hold your head high, heavy heart
so take a chance & make it big
cause it's the last you'll ever have.
if we don't take it, when will we make it?
My life is changed & I'm convinced I'm still dreaming...
Yesterday, Emily & I journeyed to Buffalo, NY (her hometown) for the Panic! at the Disco, The Academy Is..., Acceptance, Hellogoodbye show at Town Ballroom. The doors were set to open at 6pm and we got there at 5:20. Of course, I was bugging out because I like to get there mad early so I don't have to fight to be up front. So Emily & I are standing in line, freezing our asses off, & there's a guy in a bunch of hoodies, a beanie & girls pants running down the line saying, "Does someone have a car? Can someone please take me to Guitar Center? I'm the tour manager of Hellogoodbye." Before I can even think straight, I throw my hand up in line & yell out "I WILL!" This was my chance. This was my break.
I tell Emily I'll be right back & jet off. He quickly introduces himself as Mike & I introduce myself in return as we're running down an alleyway to get to my car. Halway down, I say, "Wait, I left Emily". He said, "Yeah, why'd you do that?" I run down the alleyway, back to Emily, tell Emily to come quick, & I apologize to her a million times over for even thinking about leaving her behind on what turned out to be the greatest adventure of my life. The 3 of us are rushing down the blocks of Buffalo toward my car, hop in & get settled. Emily had to make a few calls to find out exactly how to get to Guitar Center & Mike asked if he could smoke a cigarette.
On the way over, Mike looked through all of my CDs & the music on my iPod. He praised some (Led Zeppelin, Doobie Brothers, The Faint), reprimanded me for not having the full albums of some (Marvin Gaye, Violent Femmes), and disliked some (She Wants Revenge). Turned out he's 23 and supercool. He tells me that he used to manage another band that he enjoyed a whole lot more because he was their tour manager & their regular manager. I asked which band. He asked if I had ever heard of The Format. DAMN RIGHT I'VE HEARD OF THE FORMAT! He said he was tight with Sam & Nate. I said, "What are you from Arizona or something?" He said he grew up with Sam & they were best friends. I was in shock. Later on that night I asked about how The Format was recording right now, how much longer they would be recording for. He said not long since they had plans to go on tour with Motion City Soundtrack soon. I said I knew & that they were playing at a big venue near me over spring break, but it was a huge venue & it was sold out, so there was no way I could get in there. I said, "Can I photograph it?" He said, "Sure. I mean, I'd have to ask for sure, but I don't see any reason why not." As simple as that was, I was in shock.
The whole night was shock.
We got to Guitar Center. Got everything he needed (a drum stand, a keyboard, a little backpack guitar for himself) & rushed out. Hellogoodbye was on at 7 at it was 6:45. He said me & Emily were "the 2 raddest chicks this side of the Mississippi. Man, the 2 raddest chicks on either side of the Mississippi." He asked us what we wanted: tshirts? anything. I said I wanted to photograph the show. He said, done.
When we pulled up to the backstage entrance, we already had a bunch of the stuff assembled cause we were running late. We ran right in backstage & ran right up on stage as Hellogoodbye was playing. After we got all settled, Mike ran off to get me & Emily guest passes. He said to relax & enjoy the show. I was allowed down in the barricade for the first 3 songs each band played to take pictures. After that, I would go back backstage to chill with Emily, the band members, band members of other bands (Gym Class Heroes, Cute Is What We Aim For) that were friends with the bands that were playing, and friends of the bands. It was absolutely unreal.
Hellogoodbye was hilarious. During their last song, they had someone dressed up as a ketchup bottle, someone dressed as a tequila bottle & had their drummer (on guitar) with a mask on & they were all wrestling each other and just being ridiculous as they sang "Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn".
Acceptance was hands-down my favorite. Besides the fact that I'm such a big fan & I'm in love with Jason Vena, they are just amazing performers & awesome guys. I actually talked with Jason (yeah, we're on a first name basis now) for a little up in their dressing room. I told him I knew he wrote the song, So Contagious, for me. He laughed. I asked who he really wrote it for. He told me that he was married & showed me his wedding ring. I was like, whoa how old are you? He said 26. I said, wow really not that much older than me. that's nuts. But I said that he didn't have school to go through to get in the way or anything, so it's different. He agreed. I told him I was a photographer. He asked if I got shots of him & his band. I said absolutely & when he asked me to email him the shots, of course I agreed. I also told him what a big fan of his I was & that it was really hard for me to try to concentrate on doing what I do when I'm just such a big fan of theirs. He was flattered & we got a picture of me & him. I really tried to not be the "fan" but if I left that night without a picture with him, I would have kicked myself in the head. Emily & I also ran into Kyle (guitarist of Acceptance) on our way out for the night, in front of my car. I told him he was awesome tonight & I asked him if he had been playing with Acceptance for long or not because I didn't remember seeing him at the last show of theirs. He said he had switched around instruments. We got into a little conversation about I don't even know what. He was just super-sweet & mad cute & had the cutest dimples ever. I like him. :]
Panic! at the Disco put on a good show & I got some good shots, but they weren't the most amicable of them all. I mean, they weren't nasty or anything like that. They were just kinda on & off the stage & call it a night. Although...the drummer of Panic was watching Hellogoodbye with Emily & I & did get a good laugh at Emily when she tripped & fell in a hole. I told him he had nice shoes.
I wasn't allowed to photograph The Academy Is... I don't know why really, but Mike J just said that he promised them I wouldn't take pictures of them. Whatever. They were amazing though. & I met the lead guy, William, after. He was pretty nice to talk to, but you can kinda tell when they're just kinda talking to you to appease you or whatever. Meh. We'll see. They were just uh-may-zingggg when they played. Emily & I were hanging out when they were getting ready to go on. They're nuts. One of the guitarists has crazy hair like the hair bands from the 80s & just had ridiculous energy. The drummer was only in underwear & before he went on, he was asking everyone to slap him really hard & then was signing his body in marker where they slapped him. Effin' nuts.
I met this girl, Katie, another girl who was photographing down in the barricade. She photographs for Alternative Press. She's from Pittsburgh, but the magazine is based in Cleavland, Ohio. She's beautiful, I thought. She introduced herself & we started talking. She was curious why I got to go backstage when it seemed like I was just another photographer. I told her why. Turned out that she was only 18 & she was still in high school! Rock on! She's awesome. She came backstage with me to watch Panic. We wanted to exchange contact info to exchange shots from the show, but she disappeared before we could. I'll find her online or something.
After the show was over, Emily & I were getting our stuff together, getting ready to go & we got into a conversation with these 2 guys. They turned out to be the managers of Halifax. I gave them my info & if I get in touch with them, I should be able to shoot Halifax when they play in Buffalo on Feb. 25.
RETROSPECT -
After the show, Emily & I got in my car (parked between Panic's & Hellogoodbye's RVs btw) & I called my mom first thing. Then we called Korey & a few others to scream in the phone & tell them what happened. We were hungry, so we went to Friday's. We just sat there, unwinding from the show, & we still could not believe it. I'm still in shock...it feels like it never even happened, but it so did.
Today, Em & I slept in. Then we went to Elmwood to Pano's for breakfast/lunch. I had the best meal of my life. 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pancakes & homefries + this yogurt, granola, berry thing. Jeeeez. Then we went to Spot Coffee to get the infamous white hot chocolate & look around in the indie/not usual record store that is attached next door. I bought a Mariah Carey record for Jackie, 3 indie magazine for myself (one with deathcab on the cover) & got a Ladytron poster right off their walls for free. We passed Ani Difranco's house. Cool. Then we went to pick up the pictures from last night from Walgreen's 1 hour photo. They were just to get a general idea of how the pictures came out. They'll be a lot better one I scan the negatives in the lab & photoshop the hell out of them.
Tonight I'm staying in to work on writing work & shower, so that tomorrow I can be in the photo lab all day. I want to get these pics & emails out by Monday so that everyone I met, I will still be fresh in their heads.
This is a list of contacts I made last night, that I need to pursue asap. Not everyone gets a chance like this, & I will not let it go un-utlized!
1. Katie from Alternative Press - In to: shoot for/intern for Alternative Press
2. Jason & Kyle from Acceptance - In to: guest list &/or photo passes for Acceptance shows
3. Mike J, tour manager of Hellogoodbye & good friends of the Format - In to: guest list &/or press passes for Hellogoodbye shows and The Format shows
4. The guys from Gym Class Heroes - In to: guest list &/or photo passes for Gym Class Heroes shows
5. William from The Academy Is... - In to: press passes (guest list?) for Academy shows
6. The managers of Halifax - In to: guest list &/or press passes for Halifax shows
7. Panic? eh.
8. Shannt (sp?) from Cute Is What We Aim For - In to: guest passes &/or photo passes for Cute Is What We Aim For shows
9. In for Fueled by Ramen?
unwind.
If I think of more, I'll add later.
Sidenote: I'm in love with the city of Buffalo, NY & Emily's family, house & cat.
cause it's the last you'll ever have.
if we don't take it, when will we make it?
My life is changed & I'm convinced I'm still dreaming...
Yesterday, Emily & I journeyed to Buffalo, NY (her hometown) for the Panic! at the Disco, The Academy Is..., Acceptance, Hellogoodbye show at Town Ballroom. The doors were set to open at 6pm and we got there at 5:20. Of course, I was bugging out because I like to get there mad early so I don't have to fight to be up front. So Emily & I are standing in line, freezing our asses off, & there's a guy in a bunch of hoodies, a beanie & girls pants running down the line saying, "Does someone have a car? Can someone please take me to Guitar Center? I'm the tour manager of Hellogoodbye." Before I can even think straight, I throw my hand up in line & yell out "I WILL!" This was my chance. This was my break.
I tell Emily I'll be right back & jet off. He quickly introduces himself as Mike & I introduce myself in return as we're running down an alleyway to get to my car. Halway down, I say, "Wait, I left Emily". He said, "Yeah, why'd you do that?" I run down the alleyway, back to Emily, tell Emily to come quick, & I apologize to her a million times over for even thinking about leaving her behind on what turned out to be the greatest adventure of my life. The 3 of us are rushing down the blocks of Buffalo toward my car, hop in & get settled. Emily had to make a few calls to find out exactly how to get to Guitar Center & Mike asked if he could smoke a cigarette.
On the way over, Mike looked through all of my CDs & the music on my iPod. He praised some (Led Zeppelin, Doobie Brothers, The Faint), reprimanded me for not having the full albums of some (Marvin Gaye, Violent Femmes), and disliked some (She Wants Revenge). Turned out he's 23 and supercool. He tells me that he used to manage another band that he enjoyed a whole lot more because he was their tour manager & their regular manager. I asked which band. He asked if I had ever heard of The Format. DAMN RIGHT I'VE HEARD OF THE FORMAT! He said he was tight with Sam & Nate. I said, "What are you from Arizona or something?" He said he grew up with Sam & they were best friends. I was in shock. Later on that night I asked about how The Format was recording right now, how much longer they would be recording for. He said not long since they had plans to go on tour with Motion City Soundtrack soon. I said I knew & that they were playing at a big venue near me over spring break, but it was a huge venue & it was sold out, so there was no way I could get in there. I said, "Can I photograph it?" He said, "Sure. I mean, I'd have to ask for sure, but I don't see any reason why not." As simple as that was, I was in shock.
The whole night was shock.
We got to Guitar Center. Got everything he needed (a drum stand, a keyboard, a little backpack guitar for himself) & rushed out. Hellogoodbye was on at 7 at it was 6:45. He said me & Emily were "the 2 raddest chicks this side of the Mississippi. Man, the 2 raddest chicks on either side of the Mississippi." He asked us what we wanted: tshirts? anything. I said I wanted to photograph the show. He said, done.
When we pulled up to the backstage entrance, we already had a bunch of the stuff assembled cause we were running late. We ran right in backstage & ran right up on stage as Hellogoodbye was playing. After we got all settled, Mike ran off to get me & Emily guest passes. He said to relax & enjoy the show. I was allowed down in the barricade for the first 3 songs each band played to take pictures. After that, I would go back backstage to chill with Emily, the band members, band members of other bands (Gym Class Heroes, Cute Is What We Aim For) that were friends with the bands that were playing, and friends of the bands. It was absolutely unreal.
Hellogoodbye was hilarious. During their last song, they had someone dressed up as a ketchup bottle, someone dressed as a tequila bottle & had their drummer (on guitar) with a mask on & they were all wrestling each other and just being ridiculous as they sang "Shimmy Shimmy Quarter Turn".
Acceptance was hands-down my favorite. Besides the fact that I'm such a big fan & I'm in love with Jason Vena, they are just amazing performers & awesome guys. I actually talked with Jason (yeah, we're on a first name basis now) for a little up in their dressing room. I told him I knew he wrote the song, So Contagious, for me. He laughed. I asked who he really wrote it for. He told me that he was married & showed me his wedding ring. I was like, whoa how old are you? He said 26. I said, wow really not that much older than me. that's nuts. But I said that he didn't have school to go through to get in the way or anything, so it's different. He agreed. I told him I was a photographer. He asked if I got shots of him & his band. I said absolutely & when he asked me to email him the shots, of course I agreed. I also told him what a big fan of his I was & that it was really hard for me to try to concentrate on doing what I do when I'm just such a big fan of theirs. He was flattered & we got a picture of me & him. I really tried to not be the "fan" but if I left that night without a picture with him, I would have kicked myself in the head. Emily & I also ran into Kyle (guitarist of Acceptance) on our way out for the night, in front of my car. I told him he was awesome tonight & I asked him if he had been playing with Acceptance for long or not because I didn't remember seeing him at the last show of theirs. He said he had switched around instruments. We got into a little conversation about I don't even know what. He was just super-sweet & mad cute & had the cutest dimples ever. I like him. :]
Panic! at the Disco put on a good show & I got some good shots, but they weren't the most amicable of them all. I mean, they weren't nasty or anything like that. They were just kinda on & off the stage & call it a night. Although...the drummer of Panic was watching Hellogoodbye with Emily & I & did get a good laugh at Emily when she tripped & fell in a hole. I told him he had nice shoes.
I wasn't allowed to photograph The Academy Is... I don't know why really, but Mike J just said that he promised them I wouldn't take pictures of them. Whatever. They were amazing though. & I met the lead guy, William, after. He was pretty nice to talk to, but you can kinda tell when they're just kinda talking to you to appease you or whatever. Meh. We'll see. They were just uh-may-zingggg when they played. Emily & I were hanging out when they were getting ready to go on. They're nuts. One of the guitarists has crazy hair like the hair bands from the 80s & just had ridiculous energy. The drummer was only in underwear & before he went on, he was asking everyone to slap him really hard & then was signing his body in marker where they slapped him. Effin' nuts.
I met this girl, Katie, another girl who was photographing down in the barricade. She photographs for Alternative Press. She's from Pittsburgh, but the magazine is based in Cleavland, Ohio. She's beautiful, I thought. She introduced herself & we started talking. She was curious why I got to go backstage when it seemed like I was just another photographer. I told her why. Turned out that she was only 18 & she was still in high school! Rock on! She's awesome. She came backstage with me to watch Panic. We wanted to exchange contact info to exchange shots from the show, but she disappeared before we could. I'll find her online or something.
After the show was over, Emily & I were getting our stuff together, getting ready to go & we got into a conversation with these 2 guys. They turned out to be the managers of Halifax. I gave them my info & if I get in touch with them, I should be able to shoot Halifax when they play in Buffalo on Feb. 25.
RETROSPECT -
After the show, Emily & I got in my car (parked between Panic's & Hellogoodbye's RVs btw) & I called my mom first thing. Then we called Korey & a few others to scream in the phone & tell them what happened. We were hungry, so we went to Friday's. We just sat there, unwinding from the show, & we still could not believe it. I'm still in shock...it feels like it never even happened, but it so did.
Today, Em & I slept in. Then we went to Elmwood to Pano's for breakfast/lunch. I had the best meal of my life. 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 pancakes & homefries + this yogurt, granola, berry thing. Jeeeez. Then we went to Spot Coffee to get the infamous white hot chocolate & look around in the indie/not usual record store that is attached next door. I bought a Mariah Carey record for Jackie, 3 indie magazine for myself (one with deathcab on the cover) & got a Ladytron poster right off their walls for free. We passed Ani Difranco's house. Cool. Then we went to pick up the pictures from last night from Walgreen's 1 hour photo. They were just to get a general idea of how the pictures came out. They'll be a lot better one I scan the negatives in the lab & photoshop the hell out of them.
Tonight I'm staying in to work on writing work & shower, so that tomorrow I can be in the photo lab all day. I want to get these pics & emails out by Monday so that everyone I met, I will still be fresh in their heads.
This is a list of contacts I made last night, that I need to pursue asap. Not everyone gets a chance like this, & I will not let it go un-utlized!
1. Katie from Alternative Press - In to: shoot for/intern for Alternative Press
2. Jason & Kyle from Acceptance - In to: guest list &/or photo passes for Acceptance shows
3. Mike J, tour manager of Hellogoodbye & good friends of the Format - In to: guest list &/or press passes for Hellogoodbye shows and The Format shows
4. The guys from Gym Class Heroes - In to: guest list &/or photo passes for Gym Class Heroes shows
5. William from The Academy Is... - In to: press passes (guest list?) for Academy shows
6. The managers of Halifax - In to: guest list &/or press passes for Halifax shows
7. Panic? eh.
8. Shannt (sp?) from Cute Is What We Aim For - In to: guest passes &/or photo passes for Cute Is What We Aim For shows
9. In for Fueled by Ramen?
unwind.
If I think of more, I'll add later.
Sidenote: I'm in love with the city of Buffalo, NY & Emily's family, house & cat.