learn to live life for every moment
This past weekend was amazing. I keep replaying it over and over in my mind and I'm filled with so many different emotions right now. I feel happy that I got to experience the concert and finally see Blind Melon live. I can't believe how everything seemed to work out perfectly and I had such a great time with Marc it really couldn't have gotten any better. I feel sad that it is already over and I am back to work and the normal weekly routine. The entire trip was just perfect. We left Saturday morning and spent most of the day driving, talking, and listening to music in the car. The night before we watched this documentary about the Foo Fighters and it just drew me into them that much more...Marc felt the same way about it and he was saying how he didn't really like them that much until he heard that live acoustic album. We both agree that that album really changes everything you may think they are about if you only hear their songs on the radio. We talked about that a lot and we talked about how happy we both are to have each other and how amazing it is to really be so close and be each others best friend. I really strongly feel Marc was made for me. The drive went by super fast even though it took about 5 hours. We stopped at Moe's for lunch and I got this vegetarian burrito bowl which was delicious even though the hot sauce on it was making me cry. lol. Marc ate his "lard chips" and I had an entire bag (it was a huge bag) of peanut M&M's..ughh I couldn't stop they were sooo good and really hit the spot! We got a little confused on the directions to the hotel at the very end (the hotel didn't have an address that could be found online or on the GPS but we knew it was on SR 940) but we ended up figuring it out and making it to the hotel. We checked in and asked for directions to the Casino where the concert would be and it was right around the block, nice and close. I was chatting it up with the ladies working there and then they were like "well do you need anything else" hahaha I didn't realize we were all set and they were just kinda like ok are you going to go to your room and leave us alone now?? ..I was already just estactic that this was finally happening. We stayed at the EconoStay Inn and the room was a little dirty (the pillows and sheets had little hairs all over them) but the set up of it was awesome because it was like a studio apartment with a little kitchen. We got to our room and unpacked and the feeling of anticipation just kept building up inside of me. We made a few drinks and just sat there and talked and watched Dr. Seuss's How the Grinch Stole Christmas (someone had left the VHS in there so we just kept playing it over because there was nothing but chinese stuff on tv). We headed over to the casino which was super easy to find but it was huge..We had no idea where to go but just parked wherever and went inside. It ended up being perfect because we went up the escalator and the venue was right there. At this point I was already freaking out. I was getting so excited and just couldn't believe the moment had finally come and it was actually happening. We waited anxiously in line and when we got inside the venue I could not believe how small it was, and there were seats. I was not expecting that. I had recently watched some videos online from their tour in November in Spain and it was huge venues with thousands of people crammed together. I was expecting this to feel like the shows in high school where there are so many people crammed in a tight space and I actually want to be up front and don't mind getting all gross and sweaty. This was completely opposite. We got seated in the 3rd row a little left of center. I was flipping out about how close we were, and how small it was, I could tell it was going to be one of those really up close and personal concerts...those are always the best. We got up to check out the merch and we both got a drink and went back to our seats. As the show got closer you could feel the anticipation in the room building. Finally the entrance music started and they got on stage, I was in awe. The show was amazing. It was just so personal..really unbelievably personal and small and connection of the crowd and the crowd with the band and the band with the crowd. just amazing and too perfect..really too good to be true.They played a ton of stuff, Travis was awesome and I still can't get over how close we were to them!! I was freaking out the whole time, it felt like such a rush. It was so much fun. At the end I was all excited because Travis shook my hand and then Brad threw a pick which landed right in front of me. Glenn handed out some drumsticks and when he was trying to give me one it was funny because I couldn't quite grab it so after swaying back and forth like 3 times I finally got it. I stayed up at the front of the stage because I wanted to get a setlist and when the roadie came out and picked it up he turned around and I was just staring at him so he was like you want this? I was like yes! After that I was just estactic. I was beaming and glowing and out of control...it was one of those times where my life just felt complete. Like no way did that just end up being way better than I could have ever imagined. I felt so lucky that I got to experience them in such a personal setting like that. We started to walk towards the exit and I saw Travis standing there...so then I started freaking out because I realized that all the band members were going to be hanging around. I got to meet all of them and they all signed my setlist. I was so starstruck and in shock that I could barely even talk to any of them. Brad and Glen were the most personable. Rogers was kind of scary.. I was beaming to the point where it almost hurt to smile so much. We walked out of the venue and that's where I got to meet Travis and looking back now it's kind of lame how I barely said a word to them. I really can't remember a time when I was that starstruck that I couldn't even think. I can think of so many things I wanted to say, but in the moment I was just dying and flipping out. I put my arm around Travis for a picture and then realized we weren't even facing marc so I like swung him around and it was just too funny..I was just out of control and out of my mind at that point. We ended up talking to a bunch of other melonheads and the fan base is just so awesome. This one guy brought the vinyl album of Soup and got that signed which was super cool. We ended up walking around in cirlces at the casino because I didn't know what to do. I was just so excited about everything. We went back to the car because I didn't want to hang out at the casino with all of the stuff I had and then we ended up going back to the hotel and we had a few more drinks. Then we ended up going back to the casino (we were both really buzzed at this point) and eating at this resturant called Betty's. I got a loaded nacho plate, Marc got a burger..ughh I was just flipping out..I was so happy. We then ended up going back to the room and going to bed. In the morning I couldn't sleep. I was still too excited I was all giddy and crazy, I had to get up. Marc wasn't feeling to well (we realized we had almost drank a 1 liter bottle of vodka the night before...haha oops!!) so I ventured out to get him some aspirin. I ended up going to a Walmart down the street and I went on a shopping spree there. I got Marc some OJ and asprin and went back to the room. We hung out there for an hour or so and then checked out and headed home. The ride home seemed so long but I couldn't stop playing the events of the concert over and over in my head. I just felt so content. When I got home we made some pizza and checked out the videos I took from the concert. Then it started to hit me...that it was all over. This feeling of sadness just came over me and I started to feel really down and depressed..It was like I never wanted that to end. I woke up for work this morning and was just like ughh I can't do this today...but here I am and I am trying. It's weird how much music plays a roll in our lives. It creates the deepest of connections between people. I am so glad that Marc and I got to share that event together. I can't get over how lucky I feel to have Marc in my life. He is my best friend and my soulmate.
When we were at the show I heard either Christopher or Glen saying that they should start getting pretty active as a band not this summer but next summer (the summer of 2014 which seems forever away). He said for some reason they don't get asked to do much in the states..it's always stuff in other countries but apparently that might change. I hope they come out with a new album. I hope I get to see them live again..I honestly don't think anything could ever top this first time that I saw them live. I don't ever expect to see them in that personal of a venue ever again..or to be able to have them just hang out after the show like they did. I am so happy that the first time I ever saw them I got to meet all of them. I think it is amazing how they have such a close fan base 17 years after Shannon has been gone and they haven't even come out with much new material besides the album in 2008..It is so weird to know that the majority of people only know them as a one hit wonder yet they have so much more to them than that. It feels like so many people are missing out, but also talking with other people at the show it was like ah there are also so many people who get it and feel the way I do about their music. It was so crazy to meet them and just think about how wow those are the people who were close with Shannon and who went through everything together. I think about the book I read about them that detailed so many different events from how they formed and got signed off of a demo tape when they only had 4 songs, also reading about tours they went on and things they experienced together and then Shannon's death and how they could have had it all and it just ended right when it was really all beginning. It really is a sad story when you think about it...but also at the same time after seeing that show I really felt like wow I can tell how much this music and this band really means to them and to the people at the show...and also to me. Their music has changed my life because of the connection I have to it. It is such a good feeling to feel that connection. There are so many different bands that I have felt this with throughout my life and when I hear music that I have a connection like that with whatever part of my life I was in when I experienced it in it is just amazing. It is like my life has a soundtrack and there are just certain songs and bands that remind me of certain times and the thing too about it is how it is always can bring me back to memories of these amazing times. It brings a certain peace to my soul and this almost indescribable feeling, it is kind of like the peace of understanding that life is so good and being alive is an amazing feeling and the connections you have with people or with music or even with people through music is something really special and real. In the bathroom at the hotel there was a sign framed on the wall that read "learn to live life for every moment". I didn't notice it until Sunday morning after the show and everything but it really sunk in with me and the frame of mind I was in at that time. It was a total "woah" moment because I was just in this total feeling of euphoria about all the events of the weekend.
Someone put the entire concert on youtube:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b30a8f2rSLg
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lg1Z70ZgwKs
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MHVGA10bi5g
When we were at the show I heard either Christopher or Glen saying that they should start getting pretty active as a band not this summer but next summer (the summer of 2014 which seems forever away). He said for some reason they don't get asked to do much in the states..it's always stuff in other countries but apparently that might change. I hope they come out with a new album. I hope I get to see them live again..I honestly don't think anything could ever top this first time that I saw them live. I don't ever expect to see them in that personal of a venue ever again..or to be able to have them just hang out after the show like they did. I am so happy that the first time I ever saw them I got to meet all of them. I think it is amazing how they have such a close fan base 17 years after Shannon has been gone and they haven't even come out with much new material besides the album in 2008..It is so weird to know that the majority of people only know them as a one hit wonder yet they have so much more to them than that. It feels like so many people are missing out, but also talking with other people at the show it was like ah there are also so many people who get it and feel the way I do about their music. It was so crazy to meet them and just think about how wow those are the people who were close with Shannon and who went through everything together. I think about the book I read about them that detailed so many different events from how they formed and got signed off of a demo tape when they only had 4 songs, also reading about tours they went on and things they experienced together and then Shannon's death and how they could have had it all and it just ended right when it was really all beginning. It really is a sad story when you think about it...but also at the same time after seeing that show I really felt like wow I can tell how much this music and this band really means to them and to the people at the show...and also to me. Their music has changed my life because of the connection I have to it. It is such a good feeling to feel that connection. There are so many different bands that I have felt this with throughout my life and when I hear music that I have a connection like that with whatever part of my life I was in when I experienced it in it is just amazing. It is like my life has a soundtrack and there are just certain songs and bands that remind me of certain times and the thing too about it is how it is always can bring me back to memories of these amazing times. It brings a certain peace to my soul and this almost indescribable feeling, it is kind of like the peace of understanding that life is so good and being alive is an amazing feeling and the connections you have with people or with music or even with people through music is something really special and real. In the bathroom at the hotel there was a sign framed on the wall that read "learn to live life for every moment". I didn't notice it until Sunday morning after the show and everything but it really sunk in with me and the frame of mind I was in at that time. It was a total "woah" moment because I was just in this total feeling of euphoria about all the events of the weekend.
Someone put the entire concert on youtube:
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=b30a8f2rSLg
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=lg1Z70ZgwKs
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MHVGA10bi5g