Bury Your Dead + About 19 Opening Bands I Didn't See
So since I've written about every other time I've seen BYD (5x now) I figured I might as well uphold tradition.
To start off with some background, I haven't seen BYD since like, end of 2009. They kept coming to either Harpo's, or giant festivals that I wasn't going to deal with. Especially since their most recent cd was... well, complete crap. As much as I love Myke as a frontman, it was pretty clear that he was directing the band in a totally different direction, very far from their hardcore roots.
Slim had been talking on twitter about a new cd, so I was mildly hopeful but didn't have very high expectations. Until suddenly, the internet exploded with rumors that Myke had been kicked out of the band and Mat Bruso was doing vocals on the record. Those rumors were confirmed - according to all the news, it had to do with the new record label to which they signed. Now that, that got me excited. Mat was the original vocalist, back on Cover Your Tracks and Beauty and the Breakdown. He had left the band to become a teacher. When rumors of him coming out on tour surfaced, they were also confirmed - they'd be touring in the summer, when Mat was off school.
I'd been following Slim on Twitter, talked to him a couple times, and then Mat joined and seriously, they are two of the coolest, most genuine guys. And they really like their fans. :) Mat also gets on their facebook from time to time, which I appreciate. And then they released two new songs.
OMG. SO good. Totally back to their old roots, Mat's writing is just brilliant and pissed off and it's so heavvvvvvy. The new cd is coming out August 2nd, and I'm totally planning on preordering it.
When the tour dates finally came out, I was conflicted - they were coming with For the Fallen Dreams. But also like, 9 other bands I'd never heard of, doors were at 3! And it was a Thursday, although it was at the Magic Stick... it was definitely a wait and see type deal. Which came to a head when I didn't have lessons on Thursday any more, although I did have two horses to ride. I was thinking 'out loud' on twitter, wondering if I'd have enough time to go to the barn and then still have time to make it out to see BYD. Normally at concerts, I can't imagine that working out.
But then BYD @ replied me, and said 'yes you can we play at 10:45'. So pretty much they had me as soon as they bothered to answer me, which I was totally not expecting. I told them I'd be there, and I'd be the redhead stealing the mic ;) And they said they'd be waiting. So I booked it home from work, straight to the barn, and rode Ellie (who was SUPER cute for me. Love that pony.) I even had time to hang out and talk to Kyrstin and Allison, before heading home, eating dinner, showering, and getting to the venue. I made it with perfect timing, about 15 minutes before they were supposed to go on.
What I was not expecting was the huge crowd of people outside, and the fact that no one was hanging out in front of the stage. I just went right up, stood slightly to the right of center stage, just in front of a monitor. I almost had a panic attack, thinking they had played already! But then I recognized the FTFDs guys taking their stuff off stage, and I realized probably most of the crowd was in it for the local boys. Oh well, more room for me! It slowly started filling in, but it never got super crowded.
Seeing Bruso as BYD's frontman was a new experience. I 'saw' him once, the first time, but I was way back in the crowd at the Orbit Room, so that almost doesn't even count. He had all sorts of things he says that apparently some old school fans knew, but I didn't. BUT. He is just as intense and awesome as Myke, and also more fun to look at. ;) He moved from side to side, but he spend a lot of time with his foot up at my monitor so by the end I was like, sup, I'm sorry I've molested you like 5 times now, trying to balance either myself or him. There was another girl next to me, so he often came over and grabbed our heads and yelled with us. There was a LOT of jumping on stage to yell along with him, which he greatly encouraged. :) And then Slim, Chris and Chris (I think?) were all very entertaining, moving around the stage and playing each others' instruments... at some point Chris pretending to pick Slim's nose. No, I have no idea, but it made me laugh. Mat has a running joke about how the new record is heavy, and so is he - apparently he's put on weight in the 5 years he's been teaching. So when he took off his shirt, he got a few sarcastic cat calls, which he played up. Haha.
Anyway, it was fantastic, because they played nothing that Mat hadn't written. For sure they played Magnolia, 33 RPM, House of Straw, Vanilla Sky, Tuesday Night Fever/Mission Impossible, Trail of Crumbs, and their two new ones, Slaughterhouse Five and Bluebeard (looks like new record with have a Vonnegut theme!) At some point I happened to look over at Slim, and he saw me and he gave me this super happy smile and it was just so cute. :) And of course Mat and I had a couple moments. And I tried not to die, but I came away with more than normal battle wounds. I'm taking daily pictures of the bruise on my thigh, from where I got between Mat and someone who reallllly wanted the mic.
So after they played Losin' It - which I avoided, because I was pretty sure I would have sustained serious injury, I waited while a few guys talked to Mat. And when I went over he gave me a huge hug and I was like, 'I'm the redhead from twitter!' and he was so happy I came and thanked me for knowing all the words. So I told him they were my favorite band, and I was so glad he was back. :) And then Slim was onstage moving stuff, but some guys had jumped up there to get pictures, so I finally decided what the hell and climbed up there, too.
When he saw me he was all like 'Twitter girl' hahaha! So he gave me a big hug and said he was glad I could make it. I said I was glad they had told me the set time, because I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it due to work but I was so excited I came. And again, how it was the 6th time I'd seen them and they were my favorites. So he gave me another hug, and said they were playing again in Toledo on the 26th, and if I got in touch with him closer to the time, that he'd get me on the guest list.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I was probably babbling at that point, saying that was even closer for me and I love them so much and I would totally be there, and I'd pre-order the cd so I'd be prepared, so I got another hug and at that point it was kind of a blur of hugs and 'you guys were awesome' 'so glad you came'. Ahhhhhhhh I love them so much! So hopefully that actually happens and I'll be seeing them twice in less than 30 days.
And now I'm bruised and I seriously can't move my neck. I got a giant headache last night, and was miserable trying to find a position to sleep, because every time I moved my head my neck got pissed off, and I couldn't lay on my right side because of the giant attack bruise on my thigh. :P I'm getting too old for this! Clearly I just need to ask them how they avoid fracturing their neck, doing this every night for weeks on end.
Anyway, hoping I can come back with another update at the end of the month!
To start off with some background, I haven't seen BYD since like, end of 2009. They kept coming to either Harpo's, or giant festivals that I wasn't going to deal with. Especially since their most recent cd was... well, complete crap. As much as I love Myke as a frontman, it was pretty clear that he was directing the band in a totally different direction, very far from their hardcore roots.
Slim had been talking on twitter about a new cd, so I was mildly hopeful but didn't have very high expectations. Until suddenly, the internet exploded with rumors that Myke had been kicked out of the band and Mat Bruso was doing vocals on the record. Those rumors were confirmed - according to all the news, it had to do with the new record label to which they signed. Now that, that got me excited. Mat was the original vocalist, back on Cover Your Tracks and Beauty and the Breakdown. He had left the band to become a teacher. When rumors of him coming out on tour surfaced, they were also confirmed - they'd be touring in the summer, when Mat was off school.
I'd been following Slim on Twitter, talked to him a couple times, and then Mat joined and seriously, they are two of the coolest, most genuine guys. And they really like their fans. :) Mat also gets on their facebook from time to time, which I appreciate. And then they released two new songs.
OMG. SO good. Totally back to their old roots, Mat's writing is just brilliant and pissed off and it's so heavvvvvvy. The new cd is coming out August 2nd, and I'm totally planning on preordering it.
When the tour dates finally came out, I was conflicted - they were coming with For the Fallen Dreams. But also like, 9 other bands I'd never heard of, doors were at 3! And it was a Thursday, although it was at the Magic Stick... it was definitely a wait and see type deal. Which came to a head when I didn't have lessons on Thursday any more, although I did have two horses to ride. I was thinking 'out loud' on twitter, wondering if I'd have enough time to go to the barn and then still have time to make it out to see BYD. Normally at concerts, I can't imagine that working out.
But then BYD @ replied me, and said 'yes you can we play at 10:45'. So pretty much they had me as soon as they bothered to answer me, which I was totally not expecting. I told them I'd be there, and I'd be the redhead stealing the mic ;) And they said they'd be waiting. So I booked it home from work, straight to the barn, and rode Ellie (who was SUPER cute for me. Love that pony.) I even had time to hang out and talk to Kyrstin and Allison, before heading home, eating dinner, showering, and getting to the venue. I made it with perfect timing, about 15 minutes before they were supposed to go on.
What I was not expecting was the huge crowd of people outside, and the fact that no one was hanging out in front of the stage. I just went right up, stood slightly to the right of center stage, just in front of a monitor. I almost had a panic attack, thinking they had played already! But then I recognized the FTFDs guys taking their stuff off stage, and I realized probably most of the crowd was in it for the local boys. Oh well, more room for me! It slowly started filling in, but it never got super crowded.
Seeing Bruso as BYD's frontman was a new experience. I 'saw' him once, the first time, but I was way back in the crowd at the Orbit Room, so that almost doesn't even count. He had all sorts of things he says that apparently some old school fans knew, but I didn't. BUT. He is just as intense and awesome as Myke, and also more fun to look at. ;) He moved from side to side, but he spend a lot of time with his foot up at my monitor so by the end I was like, sup, I'm sorry I've molested you like 5 times now, trying to balance either myself or him. There was another girl next to me, so he often came over and grabbed our heads and yelled with us. There was a LOT of jumping on stage to yell along with him, which he greatly encouraged. :) And then Slim, Chris and Chris (I think?) were all very entertaining, moving around the stage and playing each others' instruments... at some point Chris pretending to pick Slim's nose. No, I have no idea, but it made me laugh. Mat has a running joke about how the new record is heavy, and so is he - apparently he's put on weight in the 5 years he's been teaching. So when he took off his shirt, he got a few sarcastic cat calls, which he played up. Haha.
Anyway, it was fantastic, because they played nothing that Mat hadn't written. For sure they played Magnolia, 33 RPM, House of Straw, Vanilla Sky, Tuesday Night Fever/Mission Impossible, Trail of Crumbs, and their two new ones, Slaughterhouse Five and Bluebeard (looks like new record with have a Vonnegut theme!) At some point I happened to look over at Slim, and he saw me and he gave me this super happy smile and it was just so cute. :) And of course Mat and I had a couple moments. And I tried not to die, but I came away with more than normal battle wounds. I'm taking daily pictures of the bruise on my thigh, from where I got between Mat and someone who reallllly wanted the mic.
So after they played Losin' It - which I avoided, because I was pretty sure I would have sustained serious injury, I waited while a few guys talked to Mat. And when I went over he gave me a huge hug and I was like, 'I'm the redhead from twitter!' and he was so happy I came and thanked me for knowing all the words. So I told him they were my favorite band, and I was so glad he was back. :) And then Slim was onstage moving stuff, but some guys had jumped up there to get pictures, so I finally decided what the hell and climbed up there, too.
When he saw me he was all like 'Twitter girl' hahaha! So he gave me a big hug and said he was glad I could make it. I said I was glad they had told me the set time, because I was worried I wouldn't be able to make it due to work but I was so excited I came. And again, how it was the 6th time I'd seen them and they were my favorites. So he gave me another hug, and said they were playing again in Toledo on the 26th, and if I got in touch with him closer to the time, that he'd get me on the guest list.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So I was probably babbling at that point, saying that was even closer for me and I love them so much and I would totally be there, and I'd pre-order the cd so I'd be prepared, so I got another hug and at that point it was kind of a blur of hugs and 'you guys were awesome' 'so glad you came'. Ahhhhhhhh I love them so much! So hopefully that actually happens and I'll be seeing them twice in less than 30 days.
And now I'm bruised and I seriously can't move my neck. I got a giant headache last night, and was miserable trying to find a position to sleep, because every time I moved my head my neck got pissed off, and I couldn't lay on my right side because of the giant attack bruise on my thigh. :P I'm getting too old for this! Clearly I just need to ask them how they avoid fracturing their neck, doing this every night for weeks on end.
Anyway, hoping I can come back with another update at the end of the month!