So I left work yesterday, hurried though the falling snow home, changed, quickly ate, headed back across town and went to the Nintendo Fusion Tour at the Val Air Ballroom.
So I parked in the snow covered grass as they do at the Ballroom (which I hate), got out of my car, and dumped my coat in my trunk and headed towards the front. I started to text message Brandon to see if they (and val) were there yet, but then got a call, so I looked up around and there they were.
So we headed in, so I wasn't in the cold for too long. Up the stairs and inside. While going in, I lost track of Brandon and Val, so I figured they'd head over and get something to drink, but I was mistaken. I tried to order something, and one guy was gonna fill my order, but then was reminded that I needed a band on my arm, so I walked all the way across the ballroom again, got my paper band, walked all the way back, and got my $4 bud light...yeah...that's a bit much. Then I started look for Brandon, so I texted him, and he called me back and gave me a general idea of where they were.
I made my way through the crowd and found them eventually. I taunted brandon a bit about the beer, but he responded that he drank some cold ones at home where it wasn't near as expensive. Oh well...So we didn't have to wait for to long before the show started.
Panic at the Disco
On the stage first. Brandon had let me listen to thier CD on his iPod and I had liked it but never got around to buy it for myself (I did this morning though). I thought they put on a pretty good show and had a lot of fun. there was even a stint where the guys on stage were dodging snow balls from fella's (I think from FOB) off stage. It was funny and at the same time pretty cool, cause it didn't really mess 'em up. The kids liked 'em too.
Boys Night Out
While waiting for them to setup, the crowd starting to go back and forth, and occassionaly you'd get some sweatty guy who basically rubbed his sweatty body on you while passing. It was quite gross.
The finally took the stage and the crowd didn't seem to like them as much as Panic! but I didn't find that too surprising since I thought they were kind of boring and all their stuff sounded exactly the same...I had trouble telling the differences between the songs. They still had a decent stage presence, and one of their songs brought a cheer from a large portion of the audience.
Motion City Soundtrack
I think it was Motion City that had quite a bit of trouble with their equipment, and during their set too. It was good. Certainly better then Boys, but not as good as Panic!. I had a decent time, even though some kid had a lot of fun jumping up and down and doing so on my toes. I think they are ok...and maybe I'll buy a CD. I know Brandon doesn't much like 'em but Val does...so who knows. I haven't really heard anything recorded but one track off a collection (which I liked). So I'll have to think about buying it...maybe.
The Starting Line
I found them boring, but the kids seemed to like them. There were a lot of kids that wanted to work their way to the front, either around or through me (happend a couple of times where someone walked right into my back...). even a few people talked about how I was the "bad guy" and wouldn't let them by. It was crowded enough (being a sold out show) without cramming more people into the front.
They stopped quite a bit during their set. Songs done, lets talk to each other on stage and not to the crowd for like a minute or two. It's not like I was paying to see...oh wait I was paying to see them. They did look very young, and skimming through their bio, they are...or at least the lead singer is...
Fall Out Boy
There was quite a wait between the end of the previous band and FOB. But when they took the stage, the ballroom erupted with cheers and screaming. Quite a bit more for any previous band. Before they came on stage, a guy walked across with a big sign saying, "Act I".
FOB for the previous time that I saw them at the House of bricks, has put on a real high energy show, and this was not a dissappointment. They hit most of the songs that I wanted to hear and did them quite well. Lots of crowd surfing. And some kid behind me asked me to help him up to get on top of the crowd and I flat out refused and even explained why. As for one who has been kicked in the head a time or two by a crowd surfer, I certainly don't want to help anyone else do that to someone else. He looked very dissappointed, but who cares.
Instead of going off stage and having an encore, FOB had an intermission (same guy, different card came across the stage). That was pretty cool. Most encores are planned anyways, so it's just a sort of ploy to rest a bit and draw crowd cheers.
They came back on stage, and played the rest of the songs I wanted to hear and it was quite a great finish to a good show. During either the first or the second, a pit was formed, on the encouragement of FOB and Brandon got drawn in. He figured that since he was in he might as well use it as an excuse to fight to the front, and he ended up there right at the gate for the rest of the show.
As they finished, the lights came on and people started filing out.
Some people got the bright idea to head out the side exit doors, which was met with much scorn from the crew, but created a cool instant fog effect from the cold air blowing into the very hot and humid air of the ballroom. The crew quickly closed the doors and then stood in front of them.
We headed over to the merch tables to see if we could find anything to buy...but we didn't find Panic! so we tried the other set, no Panic!, so we headed out...I lost Brandon and Val on my way out, kids all pushing in front of me, and me being relatively polite about it...Oh well.
Outside was cold and there was snow on the cars.
I headed to where I thought my car was, but didn't find it, and then headed back, and didn't find it and headed forward again, and finally saw my blinking lights from me pressing the buttons. Yeah, I'm old, I'm forgetting things...but this I'm blaming on the buses moving, and they were my frame of reference... I quickly put my coat on and turned on the car, and then went about scraping off the snow/ice from my windows. And then sat and listened while the parking lot cleared out a bit. I talked to Shannon as she already in bed, and then let her go to sleep. After a bit of listening to Love Line and Rob Schnider make a complete jackass of himself, I headed out. I went to the west exit...but after waiting there for a while I decided to try the other way, and after fording a huge puddle (and getting my car covered in mud), I was out in about 8 minutes on the other side. And home I went.
