These Soles are Useless Without You

I have been listening to Say Anything a lot lately. I own "...Is a Real Boy" and I recently downloaded the "Menorah/Majora EP." I was reading Alternative Press the other day and was reminded of their greatness when I found Max Bemis' face smiling up at me. I don't understand how someone, like Bemis, can have mulitple mental break downs and then completley turn around and begin playing live shows and recording new material. He is living proof that you can truly overcome anything. I can see why people might not enjoy this band (my mom has told me they sound like "every other" band), but I believe that Max Bemis is one of the most talented lyricists around today.

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

You Clicked Your Heels and Wished for Me

Panic at the Disco - New Music - More Music Videos

This video came out today and I really love it. So simple. And the black and white is a nice touch. Though this video has a very different effect on me, I can't help but mention it here.

I Fear the Mosh

As you may (or may not) have read, I went to a Hawthorne Heights concert a little over a week ago. The show was amazing and I had a great time, but one part of it that has continued to haunt me each day after. The mosh pit. Through out the night I was smacked around as if I was a tennis ball in Wimbledon. It started during the Tickle Me Pink set. (A Mile After played first, but I missed them, so this is where my night started.) At this point, there was about a three row crowd. The first and second rows stood looking up towards the stage, while the third row hastily pushed each other around. Every now and then someone would slam into my back. Causing me to slam into the person in front of me. Causing them to jut their backside into me in a violent attempt to make their own space bubble. After this had happened around four or five times, I firmly planted my feet into the ground and held tightly to my camera in fear that in the next few moments it would become something of the past. This didn't work at all. After about five more times of being slammed into the person in front of me, a guy standing near by grabbed me by the shoulders and shoved me in front of him. This was the best shove of the night. His helpful push pushed me into the group of people more interested in the music, and not in beating the crap out of each other. I turned around, looked him right into his eyes, and mouthed the only two words I could think to say. "Thank you." After Tickle Me Pink, The Color Fred came on. No moshing here. After the Color Fred, Emery came on. Too much moshing here. This was probably the worst part of the night for me. The crowd went crazy trying to push each other, as well as push themselves up towards the front in an attempt to get a feel of their screamer's hand. A few minutes into the set, their screamer (I have no idea what his name is) walked out to the edge of the stage, only to then continue to step onto the barricade and step out onto the crowd. He thought that this crowd of teenagers was going to be able to hold him up and that he was going to be able to balance. This made me extremely noticed. I stood shaking looking up at his long and lanky body as he tried to keep his balance. After several very close calls, he decide to step off the crowd and back onto the stage. I found this a good idea, since I couldn't get the image of his six foot tall body teetering over and crashing down on me out of my head. The set ended about ten minutes later. Only after a girl screamed obscenities into my ear as she tried to get her opinion of Hawthorne Heights out in the open. I got the feeling that she didn't come to see them. But I did, and they were up next. The mosh was pretty much the same as before, but with more crowd surfers. The same guy from the Tickle Me Pink set grabbed me and pushed me towards the front. This helped a lot since he pushed me all the way to the barricade and I was now surrounded by the people like me, who just wanted to see them play. Here I was able to avoid the mosh for the most part, until the last song. When JT Woodruff sung the first few words of "Ohio is for Lovers" the crowd went crazy. Besides the few people near me, everyone was moshing. I was holding tightly to the barricade in hopes to not get pulled off and pushed in. I was very scared that this would happen when a guy tried to jump onto my shoulders in an attempt to make it past the barricade. Luckily before he could make it very high the bouncer rushed over picked him up by his shoulders and sent him on his marry way. Over all the concert was awesome and I had a great time. But it'll be nice to rest a little while before I get out there again.

Zeppelin - Plant = FAIL

I just read that there's the possibility of a Led Zeppelin reunion, only without Robert Plant. I'm not trying to say that he's the most talented member or anything. Zeppelin is an extremely talented band, but without a lead singer, I'm not sure how great they would be. Most any band is somewhat identified by the lead singer's voice and with out that it is impossible to sound the same. I love Led Zeppelin and I would love to seem them live, but this is not what I had in mind. Anyone whose heard recent Queen will agree.

Everyone has a Black Veil

In Nathaniel Hawthorne's short story, The Minister's Blake Veil, Parson Hooper begins to wear a black veil over his face. Even though he continues to be kind to others and continues his job just as well as he had before, the congregation begins to fear him in a way. His life begins to be very lonely. No one talks to him, his wife leaves him, and the congregation gossip amongst each other trying to find out the purpose of his black veil. At the end of the story, Hooper is asked to take the veil off. He refuses, saying that he does not understand why people avoid him only because of his black veil.

I believe that this story is written in agreement with Puritan England. Hooper believes that he, as well as everyone else in the congregation, has done wrong and covers his face because of this. When the congregation turns a cold shoulder to him, Hooper does not understand why. He believes that everyone should hide their face from the world because of the wrongs they have done. This brings us back to the Puritan ideas. You could not enjoy anything and most everything was a sin. Hooper believed that everyone was a sinner and no one deserved to show their face in public.

Old Post

I was just looking through the archive of my other blog and I found this.

It made me laugh. I am a silly little girl and I like my Bill Becketts with long hair.

I've Now Heard Two Emo Anthemns Live

Every Friday, I have a reason to be happy. Not because it's the last day of school before the weekend. Not because I don't have to do homework that night, and I can hang out with my friends instead. But because the Masquerade Message arrives every midmorning every Friday in my inbox. Here I can see who is coming to one of my favorite venues in Atlanta, and when the tickets go on sale. Last Friday when this e-mail came, I was disappointed to see that I wasn't very enthusiastic about any of the shows they announced. Remembering that I had answered the trivia question in this e-mail I scrolled down just to see if I had gotten it right. I had, and with that right answer came two Hawthorne Heights tickets. I had never participated in this contest before, but I was so happy I had. After much persuasion and lots of promises, my dad agreed to drive me to Atlanta and take me to see one of my favorite bands. And that's what I was doing last night.

When we got to the venue The Mile After had just finished their set, but we were there just in time for Tickle Me Pink. They sounded great and played an awesome cover of "Paradise City." Always a crowd pleaser. Next up was The Color Fred. If I could marry a band, Fred would be at the top of my list of possible spouses. They played a great set and they all really looked like they were having a great time. I was able to meet Fred Mascherino after the show and he was extremely down to earth and so sweet. After Fred, Emery played. I didn't know very much of their stuff and they were probably my least favorite. It may also have to do with the live experience, because I don't like moshing and there was lots of it. Once they were done playing, it was finally time for Hawthorne Heights.

I'll be the first to tell you that the first Hawthorne Heights song I ever heard was "Ohio is for Lovers," and it was after it got big. (I haven't been a Fall Out Boy fan since the "Take This to Your Grave" era either.) I liked the song, but I never really made an effort to try and listen to any of their other music. Once "Fragile Future," I listened to much more of their music, new and old. I regret not listening to more the first time I heard "Ohio is for Lovers," because I've found that I love it. Hawthorne Heights cease to amaze. After the passing of their guitarist, Casey Calvert, last November Heights was able to remain strong while recording a new album and now going on tour.

Their set sounded amazing and they played a few acoustic songs. I met J.T. Woodruff after the show, and he couldn't have been any nicer. All in all, it was a great night.

What is Greatness?

"To be great is to be misunderstood." I can not help, but agree with this quote. Right off, it may not make a ton of sense. Webster's dictionary says that to be misunderstood is "to interpret incorrectly" and to be great is to "remarkably skilled." It does not make since at all that someone who is unable to interpret something correctly is also remarkably skilled, but that is not the way that these words are described when Ralph Waldo Emerson used them in his Essay on Self-Reliance. Emerson knew what he was talking about, even if it did not make perfect sense.

I believe that Emerson's description of being "great" is very much like the Webster dictionary definition. Someone who is great is looked upon by many as someone who knows what his or her job is and is able to do it to the fullest. While this definition is so dead on, I think that Emerson's definition of "misunderstood" is very different from Webster's. The great person is the one who is misunderstood, but not by his oneself, by the other people observing him. He may be doing something great, but the people around him don't understand that and really have to think about it. If they didn't have to think so much about him, not as many people would discuss him with other people which just makes him more well known. This causes him to be even greater.

I've Been Caught

I'm in love with the new Fall Out Boy song, "What a Catch, Donnie." The song is really different from their past music. This only song I can think of that is a little close to it is "Golden" of their last album, "Infinity on High." Both songs show off Patrick Stump's melodic voice, but this time there are many more instruments than just a piano. Not to mention more voices than just Patrick's. Towards the end the song is greatly built up and then slows down so that almost all you can hear is Elvis Costello singing "Headfirst Sliding into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet." The song then picks back up and as Patrick continues to sing, in the background you can hear the voices of singers from different Fueled by Ramen bands singing the choruses of older Fall Out Boy songs. These include Gabe Saporta, Travis McCoy, Brendon Urie, Alex Deleon, Dough Neumann, and William Beckett. Even if you're someone who doesn't like Fall Out Boy I really think that you could enjoy this song. I just hope the rest of the album is this good.

Bill and Trav's Bogus Journey

Last Thursday, I was able to go to the Masquerade and experience an amazing concert. I was mainly going to see The Academy Is... but when I heard the rest of the acts I became even more excited. I had never heard of anything by Hey Monday or Carolina Liar, but with a quick myspace search I realized I liked both of them as well. I had first heard of the other co-headlining band, We the Kings, when I saw them last year when they opened for Cobra Starship on the Really Really Ridiculously Good Looking Tour. They had played a good show and I was very excited to see them again. I must say, their set this year was equally as good if not better. They were able to play a lot more than last year and they played an awesome cover of The Gorillaz' "Feel Good Inc." The Academy Is... played an amazing set and sounded incredible live. William Beckett is a born performer, which can be seen as he struts across the stage.

That Way the Impact Will be Much Better

I was recently listening to The Academy Is... song, "Down and Out." While a truly heart breaking song, I can't help but love it. The story of an mistreated girl taking control of her life gets me every time. The line, "Why do you wear sunglasses in the home when the sun went down about an hour ago?," at first made me think of someone being abused and trying to cover up the marks. When I thought about this some more I realized that it also showed that she was hiding from herself behind something. The song does not signify who the abuser is (boyfriend, parent?) but it is still just as powerful. "Always up or down," could be describing the relationship. It is either extremely happy or much more sad. I think that "You dream of demons while you sleep that make you stutter when you speak" shows that the girl worries about what will happen in the relationship. This could cause her to have nightmares and/or worry about and become hesitant of the things she does. "Speak now or forever hold your peace in pieces" describes her need to tell someone, but she hesitates to because she worries about what will happen if she does.

My Love For You Will Still Be Strong

One of my favorite songs of all time is Don Henley's "Boys of Summer." Hands Down. The song's sound of synthesizers and drumbeats will haunt anyone after hearing it. Images of beaches, sunsets, convertibles fill my head as I listen to lyrics like "the sun goes down alone" and "I never will forget those nights, I wonder if it was a dream." I'm listening to this song right now and I have the sudden urge to book a flight to California just so I can ride down the West Coast in a convertible during sunset. Over the summer I was lucky enough to see The Eagles in concert and I was able to hear "Boys of Summer" (Along with what are possibly the other two in my top three songs, "One of These Nights" and Joe Walsh's "Life's Been Good.") and I must say that Don Henley sounded just as good, if not better, live.

This song causes me to long for summer, and the people in the music video seem to feel the same way. Shot in black and white, it shows many people going back to their normal lives after a summer of fun. The video begins showing people running on the beach, but then takes a turn as it begins to show a somewhat empty town except. Henley appears on the screen and begins to sing. As he sings it shows a montage of people returning to their everyday lives. A boy playing a drumset, a woman sitting on her back deck, and a man at a desk all seem to be longing for something and it is easy to tell what it is as the same clip of people running on the beach from the beginning of the video play in the background.