I'm Bringing Sassyback

Friday, I went to see Cobra Starship on the Sassyback Tour. It really was an awesome show. The line to get in curved all the way around the corner of the Masquerade and down the road. It was sold out and you could tell everyone there was anxious to get in and what they (me) had been waiting months to see. The first band to play was Sing it Loud. I knew a few of their songs and I thought they sounded great. They did mess it up for me by having a "Who Can Get Over the Barracade the Most? Crowd Surfing Contest." Though I think it would be fun, I have never crowd surfed. The people who make it to the barracade look like they're having a great time, the people who get dropped in the middle of the crowd don't. I also don't like having my listening/watching concert pleasure interupted by having to help pass a human being over my head. With that being said, I really like Sing it Loud and I thought their set was awesome. Next up was Hit the Lights. I only knew one of their songs, but I thought they sounded great. They too, had an awesome set. Next up was Forever the Sickest Kids. Like Sing it Loud, I knew a few more of their songs. I thought they were a lot of fun. They sounded good and they had a great energy and were tons of fun to watch. After that was the main event. The band I had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity to see. Cobra Starship. And boy, did they deliver. They were full of energy and played an amazing show. They had a great light set up and sounded great. I thought Gabe's voice sounded a bit raspy, but mainly when he talked. Hey, if you had a cyst on your vocal chord recently removed and you had been playing shows almost every night, you're voice might sound raspy too. Ryland and Victoria were able to help out with some back up vocals and even though they were things normally sung by Gabe, I didn't think it took away from the show at all. Ryland got to talk for a while about his song, "Pleasure Ryland" and it was great. He was extemely entertaining and seems to have a great sense of humor. I think thats one of the big reasons I like Cobra so much. They're all so funny and have these great personalities, I really feel like they're just like me and the people I hang out with. Corny, I know, but I really think it helps their popularity. If you can relate, normally you will, and you'll enjoy doing so.

Who Watches the Watchmen?

Yesterday, I finished reading Watchmen. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It you have read it, I recommend you read it again. When a retired superhero is killed, many masked veterans reunite to try and figure out who did it. The book is supposed to come out later this year, (as long as there isn't anymore legal drama) and I can not wait to see how the directors and writers interpret the book. The trailer makes it look crazy good. You should not be closed off to this book just because it is a comic book. It tells an awesome story. Time Magazine didn't put it on their list of best novels of all time for nothing.

Links of Interest
Watchmen Book
Watchmen Movie

It's Your Show

Last night I traveled to the Masquerade for the Disco Balls and Blow Up Dolls tour. It was a good show and I had a lot of fun, but not because of Metro Station. They only sounded okay and they seemed as if they couldn't wait to get off stage. Tyga was not that great either. I think he has ruined his own concerts by collaborating with someone more famous and more talented than him on almost every song off his album. While this is a good idea to get your name out, it really makes his live show a disappointment. With that being said, here are the things that made my night. Cash Cash and The White Tie Affair. Oh how I love them both. Cash Cash played first. They sounded great and had awesome energy on stage. After the show they played an acoustic set outside. Definitely upped their awesome points. I got to talk to some of them after the show and they were all extremely nice. White Tie also sounded great and put on an awesome show. I met Chris after the show and he couldn't have been nicer. The show will really go well for Cash Cash and White Tie if Metro Station continues to run through a set at the speed of light and hop right off the stage and onto their bus. A year from now when I look back on this, that's what I'll remember. That they didn't sound that great, but I stood there after the show, had a great conversation with Chris Wallace.

Links of Interest
Metro Station
Tyga
The White Tie Affair
Cash Cash

Last.fm Charts for the Week of 11/3/08

The White Tie Affair
Until recently the only White Tie songs I had heard were "Candles" and "Allow Me to Introduce Myself." When I realized that my date for the Metro Station Disco Balls and Blow Up Dolls Tour was coming up, I decided to listen to more. I'm glad I did. White Tie Affair is one of my newest favorite bands. I was so glad to see them yesterday, especially since Metro wasn't that great. I got the chance to talk to Chris after the show, and he couldn't have been nicer.

Say Anything
My love for Say Anything is one that is ever growing. I found myself sitting, thinking, of their forthcoming album and wondering what it will sound like. I dream of seeing them live. Next time they come to Atlanta, there's no doubt that I'm going. I will not pass up any chance to see Max and the gang live.

Relient K
Relient K makes me smile. I fee that is all that needs to be said.

Fall Out Boy
It frustrates me to know that the new album is ready and could have come out last Tuesday. December 16 can't get here fast enough.

Midtown
Yes, I listened to Cobra Starship before Midtown. I don't care what you think, I'm still a fan. I would love a reunion just as much as any Cobra hater.

Links of Interest
Last.fm Profile
The White Tie Affair
Say Anything
Relient K
Fall Out Boy
Midtown

A Night With To Write Love on Her Arms

On Friday, I was lucky enough to go and see the founder of To Write Love on Her Arms, Jaime Tworkowski, speak. To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit organization whose aim is to find help for people who struggle with problems such as addiction, depression, self-injury, and suicide. It was really a touching night. The night began with music by Zach Williams, who was incredible. He sung some amazing songs and told great stories that went along with them. He really had the music in him. I found myself just watching his feet throughout the show. He could not stand still at all. He would lean back on his heels, and then roll up to his very tip toes. He would stomp one foot, or just take a step one way. His music was very entertaining and he was just as entertaining to watch. After that, Jaime came up and talked for a bit. He told some incredible stories was very interesting to listen to. Then, a counselor came up and talked about depression and addiction in general and how it really isn't as easy to overcome them as one might think. After this, Jaime and the counselor interviewed a guy about how he overcame his addiction. It was really interesting to hear his side of things. After that, another counselor and Zach Williams joined the three of them on stage and they had a question and answer session. It was really intimate and it was as interesting to hear people's questions as it was to hear there responses. I was there for Three hours and I had to leave earlier, but I would have stayed all night if I could have.

Links of Interest:
TWLOHA
Zach Williams

Strike Up the Band!

On Tuesday I went to
Rock Band Live at the Gwinnett Arena. It was a really awesome show. The Cab played first. I got there kind of late and only got to see a couple of their songs. They didn't sound as good as they did the first time I saw them, but the acoustics in the arena were really weird. I had floor seats so it wasn't awful, but some friends of mine who had tickets in the seats said they couldn't understand anything the bands said in between songs. They had a lot of energy on stage and were very fun to watch. The next band playing was Plain White T's. I thought they sounded great. I couldn't tell any difference from their live performance and how it sounds on the album. Next was Dashboard Confessional. They were the band I knew the least of, but what I had heard I liked so I was excited to hear them. I really liked Chris Carraba's personality and found him very entertaining. They also sounded great live. For their last song, they had De'Mar Hamilton and Tim Lopez from Plain White T's and Ian Crawford and Alex Marshall from the Cab came out and played a cover of "So What" (Yes, the P!nk hit, "So What."). It was surprisingly rather enjoyable. Alex Deleon came out to sing the bridge. After that Panic came out. I thought they sounded great and really loved seeing them. This was my second time seeing them, and I think they're really fun to watch and put on a great show. They are born performers and this can be seen in their great energy on stage.

I Thought This Would be a Good Way to Sort of Get My Taste Out There

Name your top 10 most played bands on iTunes (Or Last.FM):

1. Fall Out Boy
   
2. The Academy Is...
   
3. Cobra Starship
   
4. The Eagles
   
5. Aerosmith
   
6. Led Zeppelin
   
7. Panic at the Disco
   
8. Weezer
   
9. The Cab
   
10. Hawthorne Heights
    

What was the first song you ever heard by 6 (Led Zeppelin)?
"Stairway to Heaven." I'm sure that this has become a very stereotypical response to this question. I love Zeppelin and "Stairway" is definetly on of my favorite songs ever.

What is your favorite album of 2 (The Academy Is...)?
Not Fast Times at Barrington High. I love Santi, but I'm going to have to go with Almost Here. It's one of the few albums I can listen to from beginning to finish without skipping a song.

What is your favorite lyric that 5 (Aerosmith) has sung?
"There's something wrong with the world today The light bulb's getting dim."

How many times have you seen 4 (The Eagles) live?
Once. I saw them over the summer and it was possibly the best concert I've ever been to.

What is your favorite song by 7 (Panic at the Disco)?
Currently, "Northern Downpour." See below entry.

What is a good memory you have involving the music of 10 (Hawthorne Heights)?
I recently won tickets to see them.

Is there a song of 3 (Cobra Starship) that makes you sad?
How could Cobra every make me sad? The lyrics to "The World Has It's Shine" are very sweet in a happy/sad kind of way.

What is your favorite lyric that 2 (The Academy Is...) has sung?
I'll never get tired of "Classified."

How did you get into 3 (Cobra Starship)?
I looked them up when I got tickets to go see the Honda Civic Tour when they were on it. Ironically it was around the same time "Snakes on a Plane" came out.

What was the first song you heard by 1 (Fall Out Boy)?
"Sugar We're Going Down." No I'm not an original Take This to Your Grave fan. The first time I heard the song was when I first saw the video on TV. Boy with antlers, I loved it.

What is your favorite song by 4 (The Eagles)?
I've listened to "One of These Nights" a lot lately. "Witchy Woman" never gets old.

How many times have you seen 9 (The Cab) live?
Once. And I got there during their last song. I'm actually going to see them tomorrow and I'm really excited about it.

What is a good memory you have involving 2 (The Academy Is...)?
Nothing in particular. I saw them in concert recently and that was amazing. Some of their songs just go with random memories in my head. (i.e. I got Almost Here the day we left for Disney World a couple years ago (The day after I saw them live for the first time). I wrote a blog about "Slow Down.")

Is there a song of 8 (Weezer) that makes you sad?
"Heart Songs" off of their new album is a nice kind of sad.

What is your favorite album of 5 (Aerosmith)?
The only one I own is Young Lust, and it's awesome.

What is your favorite lyric that 3 (Cobra Starship) has sung?
"Not long ago, I gave up hope, But you came along, You gave me something I can hold on to, and I want to, More than you could ever know."

What is your favorite song of 1 (Fall Out Boy)?
Right now it's "What a Catch, Donnie." Hands Down.

What is your favorite song of 10 (Hawthorne Heights)?
"Somewhere in Between"

How many times have you seen 8 (Weezer) live?
None.

What is your favorite album of 1 (Fall Out Boy)?
Depends on my mood.

What is a great memory you have considering 9 (The Cab)?
Nothing in particular. I always get in a good mood when I listen to them.

What was the first song you heard by 8 (Weezer)?
"Beverly Hills." I know it's sad.

What is your favorite cover by 2 (The Academy Is...)?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjVm8aPmV6A