Concert High

 Last night I had the absolute pleasure of FINALLY seeing one of my favourite bands since 2006, Panic! at the Disco, along with openers Twenty One Pilots and headliner Fall Out Boy.  I've seen Fall Out Boy twice already but find their new album to be the most ridiculously catchy thing that ever existed, so needless to say I was crazy excited.

I've never heard of Twenty One Pilots.  But they were wearing ski masks.  And singing songs with pretty decent social messages.  So I was in! Jeff and I agreed they weren't bad at all, though we only arrived in time to see two songs.

Then we waited for my buddy Brendon Urie and Panic! to take the stage.  It was raining at Echo Beach, but Jeff and I hardly noticed.  An all standing venue, on beach sand, surrounded by kids average age perhaps 18... but we didn't feel old.. we just felt excited.  Ok so part of this excitement could possibly be attested to the fact that the opening band was done before 8 p.m. meaning we'd be able to see good long sets from Panic! and FOB and still manage to make it home in time for Jeff to clock some shuteye before his 14 hour day at work today.  Yes.. so we're old. But whatever works to get you PUMPED! :D

When Brendon took the stage and started with "It's Time to Dance", I was transported back to 2007 instantly.  I had just downloaded that song and was playing it over and over again on my iPod on my drive to work at my shiny new job.  This was exactly 6 years ago... ack!  Time really flies.  "Well, she's not bleeding on the ballroom floor just for the attention.. cuz that's just ridiculous.."  Jeff and I had fun answering "WEDDING" to the prompt of "SHOTGUN", singing at the top of our lungs with all the other kiddies.  They played my current fave, the single Miss Jackson (B's dancing in this video originally sold me hard on this song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUc_jXBD9DU - I often try to emulate his moves while Bailey and I are out hiking.. results likely laughable!).  They played their new single, a couple from their last album which was good but not comparable in my eyes to A Fever You Can't Sweat Out or Pretty. Odd, and me and Jeff's Rock Band stardom song, Nine in the Afternoon.  Most of you who are reading this and going "..who is this band?" will remember I Write Sins Not Tragedies as their breakthrough single http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc6vs-l5dkc and if you watched music videos (like I did when I was a rich and lazy master's student!) you'll remember the world's creepiest wedding guests and yet another video where Brendon where eyeliner and a top hat.  He is also into shiny jackets, which he was wearing last night.  If there's one key to my heart, it's a sparkly item of clothing.  So ya, anyways, I can't stop laughing about the ridiculousness of all of us getting prompted to sing the start of I Write Sins - "what a beautiful wedding..." ending with "the poor groom's bride is a whore!" and Brendon brings the mike back to his lips, laughing and exclaims "she's such a slut!" then burst into the "I chime in" verse and goes on singing.  He kept sliding back and forth on the stage, in his sparkly jacket, taking advantage of the slippery drops of rain, and warning us to please laugh at him when he inevitably falls.  Which he didn't, because I'm fairly certain he's super human.  And he ended his set with a backflip off the drummer's platform down onto the stage.  Stuck it. Loved it.  I was so freaking happy.  Great songs that brought back lovely memories, and an awesome singer, completely kooky and fun, too easy to picture singing in the spotlight next to a piano at a lounge in the 20s with his beautyful rich voice.  I had a blast singing every last word.

Fall Out Boy was solid, for sure.  Their shows have gotten significantly showier since I first saw them in 2007 - more lights, more video, more planned "stunts" - but hey, it was awesome!  I'm happy to have someone put on a show for me.  I thought their first few song selections were weak, but was thrilled when they started to play a few off their new album, especially Young Volcanoes which I danced my ass off to in the sand and the rain.  Dance Dance was more 2005 nostalgia - I drew the heart a la 2005 Patrick (you have to watch the video or have a good memory to know what I mean http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6MOKXm8x50).  They have a pretty solid selection of songs.  Patrick has definitely gotten way more cute/fun/confident over the years too.  But, sadly, my heart still belongs to Pete Wentz - my devastating crush on him when I was 22 was embarrassing enough at the time .. it's significantly moreso now.  Especially when juxtaposed with holding hands with my husband LOL.  But alas, Kristyn will be Kristyn. ;)  And of course during the show I couldn't stop laughing in my head about this:

"Fall Out Boy", 2007 (Photo by: Dave Cristo)

There were all sorts of kind of cool videos playing on the big screen behind the guys - during Save Rock and Roll they showed pictures of amazing artists through time and encouraged everyone in the audience to create, make music, etc..  Jeff and I cheered for pics of artists we loved like Kurt Cobain, and Jeff lost his voice yelling "ya!" when they showed Tupac and Biggie. Lol.  There was a long video segment that was confusing and it was really dark for a good few minutes while we all watched it, wondering where it was leading.  Then, all of a sudden, there is screaming directly behind me and the guys (sans drummer) have set up maybe 15 feet behind us and are starting to play a lovely, soft version of I'm Like a Lawyer With the Way I'm Always Trying to Get you Off (yes).  Being so close to them (to Pete?) brought tears to my eyes.  I was so happy. Tall Jeff snapped a couple of pics, just to show how close we actually were for those few songs, including a sing a long to Where Is Your Boy Tonight - just amazing!  I like to hope when they asked us to sing Patrick heard me, and pictured the likeness of the girl in the picture above (lol).

Almost best seats in the house - for 3 songs!



Probably my biggest FOB surprise was when they covered Drake's Hold on We're Going Home.  They called him a hometown hero (haha Wheelchair Jimmy).  Cool, I like Drake.  I don't think the target audience was quite right though, lots of derision (including from Jeff haha).  And another great surprise was when they brought Mr. Sparkly Jacket back on stage to do the vocals for 20 Dollar Nosebleed, a Fall Out Boy song that I have ALWAYS ADORED, and until last night had no idea he was the guest/lead vocalist on.  No wonder I liked it so much! Listening to it today I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner! Before he left the stage, he did another backflip.  Excellent.

My main "hrrrrrmmm" about the FOB set was Pete's little interludes of talking between songs.  I sort of wish he would just keep his pretty mouth shut.  At one point, trying to encourage kids to embrace music he managed to compare FOB's Save Rock and Roll album to Green Day's Dookie (come on, Pete).  And he kept referencing all the "kids in the crowd" who "just don't fit in" and people "just don't get you - but I feel that, man, no one ever got me either".  Jeff and I just looked at each other and laughed.  We lamented our mortgage, steady jobs and marriage and just how well we fit in to life in general.. dammit! ;)  There were some definite freaks around us.  Good for them.  I hope the freaks find comfort in the music.  I know I have at lower points in my life (Bang the Doldrums basically healed me after a cruddy breakup) - and I'll always be a bit of a weirdo at heart (and on the surface.. and in extremely detailed blog posts about concerts attended mainly by teenagers).

Amazing, amazing show overall.  The energy, especially from Panic! (did I mention the bassist was also wearing a sparkly shirt, and their big sign behind the stage was sparkly too?) was contagious.  I went home in the most fabulous of moods, after being a bit in the dumps yesterday, and have been riding my Concert High all day long.  Cleaning out the fridge, dusting the house and vacuuming up another mountain of dog hair today were tasks made much more enjoyable by dancing and singing at the top of my lungs, reliving my favourite parts of the show (yes, I will now insert "she's such a slut!" into I Write Sins every time I sing it! - I'm all class, for the record).  I didn't even notice the rain.  Just the tunes, the good vibes, and Pete Wentz' smile (KIDDING).

And I can't finish up my concert post without mentioning seeing Alan Doyle at Jackson Triggs winery's amphitheatre last Friday night.  He's the lead singer of Great Big Sea, for the unenlightened (!!), and does some solo stuff.  He was incredible.  I dare anyone to go acapella (spell check is suggesting "scapula" to replace that - I'm going to leave it...) all alone on stage, nothing but your voice and a glass of wine, and sound anything like Alan.  He is unreal!  My mom and I both got misty eyed during one of his ballads, about what else, a sailor, the sea and his love back home.  Le sigh!  A wonderful week of concerts.

Have you seen your favourite band lately!?  If not, I would strongly recommend it for filling your soul and putting a huge smile on your face, and kooky dance in your step.