I ended up taking this rockin' girl named Kaitlyn I met at the coffee shop. Shaun had to practice with his band for next weeks show but it worked out great anyway. Usually when you take a guy to a concert, they worry about you too much, and I hold my own in the pit thankyah.
I picked Kait up at High Point, got some cash & gas and we were on our way. Kait is one of those drivers who I pass angrily on the road due to her inability to speed, so my driving scared her a little, but she got through it. I admit, I expected the venue to be in the city, but it ended up being in the middle of no where. Right on the great Salt Lake and next to the Salt Flats...this was our venue.
Looks like the Taj-Mahal right?
It's seriously crazy. What it was built for, the destruction, the continuous usage...read up on it here.
Interesting isn't it?
We got there 30 mins. early only to be backed into the street with cars and men selling t-shirts car to car. A New York accented man tried to sell me an authentic tour tshirt but sadly their smallest size would have engulfed me. He said "Sahrey Sweeethart!" and moved on.
We finally made it up to parking and as always I ignored where they directed me to go and parked up front. I refuse to have Kait & I park in the way back and walk out to my car at midnight. It's just not safe.
We figured out what we could keep in our pockets and got in line to patted down.
My lady was friiiiissssky.
Once inside,I was overwhelmed by how absolutely AWESOME this place was. Packed front to back, it was indeed a music Taj Mahal. I got a Seether tshirt and we ventured out to make it to the front.
This is where we started at. Sad huh?
Now I usually show up at concerts alot earlier so I can get a good spot without having to be rude, but I did have to work that day, so some shoving was to be done. With Kaitlyn holding my hand, we snuck up some open side spaces and I convinced the Security Guard to pop us over the side fence towards the front. Once there, we "excuse me" 'd our way up to about 4 people from the front.
Rec Thoery, the opening band, then started to play.
Honestly, I liked them alot. I've downloaded a few of their songs and it wasn't bad for an opening band. A really tall man was blocking Kait & I's view so with a sweet smile I gave him a back scratch and asked if we could move in front of him to see better. He smiled back and let us.3 spaces from the front.
Rec Theory was still playing and a guy in front of me started to mosh.
One more back scratch later and some convincing that he would surely knock me over if a pit started, and Kait and I were 2 spaces from the front.
Call me manipulative, but I refuse to pay for a concert and not be front row.
From this point it was all about squeezing in between someone to get up on the gates that separated the band from us. The two girls I was eyeing to get between really looked as if they shouldn't be up against the gate anyway. I told them that once Seether came on, they were sure to be crushed against the gate. They laughed and said they'd be okay but I knew they'd be pointing in the air soon to give Security the signal to pull them out.
So here Kait & I stood, myself squeezed inbetween the two girls front row and Kait behind me. Rec Thoery pumped everyone up and now it was time for Flyleaf.
Holey Moley, I've never seen such a petite woman rock so hard. I had never put Flyleaf to any of it's songs, but she was fantastic. I'd recommend downloading some of their music. As much as she could let out a mean screamo voice now and then, inbetween songs she would toss our water bottles in hopes of keeping everyone hydrated. About three songs in she told every male in the room to turn to the females around them and treat them like we were their sisters...and to protect us.
Here's some footage.
Flyleaf finished and down dropped a semi-transparent white curtain over the stage. I had been making small-talk with security all night and I pulled one my way to get info on when that curtain would drop. He told me about a quarter till and I noticed the security was starting to lineup. I turned around to find the place was packed.
My ribs were already hurting form being pushed against the gate, but it was well worth the spot.
Security came by with Water in red plastic cups and we all opened out mouths to be poured some hydration. Water all over the face and loved it...no aim I tell ya....
Alot of small talk with security, the people around me, and assuring the two girls next to me they were going to be moshed to death when Fake It came on, and I saw Seether walk about.
And then, a light on a long long string dropped down and swung back and forth until the lead singer (Shuan Morgan) appeared. It was a little eerie, the swinging flickering ligh above his head, surrounded in a white curtain....I loved it. Then the curtain dropped and the screen behind them illuminated with imagesof numbers and it was a countdown to the first riff.
The crowd went flippin nuts.
They were absolutely amazing. Really brought to light why they are my favorite band...ever. Their new guitarist wasn't bad either. He was always on my side of the stage and I was constantly propping myself on the gate to reach out to him. Unbelievable I caught his eye once and the next time he came to my side of the stage he tossed a guitar pic rick at me! I missed. Sadly.
But crazy enough... later in the show...I caught his eye again! No Flipping Way right? I get goosebumps just typing about it right now. And he did it again....tossed a guitar pic...same section...right towards my outstretched hand and smiled. I got the look from people in the crowd like "No way did he just toss that to you?!" It landed right in front of my finger tips below the gate and that security gaurd I had been conversing with grabbed it, my hand, and gave it to me.It was....phenomenal...
I can still picture that smile...nothing like getting a look from a rockstar.....
Oh Geeze....Oh Man....crazy!
Next was Fake it and as I was sure my ribs were breaking, someone started to push really hard against me. I gave them a large push back which helped in starting a pushing-mosh-match. Those girls next to me made it awhile, but at that pointed up towards the ceiling which gave the Security Gaurds the cue to pull them out. Kait exited as well and I pulled two people I had made friends with into the open spots. I rocked to the point of exhaustion and bruised ribs.
They played and amazing show...brought back to me why I loved concerts so much.
Just that whole feeling of music SCREAMING and RIPPING it's way through the whole body, my lungs and eardrums reverberating against the sounds, feeling the music like you wrote it yourself, screaming your lungs out and trashing to the sound...it's love..it's a passion.
When they left, I tried to get the guard to pop me over the front to exit easier, but my smooth talking was out of luck and I got a hug and a no way. I was then on a hunt to find Kait. She eventually appeared, and I was ecstatic. I was worried someone had taken her away and I proudly flashed my guitar pic. We took a few more pictures and embraced our natural high's all the way to the car where we screamed, yelled, and loved the feeling of an amazing concert.
Afterwords, I told Kait how happy I was to finally have a girlfriend in Utah, dropped her off, hung out with Shaun and the band (www.myspace.com/unknownanthem) for a bit and went home.
I moshed, I crowd surfed, I screamed, I rocked, I felt.
Nothing is worth more then remembering a forgotten passion...live shows :)
