I have realized... [and a concert]

Although I have limits, I can do anything once I'm aware of what those limits are, because I can work around them. I didn't stay up on Friday to finish my paper because I'd hit my caffiene limit and went insane...but...I got up and finished the paper "on time". And then I stood for basically 8 hours and had an amazing time at Not So Silent Night...even though I thought I was gonna pass out before I got to San Francisco!

I've been thinking at all I've accomplished in this short semester and since I got to Cal...you don't notice it but day by day is how big things get done.
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So, concert-o. 6 bands, 1 ticket. It was a pretty good deal!

Me being all EEEP!-y and excited

Maladroid - local band contest winner from Oak-town. I've heard of them before but never bothered to listen to them, and they were actually pretty good. It's always a good feeling to discover another sound that you like. They were all dressed up but not, which was cute. I shall have to find out when/where they are playing closer to home.

Paramore
They are apparently grammy-nominated but I don't really know why. They have one song "Pressure" that I liked way better studio-fied. I felt like the chick who was singing was catering to a certain image and I'm not really into it. Also, it attracted a bunch of 12-to-16 year old girls who bounce too much and/or think they are both badass and emo....which was really, really annoying to have to deal with all night.

Spoon
We sat upstairs for this one. I don't know most of the songs they played, but "The Way We Get By" was part of their set and I like that song a lot. I kind of just zoned out though, because they didn't really interact with the audience at all. Sitting upstairs was cool cause all the people on the floor look like tiny little amoeba cell things that are all floatin around in a very crowded dish!

Angels and Airwaves
This was the band that sold me on buying my ticket (it wasn't exactly cheap). I was lucky enough to be in the lobby during their radio interview, so they were like 1- feet away from me! I couldn't see very well though...stupid giant radio headphone things. As I watched their setup crew, I was like "wow these guys are way too into themselves" as they definitely had the most elaborate set-up thus far (flags...all they do is block someone's view...annoying!), and as they were introduced the DJ not only tried to push their album (which no one else did) but also informed us that Tom wants to change our lives. Having resided around way more activists than average per capita for the last year, I was like yeah, right.

But as they took the stage, I was super duper excited. Tom's vocals were not the best or were they very audible, but the rest of the music (ie guitar, bass, & drums) were not at all disappointing. I don't buy into all of their bullshit about a revolution (I like Jere's definition of a social movement better), but I do like the idea of coming together to feel the same way for a few moments.

All in all I wish they could have played longer, because their songs don't stand alone (with the exception of Everything's Magic) as well as when they are all together. It's the same reason why I always have to listen to the whole album, all the way through!

Jimmy Eat World

So the fans got pretty rowdy during AVA (lots of crowd surfers, drunkies, and the like) but it reached a new level for Jimmy Eat World. We got to stand closer than for AVA (that was my one disappointment - not being able to see well for AVA's set), but it meant more crowding, more pushing, and more violence. This was also the set where the creeper was present. Looking unlike everyone else (ie Asian and not emo) had its advantage for once, as the creeper dude did not find me interesting/attactive. He did, unfortunately, find my friends interesting..until they resorted to a bit of physical suggestions to get the hell away. There was also a crazy assed hippie girl trying to talk to us. She was a lot better than the 12-year olds or the dancery girls or the potsmoking idiots from the Maladroid and Paramore sets, at least.

Getting back to the show....Jimmy Eat World was great because they played all of their more established songs such as "Work", "Pain", "The Middle", "Hear You Me", and "Sweetness", as well as "Big Casino" from their newest album. They have great songs to sing and bounce to that connect w/everyone, so that they don't even need to address the audience much...you know they are putting their energy into the music. Pretty much the opposite of Spoon.

Modest Mouse

I like Modest Mouse. The funky instruments, the loud bombastic vibe, their country-ish image/roots are all appealing. But in person it gets to be TOO loud. Your head is just assaulted. Also, one of my friends almost passed out so we went to sit down, which quite frankly was good for me too because being up front with all that was too much. There was some old man (seriously like 60 years old) standing behind us, which I came to figure out was there to see one of the musicians from Modest Mouse (I didn't catch which one) who is apparently one of the best musicians for whatever he plays.

The grandpa dude took this picture. And my face is quite large. And white...

All and all, I had a fantastic time and it was a great way to end my semester. I mean...a week before I was on a plane to Southern California...hours before I was writing about affordable housing ordinances like my life depended on it. That's what I love about my life: as much as I love to sit around and watch tv, I am blessed with the ability, proximity, and resources to do 1001 things in a week.

Note that all videos really sucked....taking them while being jostled every which way sucks. Also, I really wanted the AVA tshirt but I thought I had no money in my checking account so I couldn't use the ATM. As it turns out a check hadn't been cashed so I was sitting on way more money. And, sad enough, I can't get the tshirt online...apparently it was one of those concert-only styles. SADFACES FOR LYFE.