My Holiday From Real - The Big Snow Show 3 Concert Review

This Snow Show was unlike any other I've been too - okay, maybe not the concert itself but the experience was definetly something other than the usual thing for me. And here is how the magical tale began to unfold....

I babysit from afterschool until 6. I begged people all day for a ride to the show, becuase Andi was no longer able to take me. I babysat, very ansty, until 6 on the dot. I got home at 6:05 and rushed my favoritest relative, Grandma, out the door. I felt really bad becuase she was nervous to drive in the snow, but once we got on the expressway she was thrilled she was taking me. She used to dance and swim and hang out at the Eagles Ballroom all the time when it was still a ballroom that is.

I arrived at the venue roughly 3 minutes before 7, when the concert was supposed to begin. I got out of the car alone at the same time as two girls got out of a car in front of us. Once inside they asked if I came alone, I explained my situtation and they kinda wandered off. I got checked for cameras and stuff and then went up a zillion sets of stairs to the Ballroom. I had my old camera with me. Now, the Ballroom is my least favorite room at The Rave. It's too big and the crowds just also seem to be worse than the crowds in the other rooms. There was already a massive crowd all around the stage so I decided to get a tshirt right away for the hell of it. I really wanted the purple "I <piano> Jack's Mannequin" shirt, but they didn't have my size, so I got one that says "Swim For Your Life" on it and on the back it says "Jacks Mannequin. Good enough for me!

The Ting Tings, were really upbeat!

A few minutes before The Ting Tings started I got 'into the crowd' which means I got in front of a few people kinda on the sidelines of the crowd. I could see fine, I don't really care for them so it was no biggy. They are a very radio-hit, one hit wonder band. They're not horrible, terrible, atrocious, vomit inducing, or anything like that but they definetly aren't wonderful and I wouldn't consider purchesing their cd. All of their songs sound the same. They did have a lot of energy on stage, however few people in the crowd shared that energy, but what can you expect from a Death Cab crowd? Towards the end of their very short set, a guy came out and then came back into the crowd with a girl, I of course followed them in and ended up 5 or 6 tall people back.

I soon found the people in front of me had an immense love for Jack's Mannequin - hey so do I! But did I talk to them? No, I wasn't in the mood(if that's the word) to put myself out there. Sometimes I'm up for talking to strangers, today it was interesting to be at a show alone.

Lookit Andrew sing! INCREDIBLE MAN, HE IS.

Jack's Mannequin came out next, of course, and I went absolutly spazzoid nutzo in love. I sang along to every song and danced my ass off. They played all my favorites, even Lullaby/Hammers and Strings! They played a good mix of new and old songs, but I was surprised they didn't play American Love becuase that seems like it would be a good song live. Andrew talked less than he did at Summerfest but still managed to mention beer, milwaukee, and friends. I love him, I really do. If there's a Jesus, it's him, I promise you that. Jack's Mannequin are rapidly becoming one of my favoritist bands. I think I'm using the lyrics "If you left it up to me everyday would be a holiday from real" or lyrics from "I'm Ready" or "The Resolution" for my senior quote. They are up their with MCS for sure! I basically went to this show for them, and them alone, and it was worth it. I had so much fun. Both at Summerfest and now, I always feel like it's just me and the band in the room. They're music means so much to me, they're lyrics have helped me a lot, and they are magic in music form. I am so in love. They were spectacular, there's not much else I can say about them - without going on for days, that is.

After JM, I left the crowd to use the restroom. There was such a huge long line, and two girls got in a fight about something and yea. After that I realized I would not be getting back into the crowd. This crowd was similar to that of Silversun Pickups and Ok Go with Snow Patrol. A few people for the first to bands and then a huge amount of unmoving, unfun, not concert people people for the last band. This crowd was not hyper or very fun. They weren't the kind of people to walk through to get a good spot. I don't like Death Cab for Cutie much anyways though I guess. I went through a short Death Cab binge last year sometime and whenever they were on The OC all the time, but I don't own any full cds and yeah. The singer really looked like a creeper, haha. I sat down on some steps for a little bit of their set and walked around the rest of the time. I saw a girl pass out or faint or something, everyone including her friend were just kinda like "Uhhhhhhh" and stared at her for the 30 seconds she was out. There were a lot of middle aged people at the show too, its so weird to be surrounded by that age group and be a teenager. I'm not saying its weird for not teenagers to go to shows, there just usually aren't that many at shows I go to. So, I was on the left side of the stage the whole time, so I decided to wander over to the right side. HOLY SHIT. The whole back of the room and right side smelled more like drugs than Lollapalooza! Somehow everyone must have been smoking weed and those little brown ciggarette things. It was horrible, I went back to the left side soon.

I told you I walked around and was in way back...

I surprisingly new a lot of the songs Death Cab played, but they kind of bore me so as soon as they left the stage I went down and out(TAI REFERENCE NAO) and left. I got a victory records demo cd and atticus sticker upon leaving the doors, and then turned the corner and walked to the front of the building. I was really afraid I wouldn't find my mom who was picking me up around 11. I had no clue what time it was. I saw Robert as soon as I turned the corner, we got in the car and left. They must have been their for a while becuase they said they saw some guys of Death Cab outside becuase they parked next to their van or something. I duno about that, haha.

Pictured above is my reaction to the show, thumbs up motherfuckers!

It might be kind of weird, and it's definetly weird to say, but I thought about life a lot at the show, a lot of self reflection too. Jack's Mannequin generally get me in that kind of mood, and Death Cab tend to make me kind of nostalgic, I suppose. With all that's been going on in my mind and life lately I guess I should have expected it, but I thought A LOT. Life, right? I don't even know, there is so much I just don't know any more, but this show was a really good release. I'm actually really happy I went to the show alone, I needed this time to be by myself but doing something I love and listen to great music. I got a lot out at the show, it was a great holiday from the constant stress that I've been under lately. It feels so good to get that out, even if just for one night. I've been home since 11:18 (it's 12:18 as I type this very word) and I'm so happy, relieved, and thankful of what I got to experience tonight. Jack's Mannequin makes me happy, and a break from life makes me even happier. It was a good night. I can't wait to see JM again, and I really hope this uplifted spirits thing keeps up for a while, at least until Envy, next Thursday :)

Goodnight, Internet.
"I'm alive and I don't need a witness to know that I survived."