Come Together

       Probably should have put this up earlier, but I don't even have a good excuse I want to share with you guys.

       I had planned on getting a picture of the band for you guys, but this one security guard (who usually works the other club) came over to Echosmith's area to clear people out and he's a little scary (may have pissed him off once before at The Beacham; I just don't like it when people tell me not to do something which I would not have done had they not brought it to my attention in a way that pissed me off) so I didn't want to run into him and, since I couldn't get Echosmith's picture, I was going to get For the Foxes for you guys, but they were surrounded by a sea of young girls and all I could think was "yeah, no group of guys is worth this and I really just want to get some pizza". Basically, I failed you.. (and I don't regret it because pizza's awesome). I did get a picture with Dungo (because my concert buddy shoved me forwards after I told him it was the lead singer [always make concert friends; no commitments and they make you do stuff you don't want to do]) and it was thoroughly awkward, but my friend and I ran into the guitarist (Brindley) later on and he was really chill and nice, so go talk to him for a bit if you're seeing the band live. Honestly, I don't even care about not getting those pictures, but I really hope my concert buddy did, because he loves Echosmith.

       Tonight Alive was a lot better live than they are recorded, but they're probably going to get stuck in a Paramore-esque niche. They're a cult band (their fans swear by them no matter what) who might have a few radio hits, but I still didn't enjoy it as much as my friend seemed to. Probably because I've never really subscribed to the notion of being misunderstood (as long as you have good friends, someone understands you) and that's sort of the whole premise surrounding their music, but they were pretty awesome and definitely worth checking out and seeing live.

       The Downtown Fiction was sad. The last time I saw a band this disappointing, Third Eye Blind forgot the lyrics to "Jumper" and held a twelve minute long drum solo (the guys next to us timed it [again, always make concert buddies; they save your seats but you never have to worry about their bail money]) during which he continually yelled "this man is made of fucking lions" (Cool man. Cool. Could you get the fuck back on track). Back to TDF, they sounded like they were trying too hard, the songs didn't carry the same enthusiasm as they do recorded, the vocals didn't even sound the same as recorded (that's annoying), and the band used to, at the very least, have their looks going for them, and now that's gone. It was just really sad. They did "I Just Wanna Run" and all I could think was "I kind of just wanna leave".

       For the Foxes started with "We're Coming Up" and only got progressively more amazing from there. Their enthusiasm is palpable and I totally got video for you guys of their awesome stage presence so I'll put that up on YouTube later on (if I remember to; it just takes a really long time to upload.. It may never make it up). They're still on their way though, so make sure to buy tickets to their shows and support the band by buying some of their merch, because you're going to want to keep on seeing these guys perform; they're entertaining and the music's great. 

       Echosmith stole the show though and, unsurprisingly, I'm still addicted to their music. Go see them perform live because they are so enthusiastic and happy to be performing for their audiences that it makes the entire show so much fun to watch; the music's perfect to dance to, Sydney is a pro at talking to the group's fans, and you've known they were set for fame from their first promo for the Summer Olympics. Head to their site for tickets to their shows.

       As I've stated before, head to Tonight Alive's The Other Side tour because the main band has some catchy songs, but you're going to want to catch For the Foxes and Echosmith before they're off the tour; they're both really great and they deserve all the support you can give.

      The video may not be the best quality (I don't look at the camera when I'm recording it and I haven't actually watched the whole thing back), but it does let you see how awesome Echosmith is live.

"Come Together" Echosmith

- E

"Drops Of Jupiter" Live

       Train's frontman (Pat Monahan) has to be one of the most charismatic performers I have ever seen live. He has the witty lines and the confident stage presence that only come with years of being front and center on multiple stages in front of thousands of people and I absolutely adore it.

       The band's summer tour is under way and if they come to your town, do not miss your chance to see them perform live. Each song was more amazing than the last and their clear appreciation for their fans only made the performance that much better. 

       Standing in the rain for three hours may have made my toes permanently pruny, but it was more than worth it to finally hear "Meet Virginia", "Save Me, San Francisco", and "Drops of Jupiter" live (and to see Pat Monahan's performance style; I truly cannot emphasize how amazing his personal performance was).

- E

"Home" Live

       The video quality may not be the best (meaning I do not have a steady hand because I can't not dance during a concert), but the sound should be good enough to show you how truly adorable this band is live. 

       Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros may be the most adorable band I have ever seen live and, if you get the chance to see them perform live, don't miss out. 

       The band is currently working on their third album, set to be released sometime this year.

"Home" Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros

- E

WOTE Concert (for everyone)

       Walk off the Earth is kind of amazing and, from their videos, we already know that they can sing live and have the charisma and charm that would make them great in concert. With all of the requests the band has received, asking them to play in one place or another, they have announced that they will have an online concert (broadcast from their living room) for their fans from around the world. 

       The concert will take place February 20th (2013) at 8:30 PM (eastern time) and will last for half an hour. Of course, my last Wednesday class does not end until 9:15 (so I will be able to offer no opinions on the actual concert), but you can still get your tickets for the show (prices are based on your donation amount so you should donate/tip as much as you can to support the band [plus they have gifts for the top tippers that you'd really like if you really like WOTE]) and enjoy how wonderfully great this band is. 

       Check out this site to buy your tickets (before they run out [they keep adding more tickets when they run out and it's an online show so they can't really "run out" of room; you'll probably be fine]), then wait until the 20th for a really awesome show; nothing is more fun than watching the live performances of bands that really love the creation of music (i.e. WOTE will put on an amazing performance).

- E

Concert Myths

        Music caught itself on a snag in my soul when I was young, and it's been there for me over the years with such consistency that I can't imagine not having it in my life. The only thing better than finding good music is attending a good concert. I swear, if I don't go to at least one concert a year I'll combust.

       There are some misconceptions about concerts that I've had many people mention to me lately and, if these fallacies are not fixed, you could miss out on some great performances.

1) Concerts are too expensive.

       This is just not true; do not let it stop you from seeing a band live because it's not even a good excuse. Sure, there are expensive concerts (I gave up on Coldplay this summer because the least expensive ticket was over $150), but the majority of them are actually quite affordable. When I saw Panic! At the Disco and Fun., it was only $38. The first time I saw Passion Pit, the tickets were only $21, and Graffiti6 had a $12 concert in Atlanta this summer. There are added expenses like $10 parking and one and half hours worth of gas, but it's never  not been worth it. Another type of concert experience is a music festival and, though the overall price may seem expensive ($60-$120), you are going to see about four bands/artists a day for 3-5 days; this averages out to a pretty amazing deal, especially as the festivals offer at least two big names a day. Don't tell yourself that you can't go to a concert because it will be too expensive, there are plenty of free and cheap concerts in college towns and big cities.

2) Music festivals are dirty, drug ridden, and sex-filled?

       Seriously? If you can get in position to have sex when there are hundreds of people crushed together then good for you; that's impressive. And as far as drugs go, I have never seen anything more harmful than pot, and that is only prevalent at certain performances; not all of them are subject to that. There is a lot of drinking, but it's a concert/fair/outside gathering, there is always drinking. Now, as far as being dirty goes, that's not a fair argument to make to the event organizers. They work to keep their grounds as clean as possible so that they can continue to hold the event for years to come (and if you attend an established festival, it's bound to be better organized, cleaner, and generally safer). There is always a large number of volunteers (who wouldn't agree to a few days of manual labor for some free concerts) who are constantly on the move, picking up trash along the way. Overall, music festivals are a really fun place to see a lot of bands and meet people. The only way you won't enjoy yourself is if you go in with that mind set and decide to hang out in the obviously bad places (don't expect the porta-potty alley to be clean, well-lit, and full of fresh flowers). Also, there are police and firemen milling around everywhere and, the larger the concert, the more protection they have. Some festivals will even bring in military police if they suspect a band will be popular, providing extra security for everyone.

3) There are never any concerts near me.

       Unless you live in a college town or a major city, there usually are not concerts next door to you, but that doesn't mean you can't drive to them. Most of the concerts I attend are a minimum of one hour away, but one hour isn't long to drive for a great performance. I would actually prefer that longer drive over a short one; it gives you and your friends time to get excited and then, on the way back, time to talk about the concert and sing along to the album you bought at the merchandise table (always buy something from the merch table to help your favorite band).

- E