Vans Warped Tour at Merriweather Post Pavilion 7/14/09

Who: Underoath, The Maine, NOFX, Bad Religion, There for Tomorrow, VersaEmerge, Meg & Dia, Hit the Lights, and many more

When: July 14, 2009

Where: Merriweather Post Pavilion

Warped Tour '09 was awesome. I got there at 1:30. Left at 9. Met some bands, bought some merch, rocked all day.

Hey Monday at Ottobar 7/12/09

Who: Hey Monday w/ This Providence, The Friday Night Boys, Stereo Skyline, and The Bigger Lights

Where: Ottobar

When: July 12, 2009

I got to this show kind of late because my dad fell asleep on the couch, so I missed The Bigger Lights and only caught the tail-end of Stereo Skyline, but the rest of the bands were awesome. The Friday Night Boys played mostly stuff from their new record, Off the Deep End, and played great considering this was my first time ever seeing them. Their drummer is awesome. I met him after the show, and he's probably the most down-to-earth person I've ever met. Really nice guy. This Providence was great, I've always thought they've had a really unique sound to them. Hey Monday was amazing. I had seen them at Bamboozle, but that show did not compare to this one at all. If I could choose a venue to see this band live, it would be Ottobar. I was practically standing next to the band while they were playing. They were really energetic, and Cassadee Pope's voice sounded just as good as their record. After the show, I got to meet Hey Monday for a second time and The Friday Night Boys for the first time. Really nice people. Overall, I couldn't ask anything better for this show. 5 great bands and a sweet venue to see them in. Go buy their CDs.

All Time Low at Towson Center Arena 7/11/09

Who: All Time Low w/ We the Kings, Cartel, and Days Difference

Where: Towson Center Arena at Towson University

When: July 11, 2009

This show was so much fun. Sold out, 4 sick bands, over 3,000 people, tons of shitty crowd-surfers, it doesn't really get much better than that. In the afternoon, I tried to see All Time Low at my mall, but I found out that you needed some wristband or some bullshit to get in from Hot Topic, so I didn't get to. I got a couple photos from inside the store, though, even with Mr. Dick Mall Cop over there. Apparently I was blocking the whole walkway. I mean, I know I'm big, but Jesus. Anyways, that kind of sucked because I looked liked a total goon without a wristband around hundreds of under-age girls screaming to get in All Time Low's pants. Back to the show.

There were 2 lines (one on the side entrance and one in the front entrance), surrounded by thousands of people, mostly 15-year-girls. I got to the front entrance and immediately scalped 2 tickets to the show with my friend Donnie even though it was sold out. We waited for about 30 minutes until they opened up 2 separate lines which I really thought was funny: the Ladies' line and the Men's line. I didn't really understand that, but since the line mostly consisted of "ladies" I got in the arena pretty quick. I got a great spot, meeting some of my friends without even having to call them to meet up. They said the show was sold out, yet it seemed like all of the people that I knew were coming anyways I saw during the show. Days Difference that I had never heard of before came out first, and were alright and a respectable band in general, but I wasn't that in to the music. Cartel was great, they weren't as energetic as I saw them at Bamboozle a few months ago, but put on a good show. I wish they had played "Runaway" and "Lose It" though. We the Kings was crazy. When they played their cover of "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World, claiming there should be 134 crowd-surfers out there during the song. Let's just say if Warped Tour saw this, they would be sad. No one knew how to crowd-surf, and the crowd didn't hold them up. I saw at least 10 girls get dropped, including a girl who flipped a shit when she found that someone had dropped her. I guess they were all too young or something. But anyways, We the Kings played all of their songs they played at Bamboozle from their debut album from 2007. I'm getting kind of sick of it, personally.

Then All Time Low came out with a computer-talking intro by some guy named "Fred." Rian Dawson's SJC drum set lit up brightly as it got pitch black. The crowd roared. When the first song, "Lost in Stereo" starting playing, it felt like the floor was gonna collapse below and kill us. There was so much shock to it because it was for basketball players. All Time Low was hysterical as ever with their shitty jokes, comments about shit thrown on stage, and their conversations with their parents above them in the bleachers. They played a great show, I really enjoyed it. I could tell they didn't have a lot of practice playing their new songs from their new album yet, but it was still fun. In general, I don't think All Time Low is the best live band I've ever seen, but definetly one of the most fun and energetic. I can reccomend their new album, Nothing Personal, to anyone out there who enjoys pop-punk music.

Taking Back Sunday at Sonar 6/21/09

So after almost a whole year without updating my blog, I've decided to dedicate it to all of the shows that I go to from now on. Considering it's the summertime right now and I don't have school, I will be going to a lot more shows during my free time and will be able to update my blog more frequently.

So, to start off my new blog about shows, I'll tell you guys about when I saw a band that I have been listening to since 4th grade and that has influenced me a lot.

Who: Taking Back Sunday w/ Anberlin and Envy on the Coast

Where: Sonar

When: June 21, 2009

This was my first show of the summer. This was also one of the (many) shows that I didn't tickets for, sold out, and gave me a very hard time to get them at the door. Plus, you just look like a dick asking people that you don't know for discounts on sold out tickets. I did get lucky though, when some idiot (mother in her mid-40s only going to the show to supervise her kids) sold me a ticket for $20, even though the show was sold out and the original ticket price was $25 (not including Ticketmaster's $10 service charge). Once I got my ticket, I asked the doorman what band was on, and he said "Anberlin" so I flipped out and ran inside, while I found out 10 seconds later that Envy on the Coast hadn't even finished yet. They were on their last song that was their first single though that I liked, called "Sugar Skulls" from their debut album. And it's not that I think Envy on the Coast is a bad band, it's just I wanted to help my dad get in too and get a ticket. Yes, my dad goes to shows a lot of the time with me. And yes, I know that I am more than capable of driving myself down to see the show without my father. He eventually got in too though, getting his for $2o as well. But enough about me, this is about the show.

Anberlin was amazing. I had saw them last November opening up for Motion City Soundtrack at Rams Head Live!, but hadn't known them that well until after I heard them at that show. This show I knew their songs and really could appreciate their singer's great songwriting. I went crazy when "Feel Good Drag" came on, as well as the mosh pit. They definitely know how to put on a good show. They even had the balls to cover a song from the '80s that no one knows the words to. Then came Taking Back Sunday. Huge upset. Adam Lazzara, their singer, could barely hit any of the high notes from their records and spend tons of time talking about how he got punched in the back of the head by some hater on the street the night before, and his favorite animal was. The band playing awesome, but I missed his microphone tricks that he did when I saw them co-headlining a show with Angels & Airwaves at Merriweather Post Pavilion when Fred was still in the band. Generally, I liked their show at Merriweather than this one. Hopefully the next time I see them (at Virgin FreeFest that I couldn't get tickets to goddammit!), they will be better.