Where There is Rain, a Rainbow Always Follows

It’s not cold, it’s f**king cold

            On November 10, 2011 my friend and I stood outside of Pop’s Bar and Night Club in Sauget, IL waiting to see one of our favorite bands, Panic (!) at the Disco. The line was long and the air was bitter; it was a night for the die-hards. Fans shivered in the near freezing weather and waited for the doors to open. Some people were just arriving at around 6 p.m. (a mere hour before they would let people in) and some had been in line all day.

            I find concert lines to be one of the best places to meet the most interesting people. There were people rocking steam punk costumes, girls in fish-nets, and kids wearing their favorite Panic shirt. There were kids in their early teens to kids in their late twenties all waiting in the biting wind with the same anticipation. My friend and I made company with a couple of high school kids from West County, who waited in line behind us. We chatted about everything from whether Fall Out Boy sucks or not to whether Glee sucks or not (I sense a theme). We waited, shivered, and laughed until the doors opened at 7 p.m.

Hometown Replacements

            The opening spot at the Panic show was meant for the band Foxy Shazam who, unfortunately for many fans, dropped out of the line up to tour the UK with The Darkness. Shazam was replaced by St. Louis’s own Last Nights Vice. The band gave the night an energetic start with their dance rock vibe that reminisced bands like Head Automatica. The crowd, that filled the venue, danced and watched as the band played. The band interacted well with crowd encouraging them to scream “Oh” along with the song at one point, and even struck up a competition between the singer and the guitarist over which side screamed louder.

Last Nights Vice in Sauget, IL 11/10/11

“Comeback of the Year”

            After Fall Out Boy announced their indefinite hiatus in 2009, it seemed like there wasn’t much going on with former singer, Patrick Stump, but it was quite the contrary.This past September, Stump released his solo debut, Soul Punk. Stump definitely takes a cue from pop artists like Prince and Michael Jackson on his new record. Shortly after the album hit stores, Stump joined his friends Panic at the Disco on Tour.

Patrick Stump in Sauget, IL 11/10/11

            Stump, entered the stage with his funk-style band. This was big for a die-hard Fall Out Boy fan such as myself. I hadn’t seen Patrick Stump live since FOB headlined the Black Clouds and Underdogs tour back in early 2006, and the first thing I noticed was that Stump’s vocals were amazing! They were better than I had ever heard them before. Unfortunately, despite Stump’s clear talent, the front half of his set suffered due to a guitar technical difficulty and a confusing set list. It seemed as if the first two or three songs just ran together into a never ending jam session. I couldn’t quite figure out what was going on and the rest of the audience seemed just as baffled.

            Half way through the set, Stump finally played a familiar song off his new album, “Run Dry (X Heart, X Fingers).” All I have to say was that the song about binge drinking saved the performance. The crowd sang along happily to the lyrics “One more shot then I’m quitting forever, cross my heart, cross my fingers…” Stump rocked the single and anthem, “This City” telling the crowd that “this song is for you.” By then end of set the crowd cheered loudly. Despite the set’s rough start, Stump proved that was more than capable of standing on his own outside of Pete Wentz’s shadow.

“I’m Pleased to Please Ya”

           The moment that the crowd and myself had been waiting for had arrived, it was time for Panic at the Disco to Play. Replacement members Ian Crawford (guitar) and Dallon Weeks (bass) took their places on stage and were shortly followed by original members, drummer, Spencer Smith and, front man, Brendon Urie. Fans screamed loudly and excitably for the headliners. Panic opened the show with “Ready to Go” of their latest album, “Vices and Vertues.” The crowd jumped to the infectious beat and sang along with Urie’s entrancing vocals.

            In between songs Urie was more than willing to converse with the crowd responding to “I love yous” and talking about his frustrations with his Mormon upbringings. He even talked about a conversation he had with a drunken man and one quote in particular stuck out, “If you want the rainbow, then you have to put up with the rain.” It seemed very fitting as the crowd stood a little too close for comfort with total strangers.

Urie singing to the crowd in Sauget, IL 11/10/11

            Panic mixed up the set with various tracks from “Vices” and from their debut album “A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out”; the crowd actually started moshing to “Time to Dance” which Urie said was the first Panic song ever written. They only briefly touched on songs from 2008’s “Pretty Odd,” playing only the singles “Nine in the Afternoon” and “That Green Gentleman.” Throughout the show Urie proved himself to be a truly talented singer and stage presence. He would occasionally screech into the strasosphere and then quickly growl into the depths, showing off his impressive range. The band overall seemed tight knit and on their A game.

           Towards the end of the night Panic switched gears and played more unfamiliar tracks such as “New Perspective” (off Jennifer’s Body soundtrack) and doing several covers, which Urie said was a hobby of the bands, from Zeppelin to Marvin Gaye. One cover in particular that was interesting was their rendition of The Darkness’s “I Believe in a Thing Called Love.” The crowd danced along to the retro rock song and sang along to the catchy chorus “I believe in a thing called love, just listen to the rhythm of my heart…” Panic closed the evening with the final track off of “Vices”, “Nearly Witches (Ever Since We Met…),” and ending the song singing“good-bye.” Panic thanked the other bands on the tour, threw out a few souvenirs (picks and drum sticks), told the crowd that they loved them, and exited the stage.

Panic at the Disco in Sauget, IL 11/10/11

 Seeing Rainbows

            As I walked away from the stage, Panic pick in hand, I felt that unmatchable rush that you get at live shows. Seeing you’re heroes in concert may not always be the most ideal experience (the line is cold, technical difficulties happen, bands drop out, you get squished in the crowd, etc) but there is always that moment of magic where you are singing along with the artist you love and you experience a moment with that artist and with a community. It really is magic and it really is the rainbow after the rain.

***Please let me know what you think of my coverage and reviews. It really is helpful =)

Concert Survival 101

“Party rockers in the house tonight!”

                Everyone likes to party and have a good time at some point, and one of the best places to do that is at a live show. Unfortunately, events (or people) can occur to hinder the merriment. The trick is to find a way to survive the madness and be able to walk away with an unforgettable experience. These are some tips to keep the good times going even in the weirdest, tiring and most disgusting of times.

The crowd gets wild durring Bullet For My Valentine set at Taste of Chaos 2008

Read the fine print, people

                Many fans go to a concert and expect to have the night of their lives, but sometimes forget that a night to remember comes with a cost. Keep in mind that a concert is a crowd environment and depending on the style of music can also entail a mob mentality. This means that yes you may get shoved, stepped on and (God forbid) made-out on.  Being in a crowd is NEVER comfortable; it involves a lot of standing and a lot of not seeing. Remember everyone else is there to have a good time and some are more ruthless than others



"Moshing" at Underoath show at Warped Tour 2009



                Now this is not to discourage anyone from attending a show that involves a large and sometimes intense crowd. This is just a warning that things can get a little too close for comfort. The trick to surviving the animal-like crowd is to know what to expect and not let it be a damper on the evening. It really is that simple. People are going to be rude, and no, the tall guy whose head is blocking the stage doesn’t care if the people behind him can’t see, but that is opportunity cost of the experience. If you can’t see, move; if you get pushed, dance it off; if you’re tired, dance more.

Don’t be unrealistic

                We all have out mental lists of what we would like to see happen when we go to a show and that’s normal, but keep in mind it is LIVE and anything can happen. Technical difficulties occur, they may not play your favorite obscure song, band mates get sick, and sometimes fights happen.  I can easily list the many times that something unplanned occurred. While opening for My Chemical Romance in St. Louis back in December, Middle Class Rut Drummer, Sean Stockham, had his bass drum give out and proceeded to throw the instrument out of frustration. Fortunately the drum was replaced and Stockham laughed it off, but this is still an example of “shit happens.”

                The other thing I have seen fans get caught up in is hearing their favorite song at the show. Back when I saw Plain White T’s last month I heard numerous “boos” every time the band pulled out an acoustic guitar and didn’t play “Hey There Delilah.” One fan even said that he only came to the show to hear that one song. Seriously?!? ! Moral of this story, don’t get caught up in an ideal; enjoy the moment and don’t let one song ruin your night.

Living life through a frame…

                It’s all over facebook and youtube, concert pictures and footage. Every show you go to there are tens to hundreds of kids with their phones and cameras out trying to document every second of the performance. It’s like we’re on a mission to prove, not only to the world but to ourselves that what we experienced really happened; trust me, it happened and you don’t need a picture to prove it.

One fan showing their love for the Plain White T's at the October 14th show

                I understand the desire to get tons of videos and pictures at the show, but save that for the reporters and just experience the show. Honestly do you want to spend the entire night watching the show through a camera lens? I know I don’t. If you’re allowed to have a camera then take a few pictures and record a video or two, but don’t overly immerse yourself in it.

Be an opportunist

                Going to a concert is an amazing opportunity in itself; seeing a favorite artist in the flesh for one night and for that one moment YOU are their concern. It’s pretty friggin epic! But if you can don’t let it stop there. If there is an opportunity for a signing or a meet and greet, take it! I can cannot stress to you enough how important it is to not let these chances slip by. I went to warped tour back in 07 and I got the chance to meet Hawthorne Heights, three months later guitarist, Casey Calvert, passed away. I still have the memory of meeting him and I have the autograph to prove it. I took the moment when it was there and it was a good thing because I won’t get that chance again.

                What I’m really trying to get at here is this…concerts are individual once in a lifetime experiences, so don’t waste them! Meet people in line, dance until you feel like you’re going to pass out, wait after just for the possibility of a brush with greatness, start a mosh pit, do whatever it is that makes that $40 you spent worth it. Truly make it the best night of your life….so far ;)



Me with Ludo at Vintage Vinyl on Sept. 8th 2010