May 2nd: The Week of AWESOME!

Ahhh, long time no post, huh? Well, I can assure you, I've been VERY busy as of late. Here's a recap of the week, and I PROMISE this is completely true - I still have trouble believing it all!!!
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In last week's post, I talked about going to see one of my favorite bands, the All-American Rejects, and waiting outside to meet them. What I didn't mention was that every night this past week, Monday - Friday, I was going to a different show. And let me tell you, I was pretty active. Let's hit it!

Monday, I went to see The Ataris at the Middle East in Cambridge. They've been out of the public eye for a while and have had quite a few changes in their lineup, but they are still an amazing band. The opening acts, Goodbye Sluggo and Ericson, were impressive (I'm especially a big fan of Ericson's "I Move, You Move"). I'm not used to enjoying openers and usually find it to be a mixed bag experience. The Ataris were GREAT! They did play "Boys of Summer" and did a couple of covers of songs by The Misfits, an unexpected treat!

Kris Roe & I

Jake Dwiggins & I

Songs to check out:
Goodbye Sluggo - "The Record Song"
Ericson - "I Move, You Move"
The Ataris - "In This Diary"

Tuesday, I headed over to the Tsongas Arena in Lowell to see the Believers Never Die Part Deux Tour, featuring Hey Monday, Metro Station, All Time Low, Cobra Starship, and Fall Out Boy. The mosh pit was insane, so I headed to the stands after the first two acts (I swear, I can only mosh at hardcore punk shows, bc at least there, people know mosh etiquette. Teenyboppers are like brainless cattle). It was an awesome show. All Time Low announced that a special guest from Boys Like Girls (who are from Massachusetts) had stopped by to see the show and was hiding somewhere backstage, to the squees of many girls. Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship (and formerly of Midtown) blamed the swine flu on Pete Wentz and told stories of how when the band met David Archuletta, one of the members assumed he was a fan and called him "little boy." XD Then Fall Out Boy came on (most overrated band ever). I stayed for my favorites and decided to go outside to see what trouble I could get myself into. Walking around the back of the arena, I realized that I could get pretty close to the tourbuses. I hung out in a small park with my friend when all of a sudden, this strange but cute guy came over to introduce himself, saying his name was Bryan (left). As it turns out, he is the bassist for Boys Like Girls!!! He left, and I met two of the members of Metro Station in the meantime - Mason and Anthony. Jack of All Time Low opened the window of his bus and shouted something at us, I'm not sure what, but I'm pretty sure it had to do with the "come to our bus naked and we will sleep with you" joke they had going on stage. Bryan came back and offered to let us PARTY WITH THE BANDS on the tour buses and went to go check with the bands and security to see what they could do (and how much leverage he had). Unfortunately, Fall Out Boy's set ended before he got back and different security guards came to clear the area before bringing them out, forcing us to leave. T_T We were devastated, but realized it would make an AMAZING story!!!

Metro Station: Mason Musso and I; Me and Anthony Improgo

Songs to check out:
All Time Low - "Dear Maria"
Cobra Starship - "Bring It (Snakes on a Plane)"

Wenesday... what happened that day? Oh right, I went to the Palladium in Worcester to see The Bamboozle Roadshow, featuring Mercy Mercedes, NeverShoutNever! (who might be the sweetest boy I've ever seen), The Cab, Forever The Sickest Kids, and We The Kings. Again, amazing show. I ended up meeting three of the members of Mercy Mercedes after the show, and I must say, they were all sooo nice. And adorable. XD

Mercy Mercedes: Tom Donahue & Me; Me and Brandon "$B-Real$" Ham

Me & Matt Love

Songs to check out:
Mercy Mercedes - "The Perfect Scene"
Forever The Sickest Kids - "Whoa Oh! (Me vs Everyone)"
We The Kings - "Secret Valentine"

Thursday Time! I checked out Harper's Ferry in Cambridge and saw Sum 41. If I liked Monday's openers, I LOVED Thursdays: American Taxi and Inward Eye. I'm convinced that the Canadian band Inward Eye is on the brink of making it big here in the States. They were electric and jumped up on the drumset as they played. The lead guitarist even played his intrument with a DRUMSTICK! Talk about talent! Sum 41 was phenomenal. After Dave left the band, Tom Thatcher of Gob joined as their touring guitarist. We met all of them outside by the tour bus and they were all really nice! Plus, I got one of their guitar picks! I might have to make a necklace out of it and the AAR one I got last Friday...

Sum 41

Songs to Check Out:
American Taxi - "The Mistake"
Inward Eye - "Shame"

And finally, Friday at the House of Blues in Boston with the AP Tour with A Rocket of the Moon, Hit the Lights, The Maine, Family Force 5, and 3OH!3. I believe the week ended on a VERY high note. The tour gave out free posters (BIG ones) and free subscriptions to the magazine (which I love!). John O'Callaghan of The Maine definitely worked the audience, telling the audience that he loved them... among other things. XD At the end of the last song of their set, he ran and dove into the crowd to the delight of fangirls and fear of the security guards. I'm shocked the girls didn't tear him to pieces, as they did to the cardboard cutout of Tom Brady that 3OH!3 tossed into the crowd with the intent of it making it to the back of the crowd still intact.

When FF5 hit the stage, the crowd went wild! They have an incredible stage presence. They danced as they played to the point I couldn't believe they could possibly play their instruments! One member even did the worm! They announced that they wanted to bring out a local special guest, and Bryan walked out! I couldn't believe I was seeing him again, and met up with him at the bar after the set. I'm not sure if he really did remember us or not (he claimed he did), but I'm pretty sure he did, as we were the only people he talked to at the show and it just happened.

After the show, I went outside and met Pat Kirch of The Maine.

John tried to come out, but the literally hundreds of girls mauled him. We waited a long time after everyone left, and he came out to meet us. I got a picture with him (right) and he signed my poster (with a heart, might I add XD) and was literally dragged away by the waist by one of the roadies bc the tour buses were going to be ticketed if they didn't leave right then and there. He squirmed against the roadie's grip, yelling that he loved us and that his fans needed him. He was a lot funnier and more down to earth than I thought he would be. I can't wait to see him and many of the other bands I saw over the week at Warped Tour in July!!! :D



Songs to Check Out:
A Rocket to the Moon - "Dakota"
The Maine - "Everything I Ask For", "Girls Do What They Want"
Family Force 5 - "Earthquake", "Get Your Back off the Wall"
3OH!3 - "Don't Trust Me", "I'm Not Your Boyfriend"

April 27th even MORE cont'd: AAR!!!!

The awesome doesn't end here, my friends. Oh no, it goes on. And oh, does it get better. How can it, you ask? Well, it all began one day before class...

I was hanging out between labs with my friend. She was done for the day, but I still had one more lab to go to before I was free. There was a stack of the student newspaper in the lobby, and we flipped through them out of boredom... when we saw a full-page ad for the Casino Ballroom in Hampton Beach. The Ballroom has been around for quite a while, since the 1800s as a concert venue, but in recent years (since the 70s) has only booked smaller, unknown acts. Under new management, the venue is now booking more famous acts... including those we saw in the ad, one of them being one of my all-time favorite bands, The All-American Rejects. Their music pretty much was the soundtrack to my teen years, so of course they hold a special place in my heart.

Immediately, we called the box office, which announced that tickets were about $25 and that it closed at 5pm. Knowing that show the WOULD sell out and that the newspaper hit stands that day, we quickly made the decision to go over there immediately, which is about a 20 minute lab (yes, I even passed in my work and bailed from my lab!) We snagged the tickets and rejoiced like MAD. And with that, my story does not end; it is only the beginning.

Early on, we realized that the venue is quite unique. The tour buses are parked right in back;they weren't barricaded off or anything, just a low iron fence, but that was it. We also realized that we really didn't care for the opening acts and were struck with an idea: we'd wait around the buses before the show/during the opening acts and see if we could see the band at all. It was an ingenius plan, there were only 2-4 other kids who were out back. Low and behold, the drummer. Chris Gaylor, was hanging around back. I met him and got his autograph!!!! We also got a glimpse of the lead singer and bassist, Tyson Ritter, coming down the back stairs of the venue and hopping the iron fence.

A very mobile and agile Tyson LOL

After the openers were over, we went inside to find a HUGE crowd of maybe 2000 people on the floor. We made the decision to infiltrate it from the side and pushed our way to the front. People always do that at shows and it pisses me off to no end, but hey, this show was important to me and I'll never see those people again... so I made the decision to make the most of my show and to get the most out of it I could. We got to about midway through the pack when the show started. It was ELECTRIFYING! There were flames and pyrotechnical displays everywhere you looked, which I was not expecting at a venue that small. Lights flashes and the bass throbbed and reverberated throughout the room. Everyone started jumping when all of a sudden, I felt something hit my face and landed in my palm. It was a guitar pick that one of the band members (probably Tyson or Mike) threw into the crowd. And it landed IN MY PALM. Wow!!!! If that's not remarkable, I don't know what is.

Nick Wheeler & Mike Kennerty

We pushed our way closer and I got to be in the "third row" of the sardine-packed crowd. Since it was Tyson's 25th birthday, they brought out a cake and champagne, and Tyson blew out the candles and shot the alcohol out into the crowd, spraying everyone within close range, including me. They gave him a silver and pink tiara to wear and he danced about the stage, even kissing Mike, one of the guitarists. XD

The show ended on a high note and the guys came back out after a ridiculously demanded encore. People stomped their feet saying HAPpy BIRTHday! They played an encore set and threw some autographed setlists out into the crowd.

Tyson and his tiara XD

After the show, we weren't sure if we should stick around or not. I hate what-ifs, so we did. After security encouraged people to leave, saying the band left, many people did leave... but we didn't. A security girl emphasised they were gone, but I didn't buy this girl's act, although she did give me an official setlist as a gift. Low and behold, they were lying (wow, who KNEW huh?). Nick Wheeler, the lead guitarist and cofounder, came out and met us in the parking lot. He gave us autographs, took a pic with me and chatted with my friend on my phone (who was wasted btw, funny story....). He asked me for my name and generally was the sweetest person I've ever talked to (he lives up to his reputation as one of the nicest celebs out there!).

We hung around some more and met up with Chris again. A roadie swung by with about half of Tyson's birthday cake. They couldn't take it with them so they GAVE IT TO ME. It was the most delicious thing I've ever eaten, most likely because I hadn't eaten all day and it was past midnight. Then Mike Kennerty and his gf and dog came by. He kept apologizing that he'd be back in a short bit, which I reassured him was MORE than fine - after all HE'S the rockstar and I'M the grateful fan!!! He's a lot nicer than what other people claim him to be! Tyson, Nick and Chris were already on the bus. It was beginning to pull away and Mike had to chase after it!!!

Mike Kennerty & I

All in all, they are the sweetest guys you could ever talk to and were incredibly friendly and patient. They didn't mind at all meeting me and Bri in the parking lot and just chatting it up. I've been to many MANY concerts, and I've even seen AAR before on their Move Along tour, but this just takes the cake by FAR.

I never would have been able to accomplish this at a bigger, more private venue in, say, Boston, and I certainly would never have known about the concert (it was announced late) had I not seen the paper. Moral of the story kids - don't be afraid of spontaneity and going after what you want! If you don't take a risk, you'll never know what you're missing out on!!! :D

*Swoons*

April 27th cont'd: The Great NOLA Journey!

Sooo... on with the recap!
After the concerts, I went to New Orleans for a week with my buddy Bri. I've been there before, and loved the city so much I decided to go back this year. Last year, I took a class on the city, and for Spring Break '08, we went down to rebuild from the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. At night, we were allowed to head into the city and party!

Our trip began with an awesome start. My mom and her friend drove us to the airport, and the young security guard loved our Dropkick shirts and expressed his frustration at not being able to go to the show. What a true Bostonian. ;) We flew to Dallas Ft. Worth alright. We sat next to a guy who worked for environmental services in VT which was cool bc that's up our alley. He was quizzing us on dendrology (the taxonomy of trees) which was pretty funny. Then we caught our connecting flight into NOLA! I sat next to a really chatty Polish woman, so it was all good. XD


Our hotel room was ridiculous. The whole HOTEL was ridiculous. Right on the corner of Bourbon St. and Canal St. Couldn't pick a better location. We met some local guys and ran around the city. It was great and at the end of the night they made a crazy scene in the lobby while we quickly snuck away. Didn't wanna get thrown out on our first night!!!



The next few days, we did a lot of exploring. We went shopping, ate beignets at the famous Cafe Du Monde, ate FRIED ALLIGATOR at another cafe, went on a mule carriage ride, and even did a swamp tour and saw alligators! And oh yeah, we partied. XD



When all the fun was had and done, we headed back to the airport. The security guard THERE befriended us too. He was from NY and we talked sports. Poor soul. Two Sox fans vs one Yankee. LOL. Then when we were in Dallas, waiting for our connector, this random young guy stopped me in the terminal bc he saw my shirt. Turns out, he was a huge Dropkick Murphys fan and has been since the beginning, even seeing them while in Germany. I swear, it follows me everywhere. Funny how the trip ended the same we it began. Very ironic.

Handmade Masks!

Beignets!!! MMMMMM!

Cletus the mule

The Moonwalk

Jackson Square

April 27th: Yeah, I Know I Fail Whaled

Yeah... about the blogging every day thing... I've been pretty busy lately and either haven't had the time to blog or didn't have anything interesting to blog about! I really wanted to keep this an everyday thing, but I CAN promise that I will update whenever I can. I'm surprised actually that my streak lasted as long as it did!

I assure you that there is more to come soon and I have some GREAT stories to tell... !!!

So... what HAVE I been up to?

Well, let me fill you in on what happened during the remainder of March, shall I? Well, I started off with a concert or two. I saw both Flogging Molly and the Dropkick Murphys, both at the House of Blues in Boston, in the same week right before my Spring Break. I met Nathen Maxwell, the bass guitarist and backup vocalist of FM, as well as their youngest member. Also, I got autographs from Ken Casey and Scruffy Wallace of DM. They were both amazing shows and yes, I joined in the mosh pit. Not a smart decision for a smaller girl such as myself, but a good time was had nonetheless. I swear, if you are gonna go to an Irish punk/rock show, do it in Boston. The crowd is unlike anything you'll see anywhere else. It's kinda indescribable, the Boston Irish rock scene... I suggest you see for yourself!

Me and Nathen Maxwell

Dropkick Murphys!

March 4th: Still Here!

Hey guys! Yeah... sorry I haven't blogged in a while. Things have been kinda hectic over here. A gang of papers, reports, and exams jumped me in the parking lot and stole all my stuff. And I was doing so well too... hadn't missed a day up until then... *sigh*

Will a little anecdote make everything a-ok? What? It will? OK!

So the other day I was studying in the library with some friends when one of them reminded me that this is the week that the barred owls in College Woods are mating. (I know that sounds random, but remember, we're wildlife majors!) So we went out into the woods, which was really snowy as it was in between snowstorms that day, not to mention dark (it was at night... don't worry, we know the forest well!). We got pretty far in before making owl calls. The male owls hooted back, thinking we wanted their turf. (And their women. XD) So they came closer. We called again. They hooted back and came closer... And we went back and forth like that, trying to catch a glimpse. Basically, it was like playing flashlight tag with owls.


Now to some people, this story might have sounded dumb. But let me tell you: traipsing about the woods at night, with only moonlight reflecting off snow to guide you and listening only to your own quiet breath, the call of owls, and the still of the night is absolutely fantastic. Not to mention magical.

I suggest you try it. ;)

Feb 26th: You're Listening to WUNH

I started my DJ observation hours today with one of the student DJs. He was pretty cool and we hit it off right away. Surprisingly, we had a ton in common and took a few classes together our freshman and sophomore years, but never met. I didn't expect any of the DJs to be science majors like I am. I suppose that's not a fair assumption, but people in science tend to have fairly inflexible schedules. All in all, it was a pleasant surprise.

Within the first 15 minutes, he let me talk on air and with the first half hour, actually DJ. I didn't expect that I would be able to do anything my first day. I kind of thought that it would be like Driver's Ed, where you sit in the backseat of the car while another student drives and you try not to fall asleep. Honestly, I think he bent the rules a bit because I don't think I was supposed to be actively doing anything until I'm fully trained. But I'm not going to complain. :) By the end of the shift, I could work the soundboard, switch tracks, do talkbacks (name songs and talk on air), run pre-recorded public service announcements, run the EAS, work turntables and play vinyl records, and take phone calls from the public. And the show is archived on the website so I can hear the whole thing.

So. Freakin. Cool.

Feb 25th: Movie Night

Happy 21st birthday shout out to my roomie!

Went to the movies and saw Fired Up! The movie was a lot better than I expected it would be; I never stopped laughing. It's a silly premise (Imagine Stifler from American Pie attending cheer camp with his best friend. That’s Fired Up!) and the plot requires a great deal of suspension of belief, but the one-liners make up for it. That and I noticed a few familiar faces in the movie. The two main characters are played by Nicholas D'Agosto and Eric Christian Olsen, whom you may have seen as Hunter on The Office and Austin in Not Another Teen Movie, respectively. Also, Molly Simms and Margo Harshman (whom you may remember as Tawny from Even Stevens) appear.


It might have been better if it was given full reign to be rauchy instead of trying to squeeze into the PG13 division, but I definitely recommend giving this one a try. If you're expecting Oscarworthy material, you're not gonna find it here. But if you liked Not Another Teen Movie or American Pie, you might like this flick.

After the movie ended, we went out to the parking lot and saw this kid who looked eerily similar to Christopher Mintz-Plasse. So of course my friend called out to the poor kid, shouting, "I Am McLovin" as we drove away. He was so confused!

We pretty much drove around after that before calling it a night. My friend had never been on a rotary (also called a traffic circle or roundabout) before, so we turned on the radio and I drove around it for a full song. We probably went around it like 20 times. Very dizzying. I wonder if there are laws about that. Hmmmm. Will do research. ;)