courtoh

7/23/2008

Got up around 9, get to Mansfield around 10:45. Get inside around 11:30.
May I take a moment to say that the Comcast Center is really confusing :(

The first band I saw was Evergreen Terrace. I sat down and half listened to them as I figured out where I needed to go to find the Hurley stage/myspace tent. As I'm walking toward the main stages, I see a familiar bleach-blonde pass by and I'm like "uh that dude looks like Kyle Burns" then Kent and Austin walk by. I see Jonathan and I stop him to say good morning, see how he was doing. He was so sweet. He shook my hand and made sure I was having fun, and was about to give me a hug but he was ushered away. He looked back at me and waved apologetically.
Second band was Broadway Calls, then Against Me! I got into the crowd before Family Force 5 to get a good spot for All Time Low, but I quickly became a fan of them once they started playing. Alex, Rian and Jack stood to the side of the stage during FF5, haha brb being a lurker~
After that set was over, All That Remains was on the mainstage to the left of the Hurley stage. All Time Low created a huuuuuge crowd. I don't know why. I had never seen such a huge crowd. Anyway, as they set up a huge fight broke out at the back of the crowd. I didn't see it because I was on the barricade and was not going to move. ATL was amazing, as always. I was kind of sad they didn't play Break Out! Break Out! though.

After ATL, I hung around and watched most of Say Anything's set. Went to see Gym Class Heroes, stayed for a few songs, then went to see my buddy Ziggy. I gave him the fisheye pictures of him/us from St Pete and we talked about his real name/how he got his nickname for a bit. We danced to GCH and he was headbanging and all was wonderful. Then he told us that he just got a weather warning saying there would be high winds, torrential rain, and possible hail. The FBR guy next to them stood on the table 5 seconds later and started screaming "Ponchos! GET A PONCHO! FIVE DOLLARS! ALL YOUR SHIT IS FUCKED IF YOU DON'T BUY A PONCHO!" then he started screaming like a little girl when his sign blew out of his hands. I picked it up and handed it to him and he was all smiles again, then went back to selling his ponchos.

Then the rain.

Everyone ran to the amphitheater part of the venue. On my way there, I spy a "PEACE" bracelet by Jac Vanek on the ground. Yoink, mine now.
Everyone crowded under the amphitheater. There, Ludo and Madina Lake played to a full audience. Kids started leaving the amphitheater to use the grass as a water slide. It was entertaining to watch.

thats how crowded it was.


When the rain stopped, I head back to the Ernie Ball Stage to catch the end of Charlotte Sometimes.

Sneak my way up to the front in time for Forever The Sickest Kids. After FTSK played a few songs, they had CICI come out to model the new shirt. He stripped~ for us. They finished with a couple more songs. I just wish they would play IDKAYBICTD again.

However, FTSK has the best crowd always. Best stage presence. Best everything. I will love these boys forever.
After the set ended, I walked over to the merch tent. Jonathan said the band would be there, but it was just him and CICI. Kent came out for, like, 2 seconds then ran away. :( I had Jonathan sign some things for me, we talked for a minute/laughed at each other, and we took a picture together, but for some reason it felt like he just didn't want to be there at all. It had been a good half hour before I got to him and there were still a bunch of people waiting, so I can imagine it felt never ending.

I left around 7:15, right before The Academy Is... & We The Kings. I was tired and my feet were squooshy and bleh, it was time to go.

July 11, 2008

Warped tourrrr. Got inside the venue around 11:30, went to the schedule, and wrote down the bands/times:

forever the sickest kids (acoustic)- myspace tent 12:00
cobra starship- main stage right 12:45
the academy is- main stage left 1:15
from first to last- main stage left 2:15
say anything- main stage right 2:45
the audition- ernie ball 3:10
forever the sickest kids- ernie ball 3:50
against me! -main stage right 5:45
gym class heroes- main stage left 6:15
jack's mannequin- main stage right 6:45
reel big fish- main stage left 7:15


FTSK acoustic set was really sociable and quaint. they kept talking about how after their fall tour they're moving to Florida.

 

After the acoustic set I went back to Main Stage Right for Cobra Starship. wtf I hate them and their fans so much. Damn you Suarez. He's the main reason I put up with Cobra Starship, not gonna lie.
and Ryland is amazing: "THIS SIDE IS GETTING CRAY-CRAY!"

left during Snakes On A Plane, right when Sisky came out to sing Travis's rap part, and headed over to Main Stage Left to get in the crowd for The Academy Is…

"cobra was on first (meaning the first band i saw on main stage), so I was in the mosh pits for majority of the set, then moved out of them to get closer to suarez. After cobras was tai so I left during soap and went to the next main stage without taking a break or anything. Fought my way through pits etcetc got up to carden, then held my spot for three or four songs. I got dizzy so I left the crowd and right as I got out, I passed out." YEAH, not fun.

So I walked a few feet away from the stage and decided to lay down under a tree. I took a really really short (5 minutes) nap in the shade during From First To Last so I would feel better. Ate some pizza and had lemonade then got up and ran to watch the end of Say Anything. For some reason Max was by himself (I was still laying down in the grass when he most likely mentioned why it was just him) until the last song, "Wow, I Can Get Sexual Too"


after Say Anything's set was over, I walked around for a bit. I talked to Ziggy (TAI merch guy) for a long time. We took a few pictures together, hopefully they came out okay. I used my lomo fisheye and he got so excited he nearly tripped over his bike on his way around the table to get to where I was standing. After we chatted, I asked about the M&G/signing and if Santi's Little Helpers got to be first in line like they said or if they changed their minds. He was all "yeah! yeah! You just cut in front of everyone haha." so I was asked if it could happen any time during the signing because I would be watching FTSK at 3:50 (signing was supposed to start at 4) and he said "OH YES! :D" Just like that. His eyes wide, huge smile. It would have been in all caps if we had speech bubbles, ya know? Anyway, we part ways for a bit so I could go watch The Audition & Forever The Sickest Kids.

I was really far and didn't feel like getting in the crowd. Saved my energy for FTSK. When The Audizzle was starting their last song, I went to find my mom to tell her I'd be going back to see FTSK then I'd be heading to the signing.

FTSK played the Ernie Ball stage, which made me sad but happy. Sad because it seems like a downgrade from what they had been playing, but happy because it was more… friendly? It was a smaller crowd than I expected, but it was still a big crowd. I don't make any sense. I was talking to a boy, didn't catch his name nor him mine, about Four Year Strong. We fangirled over them until FTSK started.
I was stuck behind four MASSIVE guys. Like, they were skyscrapers. When they were bending down to hoist a girl up and toss her onto the crowd, I ran around them and made my way to the barricade. HOWEVER, being in front of those guys was a bad move. They threw another girl onto the crowd and her foot cracked my skull (not literally but omg it hurt)

right after FTSK was over, I bustled over to the TAI tent. The boys were running late, so I talked with Ziggy again. He was so cute. He started yelling at the line of kids waiting for the signing and then was all BRB I NEED TO MAKE A SIGN~ so he made a sign that said "YOU GUYS NEED TO MAKE A LINE" and drew a straight line with an arrow pointing to it that said "ok" and a messed up squiggle that had an arrow pointing to it that said "NO NO" and on the bottom he wrote "I love you :)"

after a few minutes of more yelling ("READ THE SIGN!") and walking up and down the line, he came back and took the SLH kids to the back of the tent. We stood around for a bit, then Ziggy left to retrieve the band. We all had a little powwow, then Tony said the band had to leave for the signing. I met everyone but Chislett.

After the band was in the merch tent, doing the signing for everyone else, Jack called us around him and the ~briefcase~. there's just a CD player in there, so we were like "WAIT IS THIS WHAT FLANNIGAN AND MR JANES ARE BATTLING FOR" I think we scared him a little because he was all "NO NO! We hid that stuff." Then we all took turns listening to one of two new songs. I listened to Forever Young, since they played About A Girl during their set. HOLY. SHIT. So fucking good. The new CD is going to, like, make my brain orgasm or something. idk.
We all talked to Jack for about two hours. I asked him about Columbia College & what they want to see in portfolios. We talked forever about photography! But it was amazing. I asked about the About A Girl art and he said it was just a double-exposure picture he took with his own fisheye.
5:30 rolled around and a couple of us were like "okay bye Jack, Against Me! is more important." and left hahahah

I sat at the back of the crowd and watched Against Me!. They're really good live. I saw Danny there, too. I figured he'd be there. He goes anywhere AM! goes. When AM! ended, I ran up to the stage to get a good spot for Jack's Mannequin, then watched Gym Class from there.

Travis did some screamo song and holy mother of the planet, I nearly died. It was the most amazing thing I have EVER heard. In my life. I normally HATEHATEHATE screamo but this… this was good. I didn't get a video of it, though.

THEN JACK'S MANNEQUIN! I was so so so so happy. I love JM so much. They played a new song and this CD will also make my brain orgasm or something along those lines.
Somehow I managed to pull a muscle in my thigh during this set. HOW? I will never know.
Andrew went crazy after MFEO/You Can Breathe, jumping on his piano keys, smashing his chair onto his piano. It was actually a really good end to the set.

After JM, my mom wanted to leave so I didn't get to see The Pink Spiders. :( But we stayed for a few minutes so I could hear "Sell Out" by Reel Big Fish :D
But life is good. I'm going to visit family on the 17th and won't be back until the 26th. That means Boston Warped! (I'm really rather sad TPS won't be there, though, not gonna lie)