Stay Together for the Kids

While reminiscing on when I started a blog to write solely music I had to go back and read this post.  Blink-182 is still one of my favorite shows I've attended.  Hope you enjoy my thoughts on their reunion in 2009.


I am extremely excited about Blink 182’s reunion.  In early middle school, I was familiar with songs like “First Date” and “All the Small Things” and I really liked them.  The summer after 8th grade, we went on a trip to Disney World.  The large Virgin Records Store that sat on one end of the Downtown Disney strip held inside of it “Blink 182’s Greatest Hits” on sale for seven bucks.  How was I supposed to pass that up?  I purchased the album, and just like that.  I was hooked.  That was in 2005, the same year the Tom DeLonge left the band.  I had settled with the fact that I would probably never see Blink live, but the next summer I was able to settle for the next best thing.

2006 was the year I became obsessed with Fall Out Boy.  I was somewhat late in the game, but I listened to “Take this to Your Grave” like it was going out of style and led those around me to think I had been listening since it first came out.  Once I heard they were headlining, all I thought about was the Honda Civic Tour.  I wanted to go badly, but I didn’t hear much about the other acts until much later.  I did some research to figure out who they were.  Cobra Starship (I knew one song), The Academy Is… (I knew their lead singer was rather attractive), Paul Wall (I liked “Grillz” and I knew he had something to do with it), and then there was +44.  Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker.  Two men I longed to see, for a long time.  I was so excited and thought they did an awesome job at the show, but that’s not the point.  Blink is back, and I am psyched.

At this point, I can’t say that I will like their new stuff, but I can’t wait to hear it.  I’m also hoping that this time around I will be able to fulfill my dream of seeing them live.  I think this is a great time for Blink to reunite.  This is a time where bands that are considered pop punk and even just punk, are nothing more than straight up pop.  But not with Blink on the scene, this is a chance for younger generations, who have never had the chance to listen to Blink, to subject themselves to an awesome group.  But for now, we must sit and wait to see what sort of journey Mark, Travis, and Tom have in store for us.  Blasting “Dude Ranch” and “Enema of the State” the whole way.

Originally written February 11, 2009

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.

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

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.