Canadians, Trannies and Brits - Oh My!

I said it was coming and now it's here: the awesome story of my third Warped Tour experience... from, like... 5 weeks ago. *ahem* Moving on!

Warped Tour '09 almost didn't happen for me... because I'm an idiot. Mike knew I was going, so we were planning for me to be out of the office that entire day. Then Mike's little brother mentions that he was going to the show the next day, the 14th. I had previously thought it was the 21st (like an idiot). So Mike calls me up, makes me double check my ticket and he's right (and I'm an idiot). So this drastically changes things, like having to get a REAL amount of sleep for the next day.

I get up extra early so I can pack up for the concert and jet to work early. I figured I'd skip all the potential backup to the Columbia venue by already being there. Got to the office around 5:30 AM, let myself in, locked up, then went right to the massage room with no windows and the most-padded semblance of a bed, to sleep until I knocked a few hours out on an early shift. Then... the Mexicans showed up... to clean the place, of course. I locked the doors to keep them out rather than going out and explaining why I was there already. Little sleep was had. Knocked out a few hours on the job, then zipped over to Merriweather.

First and foremost, I will say that the weather was amazing all day long. I remember there being the constant threat of rain or whatever thinking about falling, but it never did. I chilled at the mall to let the entry lines fade, then ducked inside after about 30 mins. Made my trip to the giant inflatable wall to scope out the schedule, jotted down who I needed to see where... and then it began.

Never have I gone to a Warped Tour and known so few bands on the bill, so that made it an incredible opportunity to discover some new blood or some old blood that had previously missed my ears. I didn't get to see every group I wanted, but definitely got to see my share of good and bad acts. Here's the breakdown...

Senses Fail - the only band I made mandatory since I've come to discover their entire discography in the last year or so. Kind of a short set, but I'll hit them again in October when they visit Towson. But they played the fav's, like "Can't Be Saved" and "Rum is for Drinking, Not for Burning." Buddy does a lot of mic swinging... like, a LOT. Might need to tone that down and focus on having the mic in-hand when it's time for the vox, but hey, who's the rockstar here? Not me.

I also had the pleasure of collecting autographs and handshakes from each one of the guys at their signing. I even ran into Buddy again after their show and talked him up a little bit. Certainly glad to have dedicated, authentic bands like them on the tour. I got some pics with the guys, but I'll save them all for when I have every shot I wanna share. (Stupid phone!)

TAT - the award for Surprise Awesomeness goes to this punk/rock trio from England. I just happened to be walking by their stage as thing were ramping up and got sucked in. In the interviews I've seen, they agreed when someone characterized their sound as "Joan Jett meets Green Day." And my God, are they addictive! Their frontlady is crude, hilarious, smokin' hot and a phenomenal guitarist! Every guy would try to nail her if she wasn't capable of kicking our each and every ass. I didn't know any of the songs then, but I remember lots of catchy riffs, enticing lyrics and several spots prime for audience participation.

This little dialogue sums up the thrill of getting to see them:
Tatiana: How many of you all have heard of us before?
Crowd: *about half of everyone woo's and cheers*
Tatiana: Well, how many of you motherfuckers have heard of us now?!
Crowd: *EVERYONE goes off like mad*

Their bassist, Nick Kent... solid. Dude is loud and lively. It's rare a bassist catches my eye/ear, but he's just that good. Check out their album, Soho Lights. It's freakin' gold!

Alexisonfire - this is another group I just happened upon near the end of the day. Their music seemed like something I might wanna check out later, but that's not what hooked me (though it isn't without merit). A song or two in, a "that guy" near the front chucks a cup of ice and it spills on the lead guitarist (who was kicking lots of musical ass). Half of the band plays on while the other half drops gear and goes after this dude! You don't fuck with the band - they're Canadian, but they'll still beat your ass for being so audacious. Lucky for that guy, security got their hands on him before the band did. Had that not been the case...? Yikes. I took a break from them for about 60 seconds to see the big headliner across the field everyone was talking about, 3OH!3. They blew chunks - that is all. Went back to the rockin' Canucks. Didn't stay for the whole set... last group of the day, tired, gave up and called it a success. Lots of dynamic sound, good use of all the members on vocals and instrumental layering... need to check them out more on album-quality stuff.

Anti-Flag - these guys remind me of Rise Against in their style and anti-authority theme. They even chastised the elevated VIP stands for not coming down and joining the rest of the crowd in the mix. But they were't all "fuck you"s and yelling - they played some good songs, none of which I knew before, but they drew me in faster than anything else I'd seen that day. Again, definitely need to see more. But also credit them for riling the crowd up into one of the most vigorous mosh cyclones ever. I just ran and bumped and picked people back up until my lungs were dust-coated from the frenzy. Another good pic to come of that.

Neat little PS from those guys... I'm walking back to my car and I pass Justin Sane as he's biking around. Couldn't navigate him to a hotel like he needed, but I thanked him sincerely for coming out and he took his praise graciously. Very cool guy.

Those are all the highlights... time for some lesser events.

Escape the Fate was good.

Behold the Flood was surprisingly good for a little local group.

Millionaires made me want to hurt someone - they sang poppy songs about being divas and they danced. You're at an underground punk-rock show. We don't have room for circus acts.

Jeffree Star epitomizes "circus act" like nothing else I saw that day. This flamingly gay transvestite vocalist did nothing but strip off his clothes, sing raunchy, faddy songs and call everyone bitches in every way he could. They made me want to rethink freedom of speech. I know music is a very subjective topic, but they have no substance or heart. I can't wait for these fakes to fizzle out and get min. wage jobs.

Westbound Train was... out of place. This was a very enthusiastic jazz ensemble that was playing the other half of the pavillion stage before Senses Fail came on. So the crowd was kinda loaded in the exact opposite way they wanted. They were decent, but need to find a new channel that suits them better. They started playing "Shout!" and everyone just wanted them to keep getting "a little bit softer now..." until they left. They win the ever-depressing Participation Ribbon.

And then, while I was waiting in line for the Senses Fail signing, I got to watch this one spastic dude in action. All he had with him was his sign pointing towards "Free Stuff" and a whole lot of sexual frustration. This was made evident by his ever-expanding variety of suggestive dance moves involving the large sign-on-a-stick. One of those random things that will always stick with me... sadly.

So that's about it. Some highs, some lows, some starvation, and lots of exhaustion. Got home, showered off the multilayered crud on my skin and called it a solid win. Viva la Warped! (Pics to follow - harrass me if I stall too long.)

Another Weekend Top 5

This was one of those kinda busy, blurry, already-gone weekends. Yet it was well-spent and productive.

1. For all the time Jonathan has been there for me, I got to be there for him once.

2. Aprehension be damned -turkey burgers still kick ass.

3. Read two whole books in less than a day's span.

4. Sidewalk chalk and short walk to the lake with Leah.

5. Managed to snag the last remains of Mom's Day ribs.

Back to the craziness of work and more work...

Top Cinco de Anoche

1. Boss picked up dinner and drinks tab at Diamondbacks.

2. Thai chili wings and free taco buffet.

3. Some girls thought I looked like Michael Cera (in a good way).

4. Rainbow shots are awesome to watch being poured.

5. Only did one shot of tequila... odd stuff that is.

(Not pictured: remembering exactly what shade stomach bile is.)

Weekend Top 5

1. Awesome weather outside today, good enough to change my oil.
2. Good eats from Austin Grill, Boston's and Rita's.
3. Niece and nephew entertained with the simplest of things. Hope that lasts a while.
4. Never ever ever felt rushed for anything.
5. GUITAR HERO: METALLICA!!!

Weekend Ups and Downs

I know I'm long overdue for a new post, especially to follow up on the most recent ones. Whatever - I'll get around to them eventually. But I thought I'd write about some recent events, mostly taking place on the weekends since my weekdays are almost entirely consumed by work. Freakin' new 12-8 shift...

This last weekend really wasn't anything special. I caught up on laundry, did some necessary shopping, picked up some new books for whenever and failed at napping. Oh - I also got to drive back to my place in crappy, snowy weather. Bah.

But last weekend? Almost pure awesomeness, let me tell you. I missed a family gathering for a small concert, but made up for it by crashing with Katie for movies and videogames. I don't trust the Wii Fit, but I gotta admit that it's kinda fun. Then I got up Saturday morning to go on my first Urban Exploration (urbex) adventure in Savage, MD. It's basically wandering around abandoned and decaying buildings just to see what's to find. Most of the group had a photographic interest as well, but some things were just nice to look at, as well as hiking around. I'll post some pics later, but that was a great time outside.

After that, I drove to Burke to see the VA family and relax with some weird dvr'd shows. Dinnertime came shortly after my arrival, at which point I learned something new: brinner (breakfast for dinner) and tacos aren't mutually exclusive food items. We had soft tacos with eggs, cheese and Canadian bacon... and they were fantastic! I also found out that Leah has a special song just for me, the NeNe Song - that rocked my face off. I crashed kinda early and kinda hard since I had a migraine, but that cleared up the next morning after some caffeine. Eventually, I drove my way home and just chilled in wait for the impending week of work.

So here I am again, work week just looming over my shoulder. Maybe I should get to bed early tonight so I'm not feeling totally bent in the morning. Plus, I gotta account for weather atrocities that may or may not be a problem. Bah - have I mentioned how I'd much rather stay in and just read? So it goes.

20,173 Herniated Cervical Vertebrae (post-Metallica thoughts)

*Deep breath in... then out* Damn.

I have not been in the front door more than 20 mins from the Metallica concert, so I'm gonna try to log some memories and observations before they are clouded by a relaxing shower and double-digit hours of sleep.

1. If your new wife will join you on the floor level of a Metallica show, you know she's special. Good to meet you, Chris.
2. T-shirts should never cost $32 apiece... but some do... and they still sell.
3. Bad seat doesn't necessarily mean bad show. Thank God for that!
4. Just because you are assigned a seat, it doesn't mean you ever have to sit down. In fact, you probably shouldn't.
5. I saw a couple sharing a sweet kiss during "Wherever I May Roam." Whatever works.
6. Lars was lit from behind and at a low angle, so you could see his shadow just booming up on the ceiling - pretty damn pimp.
7. James has cut pretty much all the swearing out of his stage banter, and it only sneaks up in a few choice songs. I wonder if that's intentional or what.
8. I was unusually amped up when "Master of Puppets" started up, one that doesn't usually grip me, but that's probably what started my whiplash.
9. I don't remember what song it was that had just started, but I will swear until my grave that the moment James Hetfield struck his guitar, it played the note thunder.
10. I was teased all night with the possibility of hearing "The Unforgiven", but it never came. However, "Motorbreath" was a very pleasant surprise.
11. If I had to choose between a lights show and pyros.... yeah, you already know which way I'd lean.
12. Between songs, James pointed out some young kid up at the very front, looked to be around 12. Lucky damn kid!
13. Hurricane Rob did some spinning around the stage again. He also fell down at one point because his own closing bass riff defeated him.
14. Giant black Death Magnetic beach balls were awesome, especially when the band was kicking them out into the audience while they kept playing. James jump-heatbutted one, which was hilarious.
15. My boss' brother clearly dumped the rest of his beer on the floor from trying to check his watch. I scolded him for this, but also staring down and holding onto the evidential empty plastic cups.
16. At one time, the audience's "hey-hey-hey" chant was so strong and so coordinated that in between shouts it almost felt silent.
17. I guess I haven't seen Metallica live since I became a die-hard Hokies fan. That made "Enter Sandman" very, VERY special and moving.
18. There was a moment in one song where Rob, Kirk and James formed a triangle in front of Lars, all pointing to him like they were channeling energy. It was really cool, and I think it worked!
19. Their sound quality in an arena will never be as good as an open stadium. But their very worst show is probably still mind-blowing.
20. Lighting rigs designed as giant steel coffins that revolve around stage, tilt and swing down... bad-ass. If I got any decent shots, it's of those bad boys in action. These had to be 30' in length or so.

Finally, let's see if I can name every song (out of order) that got played tonight.
Ecstacy of Gold
That Was Just Your Life
The End of the Line
Broken, Beat and Scarred
The Day That Never Comes
All Nightmare Long
Cyanide
Sad But True
Wherever I May Roam
Nothing Else Matters
Die, Die My Darling
Motorbreath
Seek and Destroy
Harvester of Sorrow
One
Four Horsemen
Master of Puppets
Enter Sandman
Battery

Good times. Big nod to Kelly and Chris for making this my fantastic birthday gift! Well, a very ginger nod because my neck is sore, my stomach is growling and my aching body desperately needs a shower. Might be pics later if any of them came out even quarter-decent. Rock rock on.

My 2008 Book Quest

In the past few years I have fallen back in love with reading so long as I can find material that interests me. Yes, some of it may revolve around philosophy or death other topics that don't easily come up in everyday conversation. But I decided that 2008 would by my year of explosive reading, aiming to finish a book every week, or have 52 total by year's end. Though this didn't happen - I made it to 39, finishing the last just before midnight on New Year's Eve - I still did more reading in one year than most people will ever do in their entire lives. Really... 39 out of 52. It's like I got thru September and just started slacking. Beach Week sure derailed me a bit among other things. But what follows is a full listing of those 39 books that I did manage to finish. I'll wait until my next post to nod at my recommendations and ones to avoid. So here's what I tackled in '08:

Ciao, America! (Beppe Severgnini)
How Starbucks Saved My Life (Michael Gates Gill)
You Suck (Christopher Moore)
Bad vs. Worse (Joshua Piven)
Everything I'm Cracked Up to Be: A Rock & Roll Fairy Tale (Jen Trynin)
Sgt. Piggy's Lonely Hearts Club Comic: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury (Stephan Pastis)
Bloodsucking Fiends (Christopher Moore)
Bang Your Head (David Konow)
My Freshman Year: What a Professor Learned by Becoming a Student (Rebekah Nathan)
Xenocide (Orson Scott Card)
Children of the Mind (Orson Scott Card)
Rock On: An Office Power Ballad (Dan Kennedy)
The Man with the Iron Tattoo... (John Castaldo, Lawrence Levitt)
How Doctors Think (Jerome Groopman)
Wisdom for a Young Musician (Bruce Warren)
Lio: Happiness is a Squishy Cephalopod (Mark Tatulli)
I'm Ready for My Movie Contract: A Get Fuzzy Collection (Darby Conley)
The Crass Menagerie: A Pearls Before Swine Treasury (Stephan Pastis)
Then We Came to the End (Joshua Ferris)
Come On Down!: Behind the Big Doors at "The Price is Right" (Stan Blits)
Made in America (Matt Hughes)
The Office and Philosophy: Scenes from the Unexamined Life (J. Jeremy Wisnewski)
Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices and Priorities of a Winning Life (Tony Dungy)
Island of the Sequined Love Nun (Christopher Moore)
F Minus (Tony Carillo)
My Boring-Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith (Kevin Smith)
Kill as Few Patients as Possible: And Fifty-Six Other Essays on How to be the World's Best Doctor (Oscar London)
The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove (Christopher Moore)
God Save the Fan... (Will Leitch)
This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession (Daniel J. Levitin)
Final Exits: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of How We Die (Michael Largo)
Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance (Atul Gawande)
Serenity Found: More Unauthorized Essays on Joss Whedon's Firefly Universe (Jane Espenson)
Rule Number Two: Lessons I Learned in a Combat Hospital (Heidi Squier Kraft)
Fluke (Christopher Moore)
Coyote Blue (Christopher Moore)
Practical Demonkeeping (Christopher Moore)
Falling Up (Shel Silverstein)
The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty (Anne Rice)

Damn... I really read a LOT! Some of those titles were abbreviated, but you've got enough info to look them up on Amazon or wherever for your own pleasure. As I said a follow-up post will... umm... follow shortly. Rock/read on.