Concert Report!
Today I woke up many many times, and then went back to sleep. I don't know if I was excited or nervous or hopped up on too much caffeine (NEVER!) or what, but seriously, I was up like ever 90 minutes. But finally I for real woke up at 6:30am and got on as few clothes as I possibly could - including my Lucero tank top (this will be important later. There will be a quiz. Take notes.) in order to leave the house and drive and drive and drive and meet tempore for breakfast and also Warped Tour!
I only got lost once. I am very, very proud of myself. Plus - it was sunglare and this region's habit of placing street signs WAY back like, on the actual street and not on the corner's fault, not my own. And the fact that Google Maps put things in 395 feet and not tenths of miles. My odometer does not count in feet!)
So yes, we were going to have breakfast at a place that she kept telling me about - "They have really good coffee!" She said. "They have this french toast thing!" She said. I had never been there, so I was down for that, but. This place was closed and I think she was making it up entirely. She's sneaky like that, you know. Beware tempores. They lure you in with siren songs of coffee and breakfast pastries. But we went to Bob Evans, which does in fact exist and had coffees and french toasts and all manner of discussion. It was a great breakfast! I'm not sure if the ladies who have free time to eat breakfast at Bob Evan's on a Wednesday morning at 8am appreciated our discussions of our religious views, but whatever, they are awesome views and they should go get jobs or something. (Jealous? Me?)
And then, on to Warped Tour! We were very lucky in that our line up to get in was mostly in the shade. The children behind us were entertaining enough, for children. ("There's nothing to do in Columbus." "High School Sucks!" "We were so drunk last night!" You know. That sort of thing. I WILL TRADE YOU, CHILDREN! Just you wait!) and we got a copy of the schedule rather quickly. (Advice - buy a schedule. Check the big board, but it's really the best $2 you can spend at Warped.)
And lo and behold the concert gods smiled upon us yet again, in that all the Absolute Must See bands were on the same stage, one right after the other! I have gotten SO LUCKY. Ohne of these years I am going to be screwed so hard in retaliation. We did miss out on a few bands I wouldn't have minded seeing, but I was there, let's be honest, for Alkaline Trio and Reel Big Fish, my number one and number two favorite bands of all time. Also, all the bands were playing ... wait for it ... the pavilion! Covered! Out of the sun! Which, you all know I adore our flaming ball of gas overlord, but I prefer not to pass out in the middle of a mosh pit due to the the sun leathering me where I stand. If I'm going to pass out in a mosh pit, it should be because I got punched in the face like any decent, self-respecting girl. *nods*
So, first we saw Dirty Little Rabbits. They were interesting. I'm going to check out the album, though I'm not sure if I would pay to see them headline. It's hard to judge based on a Warped performance, because set up isn't great, rehearsal time isn't plentiful, and our date is at that point in the tour where it's too far from starting and too far from the end to really have a huge amount of enthusiasm. But the show was good, and probably would have been better if there had been a more into-it crowd.
Next up: Reel Big Fish! !!! Oh, how do I love the Fish? I can't even say. Enough that I want their logo as a tramp stamp tattoo. They're seriously my other favorite band in the whole wide world. Especially right now, with their soulful and touchingly appropriate lyrics like:
You say you love me, you love me again but if you love me- where have you been?
You say you need me more than anyone else, well go to hell- where have you been?
or
I wrote this song about you
Just to let you know that I hate your guts
And I think you suck
or my personal favorites from today's set
Fuck everything,
But fuck you the most
Fuck everyone
But fuck you the most,
With a big rusty pole or a splintery post
Fuck you the most, fuck you
I love them. They're goofy-pretty and fun and entertaining and fun and also play some of my favorite songs. I've seen them a zillion times, and every time it's awesome. They played Trendy, Beer, I Want Your Girlfriend to be My Girlfriend Too, She Has A Girlfriend Now, Snoop Dog Baby, Thank You For Not Moshing (one of my favorites), Where Have You Been (My favoritest song of them all, see above), Your Guts (I Hate Em), Take on Me, Brown Eyed Girl, and Another FU Song. Which is a hell of a set list for a 30 minute show. Also the first verse of Enter Sandman, which was great. They did not play SR, which, while I have heard it nine zillion times, I would have loved for tempore to hear, because it is awesome. But, my job as pop-ska-pimp finished, we took off to purchase Reel Big Fish merch. And potty and eat and all that nonsense. I also got Alkaline Trio merch, naturally. Those of you who've been around long enough will be shocked and amazed to know I did not buy a single hoodie. I KNOW, RIGHT? (I really really wanted a new RBF hoodie, but I really really wanted to pay my rent this week, too.)
Anyway, next up was Every Time I Die, who are new favorites for making my ovaries explode (in the cute way not in the excruciatingly painful way I'm usually talking about) by letting this awesome little kid who was rocking out come up on stage and rock out with them up there. All the band members took turns playing near him and he air-guitared his little heart out. ADORABLE. Kid's life was MADE, you could tell. And that's just so awesome when bands give a shit about the fans, you know?
Then was Dillinger Escape Plan, who were wonderful, but honestly I do not remember much from the set. Mostly because next was Alkaline Trio! !!!
You'd think, as it was later in the day I'd remember more of their set, but I'm not sure I do, so let me try. I know they played My Friend Peter which makes me SO SO HAPPY.
(I dont care who you've been sleeping with these days
You're outta my hair
It's growing just above my smiling face
that I wear
Every night I drink myself to sleep
Not thinking about you
Not thinking about anything at all)
This song is relevant to my current interests. I'm just saying.
And they closed with Radio! !!! I'd seen them like, fifty times before and never heard it live, and the last two times, I get it! ILU, the trio!
They also played Continental (Which i don't think I've heard live before), This Addiction, Dine Dine Darling, Armageddon, She Took Him to The Lake (which I'd never heard live before), Cringe, Private Eye, and Emma. There are a bunch of other songs I would have loved them to play (Hell Yes, Stupid Kid - just for personal reasons), but honestly, that was a hell of a set list, too, and it's not like I haven't seen them 9 or so times before anyway. I think, as far as I can tell, I've heard live at least once every song I wanted to hear. They again didn't play anything off the previous to this album, which I still find odd. I have to wonder if there's a reason for it.
Then was Face to Face, who were awesome (and hot) and I feel really bad that there were only like 16 fans for them (and their hotness). The rest of the ridiculously small crowd was there for We The Kings, who played after and they were the world's most obnoxious bitches ever. The fans, not the band. I saw the band at Warped 08 (I think) and they seemed like pretty nice guys.) Look, I realize they were not there for a punk show, but seriously. Do not get on barrier for a punk band if you're not willing to get beer thrown on you. Don't get pissy when people twice your age run into you. Either grow up and realize you're at a PUNK SHOW or MOVE. (Away from the hotness. What?) And don't get even more bitchy when the band makes fun of you. It's a PUNK band. Be happy they didn't spit on you, okay? This is what we do. (Except, ew. Spit.) And really, had they grown up and gotten over themselves a tiny bit, everyone would have left them alone. It was the fact that they were being such douche-nozzles about it that the pit just so happened to move directly behind them. However, tempore got saluted by mr hot bass guy because we are for real punk fans. (Hi, mr hotass bass guy! You are pretty! I have a thing for you people! You should call me! We can discuss being old and painting our nails!)
We caught a smidgeon of Pennywise - who are great in limited doses, but how many times do I need to be told to carpe this diem right here, you know? - and then left to attempt to find Dan's signing/singing/something. But we were unsuccessful. Since the bands we wanted to see were pretty much done, we decided to take off. On the way back toward the exit, though, a very lovely gentleman complimented me on my shirt. It took me a seriously long time - like 13 years married/recently unmarried so not used to paying attention to people long - to figure out what was going on, but thankfully tempore was there to assist me. He was cute. He should have complimented me some more. Hw thanked me for wearing a decent shirt, and said, "You have no idea the kind of crap I see on a daily basis." I felt bad for him, but not too bad, because, you know, he was on warped tour. Even though it must suck to be stuck in the merch tent and not fanning your little heart out.
This is probably the fewest bands I've ever seen on Warped, but the quality was fabulous so I'm totally ok with that. Sad I had to miss Gaslight Anthem in Columbus (work with my schedule, here, bands!) but as I was out of time, money, and energy I guess I'll live. As long as they come back around soon!