(no subject)
That show ended about 24 hours ago, but I still have an idiot grin.
Show in a word: FROLICKING.
The drive into Charlotte went pretty well. About 3.5 hours to get to Uptown--and I would have been perfectly on time if Charlotte had construction detour'd me and it took me another 45 minutes to figure out where I was going. But once I found the place, it took all of 5 minutes to park (for free!) and walk in.
Emphatic was already playing; they weren't bad. Not too special, but they were a good opener. While waiting for Adelitas Way, I checked out concessions and noticed that I cooould get in the autograph line for Theory, but I see them all the time and I didn't want to miss Adelitas Way. So I wandered back to my spot. Which was, for the record, maybe 15 feet from the stage. Hell yeah, pit tickets. And token you-are-important armband.
I. Love. Adelitas Way. They are so fucking GOOFY. Their bromance with each other just sort of oozes off the stage and they kept grinning--big huge cheeky happy puppy grins--the whole time. They didn't play much, but I would have watched them happily for an hour. As soon as they were done and Black Stone Cherry was setting up, I went straight to the merch tent where Rick DeJesus was doing autographs. I had my ticket out Just In Case. When I got to the front, I said, "Would it be too much to ask you to sign my jeans?"
He blinked, was pleasantly surprised, and said, "I would love to sign your jeans."
So I swung my leg up on the merch table to the amusement of the security guard, and he signed my leg.
And then I wandered to the concession stand, got a nice big Shock Top, and had a whole HOLY SHIT THAT JUST HAPPENED delayed reaction that was very squeeful and full of beer.
Also, I got kicked out of the unmarked VIP section where I put my drink on the table in order to text and take a phone pic of my leg.
Watched Black Stone Cherry with a beer in my hand. Excellent way to watch a show, except for the part where I was very distracted and slow-moving and some older jerk dove down between my feet and grabbed the guitar pick that had landed there. THANKS.
Finished beer. Bought two coozies from merch tent: Theory's Lowlife one, and BSC's White Trash Millionaire one. Hell yeah.
Back for Alter Bridge. They were really good, better than I expected, and I really enjoyed them. And their cute happy guitarist. They were just as frolicky as Adelitas Way. They threw buckets of picks and sticks and there was a feeding frenzy.
--I would like to take a moment to say that every single band on stage had some combination of the following: cute bass/guitar; guitarist dancing with his instrument; serious bromance; really hot guitar solos 15 feet in front of me. God bless America.
During Alter Bridge, I caught a guy a few feet over looking at me. So after the show, when he and his two friends were comparing their caught sticks and picks and my immediate area hadn't gotten jack, I went over. We spent the dead time and the rest of Theory's show being smartasses and scavenging viciously for stuff coming off stage. I stole a pick from one of them and got fist-bumped by another for faster reflexes, and I got a set list after the show. They got another pick and a drum stick, I think.
After the show, when we were herded out, we moseyed through the parking lot and discovered a pickup truck giving out free Monster drinks. They sent me ahead to use the power of boobs. We all got free Monsters, and were marveling over RESEALABLE TABS WHAT IS THIS AND WHY DID IT TAKE UNTIL 2011 TO INVENT when we got ambushed by a photographer. When I asked on which website this would show up, the photographer said his boss (Monster) just wanted to know which demographic they were serving.
"Uh... white people?"
So somewhere, there is a dark and probably blurry picture of me and three random guys I was with investigating cans of Monster near a pickup truck.
We were hungry. One of them found another can of Monster (unopened) sitting in the lot and took that with him. We dropped our loot in our cars and met back at the really low-budget diner across the street that profits from shows like this. Pancakes and French toast and lots of water were consumed, random bullshitting talk was had (best way to quit a high school teaching job: get a pregnant 15-year-old with no future to write a message on her belly), and then around MIDNIGHT (the show ended at 10:30) we parted ways.
I found I-85 S through the grace of God, because I totally guessed, got gas for way too much in North Carolina, and got home around 3. It was a rough drive. Not fun. Hate driving through South Carolina. The speed limit on 85 is inexplicably 60, and they threaten jail time for speeding through empty construction zones. However, the venue was advertising a winter show featuring Halestorm and Skillet, so I'll probably be back. Charlotte, you are too good to me.
Venue: 10/10. Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheater, in Charlotte's Music City. AWESOME. GO THERE. Free, plentiful, nearby parking, lots of (relatively) reasonably priced concessions, and its own little neighborhood of bars, clubs, and restaurants. One of them, Wet Willy's, I was told has a single drink made from 151 that will knock you on your ass for $5. Also, diner. With pancakes and a jukebox.
Emphatic: 6/10. Not bad. Just didn't know them. They didn't have anything that stood out to me to make me want to know more, either. But I enjoyed them. Good opener. I also missed the beginning of their set.
Adelitas Way: 10/10. You people are fucking awesome, and you signed my leg. Bouncy, frolicky, happy, bromance-y puppies in a rock band. Loooove.
Black Stone Cherry: 8/10. At that point, I only knew one of their songs. I am inclined to hear more. I bought a coozie from them. White Trash Millionaire is joining my music library. Not a higher rating because while I liked them, I wasn't thinking moar moar moar, either.
Alter Bridge: 9/10. More cute bouncy frolicky puppies! I'm not AS into their music, and they didn't do Metalingus, but I knew more than I thought I did and really enjoyed them more than I thought I would. Would see again.
Theory of a Deadman: 9.5/10. Would be a 9 but I got stuff, so bonus half-point. Wasn't as good as the last show I saw of theirs--too many slow ballads--but they still came out to Blame Canada (that the crowd sang along to!) and they opened with Gentlemen. Less wisecracking, more music, and while it was awesome and I was sad to see it end, it wasn't their best show I've ever seen. (That was Carolina Rebellion in May.) And they did a cover of Cocaine. No joke.
Pics of loot to come... whenever my camera is charged again. My phone is refusing to send pics.
sheppy just put his tail in my dinner.
Show in a word: FROLICKING.
The drive into Charlotte went pretty well. About 3.5 hours to get to Uptown--and I would have been perfectly on time if Charlotte had construction detour'd me and it took me another 45 minutes to figure out where I was going. But once I found the place, it took all of 5 minutes to park (for free!) and walk in.
Emphatic was already playing; they weren't bad. Not too special, but they were a good opener. While waiting for Adelitas Way, I checked out concessions and noticed that I cooould get in the autograph line for Theory, but I see them all the time and I didn't want to miss Adelitas Way. So I wandered back to my spot. Which was, for the record, maybe 15 feet from the stage. Hell yeah, pit tickets. And token you-are-important armband.
I. Love. Adelitas Way. They are so fucking GOOFY. Their bromance with each other just sort of oozes off the stage and they kept grinning--big huge cheeky happy puppy grins--the whole time. They didn't play much, but I would have watched them happily for an hour. As soon as they were done and Black Stone Cherry was setting up, I went straight to the merch tent where Rick DeJesus was doing autographs. I had my ticket out Just In Case. When I got to the front, I said, "Would it be too much to ask you to sign my jeans?"
He blinked, was pleasantly surprised, and said, "I would love to sign your jeans."
So I swung my leg up on the merch table to the amusement of the security guard, and he signed my leg.
And then I wandered to the concession stand, got a nice big Shock Top, and had a whole HOLY SHIT THAT JUST HAPPENED delayed reaction that was very squeeful and full of beer.
Also, I got kicked out of the unmarked VIP section where I put my drink on the table in order to text and take a phone pic of my leg.
Watched Black Stone Cherry with a beer in my hand. Excellent way to watch a show, except for the part where I was very distracted and slow-moving and some older jerk dove down between my feet and grabbed the guitar pick that had landed there. THANKS.
Finished beer. Bought two coozies from merch tent: Theory's Lowlife one, and BSC's White Trash Millionaire one. Hell yeah.
Back for Alter Bridge. They were really good, better than I expected, and I really enjoyed them. And their cute happy guitarist. They were just as frolicky as Adelitas Way. They threw buckets of picks and sticks and there was a feeding frenzy.
--I would like to take a moment to say that every single band on stage had some combination of the following: cute bass/guitar; guitarist dancing with his instrument; serious bromance; really hot guitar solos 15 feet in front of me. God bless America.
During Alter Bridge, I caught a guy a few feet over looking at me. So after the show, when he and his two friends were comparing their caught sticks and picks and my immediate area hadn't gotten jack, I went over. We spent the dead time and the rest of Theory's show being smartasses and scavenging viciously for stuff coming off stage. I stole a pick from one of them and got fist-bumped by another for faster reflexes, and I got a set list after the show. They got another pick and a drum stick, I think.
After the show, when we were herded out, we moseyed through the parking lot and discovered a pickup truck giving out free Monster drinks. They sent me ahead to use the power of boobs. We all got free Monsters, and were marveling over RESEALABLE TABS WHAT IS THIS AND WHY DID IT TAKE UNTIL 2011 TO INVENT when we got ambushed by a photographer. When I asked on which website this would show up, the photographer said his boss (Monster) just wanted to know which demographic they were serving.
"Uh... white people?"
So somewhere, there is a dark and probably blurry picture of me and three random guys I was with investigating cans of Monster near a pickup truck.
We were hungry. One of them found another can of Monster (unopened) sitting in the lot and took that with him. We dropped our loot in our cars and met back at the really low-budget diner across the street that profits from shows like this. Pancakes and French toast and lots of water were consumed, random bullshitting talk was had (best way to quit a high school teaching job: get a pregnant 15-year-old with no future to write a message on her belly), and then around MIDNIGHT (the show ended at 10:30) we parted ways.
I found I-85 S through the grace of God, because I totally guessed, got gas for way too much in North Carolina, and got home around 3. It was a rough drive. Not fun. Hate driving through South Carolina. The speed limit on 85 is inexplicably 60, and they threaten jail time for speeding through empty construction zones. However, the venue was advertising a winter show featuring Halestorm and Skillet, so I'll probably be back. Charlotte, you are too good to me.
Venue: 10/10. Time Warner Cable Uptown Amphitheater, in Charlotte's Music City. AWESOME. GO THERE. Free, plentiful, nearby parking, lots of (relatively) reasonably priced concessions, and its own little neighborhood of bars, clubs, and restaurants. One of them, Wet Willy's, I was told has a single drink made from 151 that will knock you on your ass for $5. Also, diner. With pancakes and a jukebox.
Emphatic: 6/10. Not bad. Just didn't know them. They didn't have anything that stood out to me to make me want to know more, either. But I enjoyed them. Good opener. I also missed the beginning of their set.
Adelitas Way: 10/10. You people are fucking awesome, and you signed my leg. Bouncy, frolicky, happy, bromance-y puppies in a rock band. Loooove.
Black Stone Cherry: 8/10. At that point, I only knew one of their songs. I am inclined to hear more. I bought a coozie from them. White Trash Millionaire is joining my music library. Not a higher rating because while I liked them, I wasn't thinking moar moar moar, either.
Alter Bridge: 9/10. More cute bouncy frolicky puppies! I'm not AS into their music, and they didn't do Metalingus, but I knew more than I thought I did and really enjoyed them more than I thought I would. Would see again.
Theory of a Deadman: 9.5/10. Would be a 9 but I got stuff, so bonus half-point. Wasn't as good as the last show I saw of theirs--too many slow ballads--but they still came out to Blame Canada (that the crowd sang along to!) and they opened with Gentlemen. Less wisecracking, more music, and while it was awesome and I was sad to see it end, it wasn't their best show I've ever seen. (That was Carolina Rebellion in May.) And they did a cover of Cocaine. No joke.
Pics of loot to come... whenever my camera is charged again. My phone is refusing to send pics.
sheppy just put his tail in my dinner.