avw86 - 8-7-2004 at 01:52 AM
I'm not kidding when I say it's really long. Pictures will, like always, accompany this thread after I get them developed (by Sunday). Oh
yeah, and I'm posting this straight from my online-journal, so there will be people mentioned that you won't know...
On with the story!
When we found the Great American Music Hall there was no one in line except for Nancy and Ricky. We spent a little while trying to find parking, then
eventually just went in the parking garage around the corner from the venue. We had to take these stairs to get out. They smelled so bad! Like piss.
And for a while it felt like we’d be stuck in there forever ‘cause we couldn’t find the damn exit! We finally found it, and were relieved to smell the
fresh air. We went to Quizno’s to grab a bite to eat, and then met up with Nancy, Ricky, Heidi, and Evan in line. A few more people were in line at
that point. I thought the doors were supposed to open at 7, but they didn’t open till about 7:30. The Great American Music Hall is a gorgeous venue!
It’s so cool inside. It’s like an old theater/grand ballroom type thing with paintings on the ceilings, crown molding, dark mahogany wood, gold leaf
finishes on things…J
Robbers on High Street was the first band to play. Not many people were there yet. They were good, but the guitar was too loud and the vocals weren’t
loud enough. They played 9 songs. I got the setlist. One of the songs is called “Amanda”! I got the bespectacled guitar player to sign it. When I
asked him, he said, “Sure, will you sign this?” and he ripped a piece of paper for me to sign. Haha, it was really cheesy/cheeky but cute. Jomel,
Marj, Jon, and Ron were not around for the first half of there set. Finally, they came in. Jomel went up to me and said, “I’m drunk! We went
drinking!” He came up to the front to stand with me, and eventually Jon came too. Marj and Ron stayed back and then went up to the balcony during (or
after? Don’t remember) Ambulance.
Ambulance Ltd played next. The lead singer/guitar player (Marcus) is really hot! Jomel said I had to get his guitar pick, water bottle, and setlist
for him (which I said I would ‘cause this show was for his birthday!). I don’t remember what they opened with. They’re SO good live! Really melodic
and lush. My favorite was “Stay Where You Are.” I wrote on a piece of paper, “Play ‘Helmsman’ for his birthday!” I showed it to him and he read it
aloud and then said, “Oh man. That’s tough. We haven’t played that song in a really long time! Maybe towards the end of the set we’ll do it.” They
didn’t end up playing it, but that’s o.k. I got the setlist and water bottle for Jomel. We thought all hope was lost on the guitar pick, but then he
came back and I asked him and he gave it to him! That was sweet.
Elefant was the last band to play. After seeing Ambulance, I didn’t think Elefant’s performance could top it. Oh, how I was wrong! First of all,
before they came on, the crowd suddenly grew in size. There were some annoying people who were around us, though. After a pretty good amount of time,
it suddenly got dark, and there was sustained feedback for a couple minutes. The crowd started cheering and chanting, “ELEFANT! ELEFANT!” Finally, all
of the band members except for Diego (lead singer) came on stage. It was still dark, but I could see that Diego (who just looked like a shadowy
figure) was on the left, by the entrance to the backstage area. The band started playing the beginning of “Bokkie” and then he came onstage and the
crowd went crazy for him! I had no idea what great performers they were! Diego was doing these crazy moves, and he really interacted with the audience
a lot. He recognized this guy behind us, and during a song, he leaned over us and said hi to him! Then during another song, he held this girls hand
and she looked like she had died and gone to heaven. At one point, he crouched down to Evan and just kind of held/hugged him! He also stuck his tongue
out at Nancy! And then at another point, he crouched down and sang right to Jomel and I! He looked at us a few times, too. He really needs some,
uh…underwear though. You could see the shape of his twig and berries underneath his pants! It was really hard not to stare. My favorite songs they
performed were “Bokkie”, “Tonite Let’s Dance”, “The Clown”, “Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid”, and of course “Misfit.” Jomel and I did ‘lets go down the
disco’ a few times during the show. The encore was SMMP. After they went off stage, Jomel hopped on to get the setlist! He did it just in time, too,
because this other girl was just about to snatch it from him! Good job, Jomel!
After the show, we saw various band members hanging around. I got the lead singer of ROHS to sign my setlist. I got Marcus’s autograph for Jomel, and
we took a group picture with him. He had his arm around me! Uhh…he kinda smelled like B.O, though, but I guess that’s to be expected. We talked to
Jeff (the bass player) from Elefant. He was so nice! He signed Jomel’s setlist. We then went over to the merchandise section and I got a ROHS pin. The
bespectacled cheeky monkey noticed I had two of their pins from the NY show. Kevin, the drummer for Elefant, was taking down the equipment from the
stage. I walked over there, and he gave Ricky and I each a drumstick! He was very nice. He looked kind of…creepy…while performing, but looked a lot
nicer when we were talking to him. Eventually, the GAMH people told us we had to go outside. There was a small group of people out there. The ROHS
guys were putting away their equipment in the van. Bespectacled guy was chatting up a group of girls, obviously flirting with him. The lead singer
seemed piss that he wasn’t hauling equipment, so he went up to him and loudly dropped some boxes in front of him. The Ambulance guys were also putting
away their equipment. For some reason, Marcus kept staring at Jon and Jomel. Hmm. Mod (guitar player) from Elefant came out with some equipment. He
was so nice! And funny. He signed Jomel’s setlist. Then we asked him if Diego was gonna come out soon, and if he knew of anything that could trick him
to come out here. I said, “tell him we have weed. Not just any weed, really, really good weed!” He laughed and said, “that’d probably get him out
here!” He went inside to get more equipment. I forgot why, but I think I mentioned how I still had never even taken a puff of a cigarette. Jomel was
smoking an Eclipse, and said that you couldn’t feel or taste anything. I tried taking a puff…but didn’t do it right! Then I took another, and a tiny
bit of smoke came out. Sorry, Jomel, for practically slobbering all over it! My first (and probably last) cigarette. Anyway, after a little while
longer…Diego came out! We took a group picture with him and he signed Jomel’s setlist. He was also incredibly nice and charming! Ahhh…I freakin’ told
him their performance was orgasmic! He laughed at that and seemed amused. Ricky asked him who his musical influences were, and he said some bands (I
don’t remember who he said). When he mentioned The Beatles, I showed him my Beatles purse. He said, “oh yeah, I noticed that. It’s really nice!” J
Then we started asking him about touring and stuff. He said that the California crowds have been really great, but that some of the East Coast crowds
weren’t too energetic. He said they’re definitely coming back here in the fall! And he said they’re gonna do more touring before making a new record.
The new songs (especially “The Clown”) are so good. Can’t wait to hear studio versions. I was completely enthralled while he was talking. I have a
disease…it’s called LSS (or, Lead Singer Syndrome). I’m also a concert-a-holic. Diego said he had to go back inside real quick, but that he’d be
right out. Nancy and everybody left then, but we stuck around. When he came out again, we told him that we had to leave (they had to leave as well).
So he gave us a BIG hug and as we were leaving, he said, “I love you all so much! Can’t wait to see you guys again at the next show!” Aww…I love him
too! Hahaha. I love love love them! This show was SO much fun! :D:D:D
happysmilely - 8-7-2004 at 10:02 AM
what a sweet line up... sounds like it was fun, haha
can't wait for photos!!! :D
lurker - 8-7-2004 at 11:32 AM
holy shit.....
sorry its too long and im too lazy. can someone summarize it?
poobs - 8-7-2004 at 11:49 AM
Summary: Amanda had fun.. :D
avw86 - 8-7-2004 at 02:11 PM
Hahaha, exactly! :D
Summary:
Robbers on High Street-Pretty damn good
Ambulance Ltd-Even better
Elefant-The best! So good and entertaining!
Met them all. Got autographs. Took pictures. Will post later. Great American Music Hall in SF is the coolest venue.
:P
lurker - 8-7-2004 at 02:42 PM
Awesome
I saw Ambulance LTD on Jay Leno the other night,, it might have been Conan or Letterman..
TurtleEnterprises - 8-8-2004 at 09:21 AM
In Amanda's review you can always feel her excitment , glad you had such a good time, its been a while since i went to a concert..michelle how
was curiousa?
avw86 - 8-8-2004 at 02:13 PM
Yes! :D I get very excited, hehe. It's weird. No matter how exhausted I am from a concert, or how late I come home, I *have* to write about it
right away (while it's still fresh in my mind). I keep an online journal, so when I look back on my old entries, it brings back all the memories
That review (plus what we did after, and plus my Hives review) was freaking 5 pages on MS Word!! :wow:
avw86 - 8-9-2004 at 01:22 AM
As promised...here are ze pictures!
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4285968497&idx=1
USERNAME: guest-guest
PASSWORD: guest
And while I'm at it...here are pictures from The Hives concert!
http://www.imagestation.com/album/review.html?id=4285968537