Arctic Monkeys Concert
Yesterday I drove down to Portland, OR from Olympia, WA to see Arctic Monkeys perform a free show at the Wonder Ballroom.
Michaele (my sister) and I got up at 3am, I hopped in the shower while she made our lunches. We hopped in the car a little after 5am, turned our iTrip on to some Arctic Monkeys tunes, and drove down to Portland.
We arrived around 7:20am, found 3-hour parking down the street from Jackpot Records, and I only paid $4.80 for the time we were parked. We got in line outside of the store and ended up being the 13th and 14th people in line. We sat and waited anxiously for 10am to come. We were very chilly, so I went to my car and pulled out the blanket in my trunk to keep us warm. We chatted a bit with the people around us, but not too much, and read a bit of our books. Then, it was 10! We walked inside, grabbed our free tickets, and headed out again. We sped walked to the nearest Starbucks to find a bathroom but no-go. So we just decided to drive to the venue and find a bathroom there.
We got to the Wonder Ballroom and drove down the street. We found free street parking that was available all day. Another score. We ended up being the first two people in line just because we had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go. We went to the coffee shop down the street to do our business, and then just spent the day on the sidewalk waiting for 4:30pm. A couple other people showed up before noon, and then we just sat and talked. Suddenly Michaele says, "Oh my God. That's Matt and Nick." I turned around and two of the members of Arctic Monkeys were getting out of a fancy shuttle van. The look around a bit and then walk over to us. "Hiya," Matt, the drummer, says. "Do you know which one's the venue?" We kinda stare at them in shock and then Michaele says, "Hiya. Yeah, it's the Wonder Ballroom right there." The rest of us pointed, but we didn't say much. I think I said, "Yeah, it's right there," while pointing at the Ballroom. They said thanks and went on their merry way. We were kinda shocked. A little bit later, Jamie, the guitarist, pulls up in the same shuttle van and heads inside the venue.
A little later, this Nike PR lady comes up to us (Nike is sponsoring the free concert) and talks about this trailer in front of the ballroom and how they're making free sweatshirts for the band and for the crew. She said since we've given up our day to sit around in line, she was going to get us free hoodies. We were a little shocked, but grateful. So, we waited until she would...but she didn't come back. So we were a little irritated. The line got longer, they cornered us off, and then the ice cream man comes and gives us all free ice cream. Welcome treat! Then the Nike woman comes back with forms on what to put on our hoodies. We create them, and then another Nike guys comes up and offers us cold water bottles. This was right before we went inside, but we got a few sips before we headed in (no outside drinks allowed). We get inside and get on the right center.
The Like, an all-girl band, was the opening act. It took them a half-hour to even get on the stage. But, surprisingly, they were kinda good. The Bass player was incredible. She carried the band. The guitarist was more of a rhythm guitar than the lead. She was also the singer. But, seriously, the bass player was the best. She was right in front of me, so I just spent the time watching her fingers fly over that bass. After the show, I met her and we all go her autograph. She was really nice.
Once the girls were gone, the set changed pretty quickly and the anticipation was palpable. Suddenly, there was new-guy-who-no-one-really-cares-about-and-really-isn't-in-the-band, then Jamie, Alex, Matt, and Nick. Cheers, cheers, and more cheers. The opened up with a song I didn't know, followed by a song I did know, "Brianstrom." And that was when I got smooshed for the first time. And it didn't let up. At one point some guy behind us put his arm on the bar and it started digging into my ribs. A girl behind me put her hands on my shoulder to push the moshers back, but I had gotten a terrible sunburn, so that hurt, and the pushing into the barricade hurt my insides. At one point all the pain was too much that tears escaped from my eyes. So I turned to the guy and told him to move his arm. He didn't. In fact, he said if I couldn't handle it, I shouldn't have been in front. It wasn't the pushing that got to me. I could handle it, but it was the arm digging into my side. Eventually he moved it...probably after I brutally attacked it with my elbow. :) The rest of the show was pretty uneventful, except it was hard to get good shots because people kept rolling into me. I just timed my pictures in between the waves. I ended up getting around 100 good pictures.
After the show, we headed outside and got our hoodies. We looked at the tags...they each were worth around $100. And we got them from free. Thanks Nike! Then we waited by their shuttle van for all of them to come out. One of the guys working at the venue gave us extra copies of the set list, and one of the crew members handing Michaele a T-Shirt because it was too big for him. He gave it to my size-4 sister. It was an XL. Anyway. We waited for over an hour. And we were in pain. But suddenly, then all came out, and we met Alex, Nick, and Matt. Jamie snuck away and climbed into the van so we couldn't meet him, but hey, we met the others, and Michaele and I each got a picture with Alex.
For dinner, we stopped at McDonald's and ate in a DOT parking lot. XD Then somehow we managed to drive 2.5 hours back home to our little Lacey by 1am. I'm very glad I didn't fall asleep the wheel. Singing tends to keep you awake.
Overall, it was a very good, monetarily cheap day, and I think this was a much better plan than trying to buy tickets for the show in Seattle today. Free stuff makes everything worth it.
Michaele (my sister) and I got up at 3am, I hopped in the shower while she made our lunches. We hopped in the car a little after 5am, turned our iTrip on to some Arctic Monkeys tunes, and drove down to Portland.
We arrived around 7:20am, found 3-hour parking down the street from Jackpot Records, and I only paid $4.80 for the time we were parked. We got in line outside of the store and ended up being the 13th and 14th people in line. We sat and waited anxiously for 10am to come. We were very chilly, so I went to my car and pulled out the blanket in my trunk to keep us warm. We chatted a bit with the people around us, but not too much, and read a bit of our books. Then, it was 10! We walked inside, grabbed our free tickets, and headed out again. We sped walked to the nearest Starbucks to find a bathroom but no-go. So we just decided to drive to the venue and find a bathroom there.
We got to the Wonder Ballroom and drove down the street. We found free street parking that was available all day. Another score. We ended up being the first two people in line just because we had nothing else to do and nowhere else to go. We went to the coffee shop down the street to do our business, and then just spent the day on the sidewalk waiting for 4:30pm. A couple other people showed up before noon, and then we just sat and talked. Suddenly Michaele says, "Oh my God. That's Matt and Nick." I turned around and two of the members of Arctic Monkeys were getting out of a fancy shuttle van. The look around a bit and then walk over to us. "Hiya," Matt, the drummer, says. "Do you know which one's the venue?" We kinda stare at them in shock and then Michaele says, "Hiya. Yeah, it's the Wonder Ballroom right there." The rest of us pointed, but we didn't say much. I think I said, "Yeah, it's right there," while pointing at the Ballroom. They said thanks and went on their merry way. We were kinda shocked. A little bit later, Jamie, the guitarist, pulls up in the same shuttle van and heads inside the venue.
A little later, this Nike PR lady comes up to us (Nike is sponsoring the free concert) and talks about this trailer in front of the ballroom and how they're making free sweatshirts for the band and for the crew. She said since we've given up our day to sit around in line, she was going to get us free hoodies. We were a little shocked, but grateful. So, we waited until she would...but she didn't come back. So we were a little irritated. The line got longer, they cornered us off, and then the ice cream man comes and gives us all free ice cream. Welcome treat! Then the Nike woman comes back with forms on what to put on our hoodies. We create them, and then another Nike guys comes up and offers us cold water bottles. This was right before we went inside, but we got a few sips before we headed in (no outside drinks allowed). We get inside and get on the right center.
The Like, an all-girl band, was the opening act. It took them a half-hour to even get on the stage. But, surprisingly, they were kinda good. The Bass player was incredible. She carried the band. The guitarist was more of a rhythm guitar than the lead. She was also the singer. But, seriously, the bass player was the best. She was right in front of me, so I just spent the time watching her fingers fly over that bass. After the show, I met her and we all go her autograph. She was really nice.
Once the girls were gone, the set changed pretty quickly and the anticipation was palpable. Suddenly, there was new-guy-who-no-one-really-cares-about-and-really-isn't-in-the-band, then Jamie, Alex, Matt, and Nick. Cheers, cheers, and more cheers. The opened up with a song I didn't know, followed by a song I did know, "Brianstrom." And that was when I got smooshed for the first time. And it didn't let up. At one point some guy behind us put his arm on the bar and it started digging into my ribs. A girl behind me put her hands on my shoulder to push the moshers back, but I had gotten a terrible sunburn, so that hurt, and the pushing into the barricade hurt my insides. At one point all the pain was too much that tears escaped from my eyes. So I turned to the guy and told him to move his arm. He didn't. In fact, he said if I couldn't handle it, I shouldn't have been in front. It wasn't the pushing that got to me. I could handle it, but it was the arm digging into my side. Eventually he moved it...probably after I brutally attacked it with my elbow. :) The rest of the show was pretty uneventful, except it was hard to get good shots because people kept rolling into me. I just timed my pictures in between the waves. I ended up getting around 100 good pictures.
After the show, we headed outside and got our hoodies. We looked at the tags...they each were worth around $100. And we got them from free. Thanks Nike! Then we waited by their shuttle van for all of them to come out. One of the guys working at the venue gave us extra copies of the set list, and one of the crew members handing Michaele a T-Shirt because it was too big for him. He gave it to my size-4 sister. It was an XL. Anyway. We waited for over an hour. And we were in pain. But suddenly, then all came out, and we met Alex, Nick, and Matt. Jamie snuck away and climbed into the van so we couldn't meet him, but hey, we met the others, and Michaele and I each got a picture with Alex.
For dinner, we stopped at McDonald's and ate in a DOT parking lot. XD Then somehow we managed to drive 2.5 hours back home to our little Lacey by 1am. I'm very glad I didn't fall asleep the wheel. Singing tends to keep you awake.
Overall, it was a very good, monetarily cheap day, and I think this was a much better plan than trying to buy tickets for the show in Seattle today. Free stuff makes everything worth it.