't been pre-opened for him, so he had a hilarious time trying to break the seal with his teeth and open it by twisting his head, all while still playing one handed and making lots of faces. Once he finally got it open, he made an embarrassed/relieved face, spit the cap out, took a swing and went back to playing with both hands. UGH HOW SO ADORABLE, BDEN?
Some of my pics:
Videos!
As always, I recommend going to each video's YouTube page and selecting "watch in high quality" under the video player. My camera is pretty amazing for a point-and-shoot and YouTube's normal view really destroys that.
She's A Handsome Woman (or go here and select "watch in high quality" under the video):
Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off (or go here and select "watch in high quality"):
Brendon having mic stand problems during When The Day Met The Night (or go here and select "watch in high quality"):
And then there was more shenanigating with lots of friends before some of us piled back into those three cars for the two hour drive back to Orlando.
UGH, AMAZING WEEKEND. ♥