Almeria!

The time has come. The beloved Lifehouse has finally released their SIXTH studio album, "Almeria". This album is full of catchy, fun, heartfelt, and beautifully crafted songs.Is it different? Yes. Does it sound anything like their first album, "No Name Face"? No. But if you listen to all of their albums, none sound anything alike. Every album is an entity of its own, and each album has its own feel. I love that about Lifehouse. No two albums sound the same. There's an album for every mood that i'm ever in. "Almeria" just happens to have a more country, or western vibe. It works for them, though. I really like it. Some songs are a bit redundant, and I feel like they could have taken them farther lyrically, but they're still great songs. The major standout song for me is "Aftermath". It is absolutely breathtaking. If you're familiar with the Lifehouse power ballads like "Everything" and "Storm", than this song won't disappoint you. A captivating piano ballad filled with beautiful lyrics, raw vocals, and a powerful climax, this song is just perfect. The first verse grabbed my attention with the lyrics  "...Now i'm shooting arrows across your night sky, trying to land in your atmosphere", and completely sold me during the chorus. "If we can make it through the storm, become who we were before, promise me we'll never look back. The worst is far behind us now. We'll make it out of here somehow. Meet me in the aftermath". Just beautiful.

Other immediate favorites are, "Only You're The One", "Move On Day", "Pins And Needles", "Barricade", "Always Somewhere Close, "Where I Come From", and "Gotta Be Tonight".

Don't listen to this album expecting another "No Name Face" or "Who We Are", just take it for what it is, and throw out all expectations.

Everyone should definitely check out this album, and make sure you get the deluxe version!

5/5 stars!

Where'd 2012 go?

I can not believe it is already December. 2012 flew by. All in all, this was the best year I have yet to experience.

- After years of whining (yes, I admit it) about never getting to see or meet SafetySuit, I had not one, but two incredible experiences with them. More incredible than I could ever dream of. They went out of their way to make it worth the wait, and I love them even more now than I did at this time last year. (I blogged very thoroughly about both experiences, so refer to those if you have no idea what I am talking about. There's no way I could sum them up in this post.) These will always be some of the very best memories that I will cherish forever.

- I went to Canada! I've always wanted to see Vancouver, BC, and what made it even better, I saw Lifehouse! This was the most laid back Lifehouse show I have been to. Ok, ALL of the other ones could  have been laid back too, but I was too nervous at those to enjoy the potential. Don't get me wrong, I was nervous at this one too, but I managed to mostly hide it. Eventually. I spoke with half the band for quite awhile, and it was so chill and relaxed. I had my little freak out, and then I managed to compose myself and hold a decently normal conversation with them. I spoke to the other half from the stage, and the whole thing was just perfect! And Canada has way nicer people to deal with. Haha!

- There were no "traumatic" or life halting events. Sure, there were some less-than-awesome moments, but it could have been so much worse.

- I finally met Daughtry! I fell in love with Chris immediately during his first American Idol audition, and it was SO cool to actually meet him! I love the rest of the band so much too, and they were so sweet! Never thought I would meet them, but they were very accessible this tour!

- I saw Aerosmith! What a cool experience. There's no way they'll be around too much longer, so it's so awesome that I saw them while I could! Now I'll always be able to say the I witnessed "Dream On" live and in person! They were amazing!

- My brother, Justin, became a daddy! Baby Molly looks identical to him, and I can't imagine life without her now!

- My Sister In-law, Jennifer, is pregnant with a BOY, finally! Baby Emmett will be here soon!

SO many GREAT things happened this year. Music/concert wise, family wise, and everything in between wise. I am so thankful for 2012.

Very recently, I realized that some things in my life feel like history repeating. Almost identical situations are re-happening. Maybe it's a test. Maybe I failed it the first time, so i'm being tested again. And instead of doing things differently the second time around, i'm catching myself screwing the same things up, and repeating the same dumb mistakes. Irony?

Lifehouse is back.

Yes, that's right folks. My Lifehouse is back. Their new album, "Almeria", will be released on December 11th, 2012. I have a really great feeling about this album. The guys seem to be in a really good place right now, and I can't wait to see what this next year brings for them.

Pre order "Almeria" here: http://lifehouse.shop.bravadousa.com/Product.aspx?cp=39741_58618&pc=BGCDL802

The Script

It's pop! It's rock! It's rap! What? No. It's The Script!

The Script just released their third album, "#3", and yes that is the title. It's great. No other band can really pull off the genre that The Script has created for themselves. They rap. But at the same time, it's pop/rock. They pretty much do whatever they want, and it totally works for them. "#3" is an album filled with songs of depth, fun, meaning, and you might catch yourself singing along passionately after a couple of listens.

I really struggle to pick a favorite, so i'll name a few. "Six Degrees Of Separation", "Broken Arrow", "Kaleidoscope", "If You Could See Me Now," and "Glowing". "If You Could See Me Now" is chilling, and "Six Degrees Of Separation" is a song that absolutely everyone can relate to. "Kaleidoscope" makes me dance around and attempt to sing in the same key Danny does. And I fail consistently with every attempt. It's completely different from any other song on the album, and that makes it really stand out. "Broken Arrow" has some lyrics that really hit home for me, and that's why it's one of my favorites.

All in all, I am thoroughly impressed by "#3". This Irish band knows how to make great music, and I look forward to seeing where their success leads them.

4.8/5 Stars!

Matchbox 20's "North"

We all know who Matchbox 20 is. They're not "new" by any means. Their classics like "3 AM" and "Unwell" are known for being rightfully overplayed on the radio for years now. As some of you may have realized, this alternative rock band from the 90's took a break from being Matchbox 20. Rob Thomas released some of his own music solo, and there was no Matchbox 20 for years. After several years of being on hiatus, the members of Matchbox 20 decided it was time to return to the studio as Matchbox 20, and to reunite. I was so psyched about this because I've always been a fan of Matchbox 20. "Exile On Mainstream" will always be one of my staple albums.

On August 28th, 2012, Matchbox 20 released their album, "North". They took a really long time making the album, and they definitely made it worth the wait. I love this album. A lot. This band is so incredibly talented. Some of my very favorites off of "North" are, "Overjoyed", "The Way", "Parade", "Radio", and "Put Your Hands Up". Every song on this album is great, though. Not one skip-worthy song on it. It's definitely one of my go to albums right now. It's catchy, well produced, and makes you feel something. I love albums like that. As Rob Thomas would say, "it takes you somewhere." I also love that you can clearly distinguish the instruments. The drums sound like drums, the guitars sound like guitar, and the bass sounds like the bass. Awesome beats and riffs throughout the album.

Their background vocalist and guitarist, Kyle, sang fronting vocals for "The Way", and he did a beautiful job. That song is one of my very favorites on the album, and he sounds incredible. I love that they let him sing a song on the album, making them seem like a well rounded band, rather than "Rob Thomas and his band".

Matchbox 20 isn't the same band that they were in 1995. But how could you expect them to be? Any successful artist must grow and evolve over time. This album is different than their previous albums, but no less astonishing.

Do yourself a favor, and get "North".

5/5 stars.

SafetySuit 9/27/12 RECAP!

I left town a little after 11 AM with the hope to catch the 2:05 ferry. Unfortunately there was tons of road construction the first hour of the trip, and that set us back by quite a bit. I was starting to get frustrated, but I took a deep breath and just went with it. I had faith that everything was going to work out just the way it was supposed to.

I picked my sister up about an hour from the ferry, and by that point I had accepted that the 2:55 ferry was just going to have to do, and that I would get to Seattle about an hour later than I had wanted to. Oh well. As soon as I had my sister with me, the excitement really hit. We parked the car and walked on the ferry. I busted out “I’m so excited, and I just can’t hide it..“ And some lady chimed in, “I’m about to lose control and I think I like it.“ Yeah, people are awesome. Once we got to Seattle we called yellow cab to take us to the venue. Steph was waiting for me at the venue, and kept texting me asking where I was. I was so excited to hang out with her!

I got to the venue at 3:30 and met up with Steph, and my mom and sister left to go eat and sit down for awhile. Maybe 10 minutes had past, and then Brad walked out the back entrance by the bus and started walking towards the bus. My heart started racing but I sucked it up and yelled his name. He turned around, smiled and was like “What’s up!? One sec!” And walked into the bus. Steph rushes over to me and was like, “What did you say?! What did he say!?” I had a really difficult time not showing how much I was really freaking out. A few moments passed and Brad walked out carrying his guitar. As he was walking towards me he goes, “So, what’s this song I’ve been hearing about?!” I could not believe that he, 1: Knew right away that’s who I was. And 2: That he remembered the talk of the “song”. Somehow I managed to play it cool and was like, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” And he was like, “Oh really?” By that point the was standing right in front of me and I couldn’t help but start laughing.  I gave him a hug and said “Hey there Brad. New Dave!“ And he was like, “Yep, I’m the new Dave,“ And I was like, “Well, I accept you.“ And he smiled and was like, “Well thank you, a lot of people don’t.“. I told him that I promise I’m not as psychotic as I seem, and that I know some people have talked to him about me, and probably made me sound crazy." And with a straight face he goes, “Yeah, I think I heard something about being on drugs…” And then laughed and said he was kidding, and then Steph goes, “It was more like  a sleep deprivation thing.” And he got all concerned and was like “Are you not sleeping well!?” Haha.. We spoke for a minute or two, and then he said he had to get to sound check and was like, “I’ll see you at meet and greet, right?” And I told him yes and asked if he would come out after the show, and if he did I would let him hear the song. So he said he would.  A little bit later we could hear them sound checking. I randomly said, “I just want to hear Doug sing.” And as soon as I said that, he started singing “Let Go”.  Their sound check was pretty short.

We saw the guys come and go, and they waved and said hi to us. We were just chilling out by the back of the venue, and the security guy really didn’t care. I started talking to everyone I saw. Go Radio showed up, and I had no idea who was the band, who was the crew, and what their names were, so I just said hey to all of them, Whenever one would walk by I’d be like, “How’s it goin’?” Haha..

A little while later Shoreline Drive showed up. A bunch of really young guys. I asked them if they were excited, and they said yes, and then I asked them if they were nervous, and they said no. I very seriously told them, “Well, you SHOULD be.” Some laughed, and some looked scared. Oops. I was just joking, I swear.

Alright, fast forward a little while, and the security came out and showed people where to form a line, and pointed to this little gated off section for people with meet and greet. We walked over there, and there was literally like 5 or 6 other people there with us. Chico came out and I said hey to him, and that I missed him. He was like, “RIGHT!? It’s been way too long! 4 months is too long!” We chatted a little bit, and he made some comment about how it took them 4 years to get here, and how cool it is they’ve made it here twice in 4 months. I made some comment about him knowing who I am, and he was like, “You’re Emily, duh!” He put the green wristband on me, and didn’t even check my receipt or take it from me. He was trying to hold the pile of paper bracelets, and put them on people, and he made some comment about how he needs a satchel. I told him to just do it because he could totally pull it off. He was like, “RIGHT?! I think so.” and then laughed and was like “Ha, a murse”. Haha. Then he dropped all of the stacks of bracelets, and I picked them up for him. I was planning on just handing them to him, but then he just grabbed a couple from me, ripped out a couple, and then handed the rest to me. I told him that I would help him out, and he was like “TEAM WORK! That’s why I like you!!!” So I stood there holding the bracelets, he would grab a couple and distribute them. It was like a little system. I told him that I already met Brad and he smiled and said that Brad’s an awesome guy, and then I told him that the first thing he said to me was “So what’s this song I’ve been hearing about?!” And Chico busted out laughing and was like, “Yeah! We’ve heard that there’s a song!” I couldn’t believe that even Chico knew about it. That made me nervous, considering I had no intention of really making it known, since it was just a big joke. I told Chico that I needed to get a picture with him that night because the last one came out blurry and he was all concerned and goes, “DID IT?! Ah… We’ll get one tonight. For sure.“ And then he said something about how people think he’s scary, and he’s like “Do I look scary?” And I told him no, but that I could see how when he was busy or  in a hurry he might not look very friendly, but that he obviously means well and has the best of intentions. And he was like “EXACTLY!” He went to walk back in the venue and I told him I loved him and he goes, “I love you too, Emily!” At this point I was getting extremely anxious.

About 15 minutes later Chico came back out and asked if more people showed up, and I told him yes, and he very seriously (sarcastic) goes, “I figured they would.” and shook his head, and then went to give out a couple more bracelets. By this point it was just before 6:30, which is when the meet and greet was supposed to be. I told him that I was nervous and in a really sympathetic voice asked why, and then told me that I would do great and to not worry.  We waited, and waited, and then we could hear Shoreline Drive sound check, which was annoying because we knew the meet and greet couldn’t start until they got done sound checking.

At around 7:00 the door opened and the venue security guard came out, and I saw Chico standing inside by the door, and the security said “ok, green wristbands only.” and let us in. We get into the venue and it’s seriously the smallest venue I have ever seen. Like, BOOM there’s the stage. We walk in and Chico was like, “I’m gonna go get them” And I asked him what he wanted us to do, and he was like “Ok, how’s about you start a line over here.” and pointed to the right of the stage. So then some people were like, “what are we doing?” And I told them to get in a line and pointed where. Love helping Chico out! My sister walked right over to the stage and asked where I wanted to be, and then just stood there. A couple minutes went by and the guys walk in. At first I felt like I was going to pass out or something, but then I chilled out. Doug started talking to the group, and said that they never get to come to Seattle, and then goes, “Right, Em?” And then was like, “And Emily Earls always makes us feel guilty about it.” And everyone looked at me all confused. And I was like, “with love, of course.” And Doug was like, “Oh yeah, with love.”  He said that their agency told them that they needed to cancel the Seattle show because they’ve only been here once, and that was opening for Daughtry, and that they weren’t selling enough tickets to make money off of coming here yet. Doug said that they refused to cancel, and that if anything that makes him want to keep coming back here more so they can start building the fan base here. That made me really excited. And then he started talking about Dave not being with them because he died, and then I was like, “That’s not funny, Doug.” And he looks over at me and is like “You KNOW that’s not true!” and then proceeded to introduce Brad, and said that he was blind and deaf in one ear, and that we shouldn’t talk to him. Haha. So Doug told everyone to move the line to the other side of the room because that’s where the only light was, and then to loop back around for signings. There was seriously probably 12 people in there. So I get in line, and wait patiently for my turn. Everyone was going so quick. Hi, hugs, picture, leave. I obviously don’t know how to keep the flow going because once it was my turn Doug looked at me and put his arms out, and gave me a huge hug and we said our hellos. And then he was like, “I read your tweets! No letter this time, huh?” and I laughed and told him I was gonna try to wing it this time, and that they should come out after the show so I can really chat with them. Next was Jeremy, and he smiled at me and gave me a hug and I told him that I felt bad for not talking to him much at all last time and that I really regretted it, and then Doug goes, “well you talked to who’s REALLY important, and that’s what counts.” And pointed to himself. And then I got to Brad, and he said “hey again!”and gave me a hug. And then Tate gave me a hug and asked me how I was doing. I went and stood between Jeremy and Brad for a picture, and told them to SMILE. After that we talked for a couple minutes, and Chico was just listening and laughing, didn’t even care that I was holding up the show.(unintentionally, of course.)  As I was walking away I was like, “Doug, so after show?” And he looks at me dead serious and goes, “Are you trying to ask me out?” And I was like, “Absolutely. No really, though, you should come say hey after the show. It’s not like you have anywhere to go.” And Doug was like “What?” And I told him that Portland was only 3 hours away so it wasn’t like they had to rush out tonight of anything. And at the same time him and Jeremy got all impressed like “WOW!” And Doug goes, “You like mapped it out!” And then I told him, “You said it yourself, you never get to come here..so…” and he looked all guilty and was like, “Ahh..okay.” I gave him another hug and told him thank you for making everything easier, and he was like “Aww..you are so great!”

So then I walked over to my sister, who was the ONLY person standing at the stage, and freaked out to her for a few minutes. And then I went and stood back over by them and people got in line behind me. Doug and Jeremy walked over to me and I handed my sister’s CD to Doug and asked him to sign it and that it was my sister’s. He asked where she was and I pointed over at her and said she was holding a spot, and he yelled out, “I was wondering what you were doing over there! What’s your name?!” and signed the CD for her. As he was doing this I handed my CD to Jeremy and told him that he was the only one to not sign it last time, and he was like “Why didn’t I sign it?” And I told him it was obviously on purpose. And as Doug was signing my sister’s CD he mumbled, “Wow, J, you big jerk. Em shouldn’t even talk to you.” And Jeremy was like, “I would NEVER do that!” and started laughing. I handed my ticket to Doug  and Jeremy to sign, and then I hugged them and walked over to where  Brad was. (at this point it wasn’t like a line or anything, everyone was just all over the place.) I gave him a hug and then handed him my ticket. We made small talk, and then I decided that he should sign my CD too, after he signed my sister’s. I handed it to him, and was like “You should sign this, too. You’re a part of this now.” And he looked at the CD cover and was like “Where?!” And I told him to sign it wherever he wanted, and he was like, “I’m gonna sign it right over his face then,” And signed his name literally right over Doug’s face.  Then I walked over to Tate and he smiled huge and he was like, “SAFETYSUIT NATION!” and gave me a big hug. We talked for a few minutes, and we had some CD signing confusion. I thought I handed him my sister’s CD but I didn’t, and he asked if he needed to sign it, but I told him that he already did in June, and he was like “Really?” and  grabbed it from my hand, then I realized it was my sister’s, and was like “disregard.” And he bust out laughing and repeated “disregard” in a really funny voice. That really amused him, apparently. So then he went to give me a hug and my mom got our attention so we turned to face her to get a picture. He was really sweet!

Then I walked back over to my sister, and handed her the CD, I saw that Jeremy was alone, and decided that it was a good time to talk to him about some stuff I really wanted to say back in June. So I walked over to him and told him that he wrote me a message on Facebook well over a year ago, and pretty much worded it for exactly what it said, and his face lit up, and he was like “Yes! I actually do remember sending you that!” And I told him how much it meant to me, and that I’ve held on to what he said ever since and that it really helped. He looked so happy. We talked about that for a few minutes. I told him that I needed to redo my picture with him because the one from before that my sister took was blurry, and he offered to do it right then, so we did. He kept telling me how glad he was that his message meant that much to me, and said that was “so awesome”. Haha. He gave me another hug, and I asked if he would come out after the show and mentioned that it would be really cool to have time to chat with him since it didn’t really happen before. And he was like, “I’m sorry about that! I’m a really good listener, though!” Haha. And then he said that he would come out after show.

So then I walked back over to my sister again, and a few minutes later looked over and saw Brad standing not too far from me. I called out his name and he glanced at me and was like, “Did you say my name?” and then we walked towards each other. And then I told him that, “I just wanted to tell you that I know stepping into Dave’s spot couldn’t have been easy. Especially since he‘s such a loved guy” And he nodded in agreement and made it obvious that it WASN’T easy. Then I told him that even though it couldn’t be easy, he still did a fantastic job, that I appreciate him for still giving it his all, and that I thought he was really great.” He looked so touched, and put his hand on my shoulder and was like, “Wow, that means a lot. Thank you so much.” and gave me a hug. We talked for a few minutes and then he told me he would see me after the show to hear the song. Haha.

So then I really did walk back over to the stage by my sister and started freaking out to her about everything. Doug yelled out “thank you” to everyone and they all waved and walked backstage. Someone standing next to me asked me how they knew me so well, and I really didn’t know where to begin, so I just told her it was a really long story. Haha.

A few minutes later Chico walked over and asked for tickets, and one of the venue security guys was with him to collect them, and I asked him if they were keeping the ticket and he said yes. And I was like “Oh no! That’s what they signed.” and showed him my signed ticket, and he was like “Oh, well let’s see what I can do here.” and then was like “You can just take her ticket stub, right?” and then ripped off the stub, handed it to the security guy, and then handed me my signed ticket back. He’s so awesome. And the security guy was really understanding.

About 10 minutes later the doors opened and people came through. There really wasn’t THAT many people in there, the venue was MAYBE half full. The stage was SO close. There was no barricade between the crowd and the stage, and the stage was really small. At this point it was really close to being 8:00, and the show was supposed to start at 7:30. The meet and greet kind of set everything back by 30 minutes. All of a sudden a group of boys were standing to the side of the stage all awkward like, and then finally walked on stage to their spots. I cheered for them, and a couple of them smiled at me. I was trying to get them to chill out, because they were obviously nervous. The band started playing, and the sound quality was really bad. They were using the venue’s system and it was super distorted, which was sad. But they seemed like they were having fun up there, and they were pretty entertaining to watch. The stage was SO close and the mic stand was SO close that you couldn’t even see the singer. It was too close. I would have to stand back to see his face. And my sister and I almost got taken out by their guitars a few times. Haha. There were a few girls behind us that were fans of them, and they were freaking out. It was pretty cute. They played probably 6 or 7 songs, and then they were done. Go Radio’s crew came out and got everything set up in probably 5 minutes.

Go Radio came out and the crowd went crazy. There were a lot of fans there for them. They were pretty good. Their sound system sucked too, though, and you couldn’t hear a thing the singer was saying. It felt like they were playing one long song, and it all sounded the same, which I don’t love. They weren’t bad though. They played quite a few songs, and I was getting impatient and anxious to see SafetySuit.

Finally Go Radio finished and the crowd like cleared. Over half the people that were there, left, and that made me so sad.

Chico came out and helped the Go Radio crew clear the stage, and then he started getting SafetySuit’s stuff ready. That guy does SO much for the band. Manages, sets up the stage, sits off to the side during the set to work the tech stuff, and goes out of his way for the fans. He’s so awesome. Thankfully he put Doug’s mic back so it wasn’t at the VERY end of the stage like the opener’s were, and had it at an angle so I could actually see him when he was playing.

Maybe 10 minutes went by and then the music for “Believe” started, and then I was flipping out. Tate came out and I cheered for him and he smiled. Then Brad came out and started up on the guitar and I started freaking out for him and he looked at me and nodded in approval. And then came our Jeremy and Doug. I sang along full heartedly and Doug immediately started to stand RIGHT in front of me, and made hand and facial gestures towards me. I was in heaven.

The show was perfect. Seriously. Doug kept walking over and standing right in front of me, and sitting down right in front of me and singing in my face. During the bridge in “Annie”, Doug stared right at me and started stepping towards me. Then he bent down and grabbed my hand, sat on his knees, sang to me while making intense eye contact, sang it like quietly to me, and then kissed my forehead. It was like he could see into my soul. And I started crying. My sister gave me a hug and said it made her cry, and then Steph gave me a hug. Doug looked over at me and smiled like he approved of making me cry. Haha. The set flew by so quickly, but it was the best show I have ever seen. Doug kept standing right in front of me, and his sweat was literally like spraying on me, it even got in my eyes. That sounds so disgusting, but it’s Doug, so I was already expecting it.

During “Stay”, Doug walked over to me, bent down and grabbed my hand, used it to jump down in the crowd, and literally was like putting his weight on my hand so I could help him. I stepped back so he could get down, and he gave me a hug. Then he hugged my sister, and proceeded to walk through and hug literally EVERYONE that was there. There were only like 2.5 rows of people, maybe 40 people, and he hugged them all. I eventually turned to watch Jeremy play, and he saw me watching him and smiled huge. Then he grabbed his last guitar pick, put it in his mouth, looked at me and walked over and dropped it in my hand. Well, he THOUGHT he dropped it in my hand, but our timing was off and I was too in shock to react quickly enough and it fell. I looked at him all worried and he realized what happened and looked so guilty. My sister found it and handed it to me, and I held it up and smiled at Jeremy. He smiled, nodded and said “good!”. I was so happy. Then Doug made his way back over by me, gave me another hug, then hopped back on the stage RIGHT where I was standing and sat on the stage where my spot was, and then when he stood back up, he kicked me. Haha.

During "The Moment", Doug stole my camera and took it with him. Then took it with him. He walked over to Brad and took his picture, and then to Tate, and then to Jeremy. It was hilarious because my camera has the SLOWEST flash ever. It was fine for Brad because he was first, but for Tate and Jeremy I could see my camera say "flash loading". Jeremywas smiling at the camera forever, and waited for the flash, but it never happened, so then he started laughing because my camera was taking 10 years.I felt bad but it was hilarious. And then Doug went to take one of himself but saw that it was going to take forever so he instead walked over to me, got down on the floor and posed with me for a picture. It was amazing.

They left the stage and everyone in front row started pounding the stage and we all screamed for them. Just a minute later Tate came out and was like “1 more? 2 more?” And nodded. And then the band came out and played “Get Around This”, and then finished with “Apology". As Tate was leaving the stage, he walked right to me, without even looking to see where I was, and handed his drumstick to me. And then they were done. Chico came out and starting taking stuff down, and I stood there in shock for a few minutes.

Steph, my sister, and I walked over towards the merch and I got some stuff. Then we went to wear Shoreline Drive had a table set up and we talked to them for a bit. They were pretty nice, and incredibly young. After that I went to walk outside, and then started talking to the security guy. We chatted before when I was waiting for the meet and greet, and I asked him if he was impressed by the show and he laughed and said yes. Then I went back inside with Steph and I walked over to the Go Radio manager guy that was standing by Go Radio and we started talking. He recognized me from talking to him outside that afternoon and said that he didn’t mean to seem like a jerk. We talked for awhile, and he was super cool. Then Steph went over to the SafetySuit merch booth to pick up her sweatshirt, and I started talking to the merch guy. I asked him if he was with the guys, and he said yes, and I made some comment about how cool it is he gets to travel with my guys. And he laughed and was like, “Your guys?! What’s your name?” And I told him my name was Emily and he smiled and was like, “Oh yeah!! I was told I would meet an Emily in Seattle. It’s so nice to meet you!” I thought it was hilarious that he knew who I was.

We walked outside, and walked over to the other side of the building where the back door, bus, and other band’s vans were. There weren’t that many people out there. Maybe 15? I ended up talking with the Shoreline Drive bass player a bit more, and then spent some time talking to my friend Erin and her friend that came with her. Maybe 20 minutes went by and the only people left out there were the 5 people I was with, and then like 3 other people. Some guy walked outside and stopped and shouted, “I’m in SafetySuit. Ok, no I’m not.” And crossed the street over to where the Go Radio van was. I said, “Obviously.” Not that loudly, but he heard me. He was like, “Woah oh! That was mean!” And kind of laughed. We all started laughing and then a bit later he crossed back over and said something else, and walked back to go in the venue, and I was like, “You WISH you were in SafetySuit.” And everyone made some sort of comment/noise in disbelief that I actually said that, and then he walked over to me and was like, “Wow! You’re being a jerk!” and then I realized it was the drummer for Go Radio. Haha. I felt so bad and was like “OH! I know who you are!” And he acted all offended and was like, “Oh yeah, now you feel bad because you know who I am! I see how it is!” and then he made fun of me and called me a jerk for awhile. He was hilarious. I saw Tate walk by inside the venue and I, out of reflex, hit the Go Radio drummer with my drumstick. He jumped and was like, “OW!” and I told him that Tate just walked by. He turned around and yelled for Tate to not talk to me. Haha. He asked me what I was still there for and I told him that the guys said they would come out and he told me that they probably wouldn’t because they never usually do. I told him that they told me they would, and I knew they wouldn’t tell me they would and then not. He didn’t seem too convinced, but he stood there and chatted with us for quite awhile.

Some time went by and the SafetySuit merch guy came outside and was putting boxes in the trailer that was hooked up to the tour bus. I asked him how long the guys usually take to come out and he said that they wouldn’t come out. I told him the same thing, that they said they would, and he said that he didn’t know then, but that they typically don’t come out this tour. He made a comment about how Doug sounded pretty confident about wanting to come back to Seattle really soon since the turn out was so small this time. About that time Chico came outside carrying a box, and I called for him. He turned, looked at me and smiled, then looked a little concerned and was like, “Ohh hold on!” and then he walked over to the bus, opened the door and I could see him talking and pointed over at me. And then he stepped to the side, and then Doug walked out, and Chico walked in the tour bus. Jeremy and Brad then followed Doug out and Doug came over to me and gave me a hug.

We stood and chatted for a minute and I told him how amazing they were, and he goes, “Oh really? What’s your twitter name? Fan of what?” Haha. Then I looked over at Brad and gave him a hug and said that he did a really amazing job and he looked so happy and said thank you. I asked him if I could get a pic with him and he said of course. So then I look over to hand my camera to Steph or my sister or someone, and then Doug (who was standing right in front of us, watching the whole thing) took my camera and said that he could do it. So Brad and I stood together and Doug took the picture, then looked at it and started smiling. He was like, “Ohh  man. Wow. Brad’s a good looking guy, huh Em?” and I said yeah, and then realized Brad was still standing right there with us. He started smiling and I felt incredibly awkward. And then Doug kept looking at the picture and was like, “there’s a whole lot of good looks going on in THAT picture. He looks good with you!” and I gave him the “shut up!” look, and he started laughing.

Then Doug reminded me that I wanted to talk to him, and I was like “oh yeah! I need to talk to you.” and then EVERYONE turned to look at us. I made some sort of comment about how everyone was listening, and then they all turned away. I thanked Doug for some stuff, and he gave me a mini speech. I won’t go into details, but we were huddled away from the rest of the people and talked for a good 10 minutes. He ended up doing most of the talking, and said some pretty awesome things. It was like a big brother/life coach speech. It was pretty sweet. I gave him a hug and then let him go talk to the rest of the people that were there.

I walked over to where Brad was and started talking to him a bit. I asked if he was with the band for awhile, or if it was a one tour thing, and he said that he really didn’t know what was going on, but that he loves being with him. I told him that I would be so sad if he wasn’t with them the next time I see them and that I would miss him. He looked so surprised and shocked and asked, “REALLY? Aw!” Haha.. We talked for a couple minutes, and I told him that I missed Dave, and he nodded in understanding, and then told him that I still really liked him though and wished that the band could just keep both of them. He made a pretty funny comment about how he can’t do Dave’s dance moves and twirls, and then tried to demonstrate. About that time, Tate ran over to us and I excitedly shouted out his name and he said “HEY!” and gave me a hug. I started talking to Tate, and then asked him to sign the drumstick. He didn’t have a sharpie so I had to find one in my bag. I pulled it out and was like, “you know who the last person to use this was?” and he asked who, and I told him Bryce from Lifehouse. He got all excited and said that he loved Bryce and made a comment about how he really wants to tour with them. That was pretty awesome to hear. I told him that I would probably die if that happened and he laughed at me. Then I told him about Lifehouse playing “These Times” before and after the concert. He thought that was pretty cool. We talked for a couple minutes, and then my sister started talking to him.

I went over to where Jeremy and Brad were and I started talking to Jeremy. I made fun of him for seeming so intimating last time, and he asked what he did, so I dramatically reacted his expressions and whatnot. I was totally messing around and he was like, “oh whatever! I would never do that to you!” And then I was like, "you just had this look on your face like.." And then he did it! And I was like, "LIKE YOU ARE NOW!" And he was like "That's just my face! I didn't mean to give a look!" And started laughing. And then he was like, “Brad’s who you should be worried about!” And I was like, “Oh I am! I’m a little concerned about him.” And Jeremy started laughing. And then I looked at Brad and was like, "Are you wearing TATE'S sweatshirt?" And he goes, "NO! It's mine! He just has one that looks like it!" and then i was like, "Ohh ok! I saw some pictures from the beginning of the tour with you wearing it and i was like, 'who is he and why is he wearing Tate's clothes?'" and him and J started laughing. After that I realized that they are actually totally different jackets. And then Brad looked at me and was like, “You know, I’m pretty sure you’re trying to avoid that song.” and I started laughing my “I’m embarrassed “ laugh. And then Jeremy laughed and was like “Oh yeah!! Let’s hear it.” I proceeded to explain that calling it a song was completely inaccurate and that I was messing around when I made it, and that it was more like a verse or a poem. And then he looked all stoked and was like, “a POEM!?” Haha. Then my sister chimed in that I was singing on the way to Seattle, and mocked me with, “Brad, you are really RAD” And Brad looked at me with his eyebrows raised, and smiling in disbelief, and was like, “oh really?” I died. I was so embarrassed. First Doug embarrassed me in front of him, and now my sister. Jeremy was in hysterics. I told him, “you know HOW many words rhyme with your name?” And him and Jeremy started laughing, then Jeremy stopped to think and was like, “A LOT, probably!:”, and nodded. And Brad was like, “Do I get to hear some of them in MY song?” And I told him that’s what it convinced of. He said that he wanted to hear it and I was like, “this is SO awkward and embarrassing. I can’t believe my friends told you about it last week!” And he laughed and was like, “Oh in Chicago!?” And I made fun of him for remembering exactly what show that was, and he was like “Psh, well it’s not like I hear THAT everyday.” Haha. So then I asked him if he could just read it, and he smiled and said yes. But then Erin goes, “I don’t know. I kinda want to hear you sing it.” and then Brad pointed at her and was like, “Yeah, I really want to hear you sing it.” and them my sister quickly goes, “NO you don’t.” And he started cracking up. So then I handed him my phone, and he almost dropped it and messed up the screen. I fixed it and handed it back to him, and he read it and you could see him mumbling it under his breath. His face as he was reading it was PRICELESS. Jeremy was looking over his shoulder to read it and started cracking up and was like “you’re a talented LAD!?” and Brad started laughing and said how awesome it was and how much he loved it, and then gave me a hug. I told him how embarrassing it was, and he was like “No!!” So then I was standing there talking to Jeremy and I told him how happy I was that I actually chatted with him this time, instead of being all shocked that they were real. He smiled and told me “Good. I’m so glad that we were able to talk this time, too.” We were talking about something, and I obliviously didn’t realize that a car was backing up right behind me. Jeremy kept looking over my shoulder kind of concerned, but I didn’t know what he was looking at, and then he stepped forward, put his hand on my shoulder, and pulled me back next to him really fast. I was all confused and then looked over and realized that the car was REALLY close to hitting me. Oops. Jeremy looked so nervous, and I was like, “I’m sorry!! I’m in a different world right now.” So he’s my super man now for saving my life. He kept coughing and looked miserable, and I told him that he was sick and shouldn’t staying outside, he was like “yeah I know. I should really go back to the bus.” He gave me a hug and I told him that I really appreciated him and thanked him again for the message. We said our goodbyes and he went back to the bus.

 I walked back over to Doug and asked him to sign my poster. I then mentioned that they should tour with Lifehouse, and he told me that it really wasn’t that far fetched, and that they were really good friends and it was already kind of in the works and being talked about. I thought that was so cool! After he said that, some girl asked him how long he thought it would be until they came back and he thought about it and said that he was thinking they would be back in February! I couldn’t believe it. He said he really wants to keep coming back because that’s the only way they’re going to get people’s attention up here. I thanked him for keeping his word with me about coming to Seattle for their headlining tour and he was like, “Oh it wasn’t easy, Em. But I knew we’d lose you forever if we canceled.” Haha. I told him that he would never lose me. We talked for a couple minutes and he signed my poster. He said, “one more hug!” and gave me a hug.

I went to get another picture with Brad because I wasn't sure if I could trust the picture that Doug took, so I gave my camera to Steph. I was trying to put my stuff down, and handed some to my sister. I still had my drumstick in my hand and was trying to figure out what to do with it, and glanced at Tate and was like, "can you hold this please?" and he just grabbed it and kept talking to my sister and was playing with it in his hand. I told Brad to look really happy to know me now, and he slowly stopped smiling and looked really serious, and then was like, "just kidding" and started smiling. Haha.

I walked back over to Tate and we started chatting. I thought it was so funny to see him holding the drumstick that he gave me, for me. I didn't think of it when I handed it to him, he just had free hands. He asked me about Forks and fishing here. Then he told me that he heard that I know his friend Skip, and told me how cool that was and how great of a guy he is. I told him that Skip told me that he wanted to take you to Bainbridge Island, and Tate got all excited and started talking about what was there he wanted to see. I told him that if Skip took him to Bainbridge Island, he better tell me because it’s on my side of Seattle. He said for sure and that he hoped to go there soon. So cool! Tate and I really hit it off and we chatted for awhile. I thanked him for the drumstick and told him how awesome it was of him. He said “Oh of  course! And thank you for everything you do! And thank you for starting that group. It’s so cool, I love it!” He told me that he loves going on the group page and reading what everyone says, and told me that it’s like I started a little fan family and that he really loved it. He told me that he loves how fans that meet from the group meet up at concerts. I loved how psyched he was about SafetySuit Nation, and how much he appreciates it. I talked to Tate for a couple more minutes, and my sister yelled at me that the cab was there and we had 10 minutes to make the 12:15 ferry. I hugged all of them, said our goodbyes, which took a few minutes. Doug said bye to my sister and called her the "spot holder" and shook his head at me with disappointment and was like, "you didn't even let her do meet and greet!" and I was like, "She offered to do it! Plus I made the donation for her, AND I got her CD signed for her!"and he laughed and was like,"Alright, fine." And then as I was down the street, Doug shouted out “Bye fan of LIFEHOUSE!!!!” And I yelled at him asking him if he REALLY wanted me to change it, he was like, “Ohhh NO! No I don’t. You know, it’s a good thing I love Jason so much, or else I would.” Haha. I told him that it’s the name they know me as, and he said that was true.

I got in the cab, and immediately started tearing up. I was completely overwhelmed and in shock with how completely perfect everything was. Got home at 4 AM, and I’ve barely slept since. I’m sure I’m leaving so much out, but this is the general outline of that day.

 Brad and I!

 Doug picture from when he stole my camera.

 Chico!

 Doug and I!

 Jeremy and I!

 Tate and I!

 Signed stuff!

 Drumstick and guitar pick.

 Steph and I!

Doug wrote: "Em you are a winner. We <3 u!" He told me that phrase at least 5 times that night.

Doug singing "Annie" to me. 

The picture Doug got of Brad.

 The picture Doug got of Tate.

 The picture Doug got of Jeremy.

"Between The Raindrops" out NOW!

Lifehouse just released their first single off of their upcoming 6th album! The track is called "Between The Raindrops" and features the lovely Natasha Bedingfield. This song is already climbing the single and pop song charts on Itunes! Go get it! http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/between-raindrops-feat.-natasha/id557755291

Lifehouse in Vancouver, BC 9/2/12 RECAP!

September 2nd was quite an eventful day. An eventful day that started extremely early. I woke up at 4 AM. Why, you might ask? Well this Lifehouse concert was in Vancouver, BC, which is a 5-6 hour drive. But considering it was Labor Day weekend, I knew that getting there could be a long haul. So we left Forks at 6:00 knowing that the ferry we needed to take was at 9:30. Thankfully the drive there wasn’t too awful. We made good timing, even considering we had to wait at the boarder for an hour. Getting to Vancouver took 7 hours. It sounds like a really long time, but the drive really didn’t feel that long.

As soon as we got to Vancouver we checked into the hotel (which was right across the street from the PNE) and parked our car. There was a fanguy on the elevator, sporting a “Who We Are” shirt and all. I thought that was pretty nifty. I went to the room to make sure I didn’t look like a train wreck, and then headed to the PNE. At this point it was about 2:00. We got to the PNE and this Princess thing was just finishing up at the concert stage. We went to go get something to drink, and I glanced over and saw that there were still people standing around in front of the stage. Obviously this made me nervous, so I walked over to investigate. To my surprise there were people pretty much camped out right at the barricade. Seriously. There people sitting in front of the stage. They had like packed lunches and some had folding chairs. I was shocked. So of course I stood on the only empty side the stage, as close to the center as I could. I was on Ben’s side, for the first time, and felt so out of place. I’ve been on Bryce’s side at every show, but I guess it was good to switch it up. It wasn’t even 2:30 yet, but  I wasn’t about to leave. After standing there for maybe 10 minutes, Bryce walked out on stage with his mom, and Ben followed. My heart started racing. Ben looked over at me and waved. And then Bryce saw me waving and Ben, so he waved too. I was so excited. It was all starting to feel so real. This was really happening, they were really here.

Winnie walked up on stage and was starting to get things set up. Once he was right in front of me I was like, “WINNIE!” And He looked over at me. I was like “Do you remember a get well video from when you hurt your back?” And he said yes he did. I told him that that was me, and that I was Emily. He looked so touched and was like “Oh really?! Thank you so much for that! That was so sweet of you. Really, I really appreciate it.” I told him that I was really happy to see him back up on stage and he said that he was glad to be back to. He told me he was happy to finally meet me and then went back to work.

A few minutes later I turned around and saw Bryce and Ben standing around not too far away. I immediately got extremely anxious. I really wanted to go talk to them, but I was nervous and scared to bother them. Two girls that were standing near me said that they would come with me, so I took a deep breath, and walked over to them. Bryce was talking with some family, so I approached Ben first. As soon as he saw me he said “Hey! What‘s your name again? You look so familiar.” and shook my hand. I told him that my name was Emily and that he had met me last year in Seattle. He was like, “Oh yeah! I remember that! Good to see you again!”  At first I was in shock and just stared at him like a crazy person. He laughed at me for being in shock and gave me a hug. We talked for a few minutes and I chilled out. I asked him when sound check was and he said it was at 5 and that Jason wasn’t even there yet. He asked me if I wanted to get a picture so I handed my phone to one of the girls to take the picture for us. And then I asked him if he could sign a CD. He said he would, and then I asked which one he would like to sign. He goes, “I’ll sign them all!” And I was like, “Well I HAVE them all!” I wasn’t planning on asking any of them to sign all five CDS. I just put them all in my purse so I could choose if the opportunity came. I told him that I even brought sharpies, and he told me, “You’re prepared! I like that because people always ask me to sign something and I’m like, well do you have a pen?” He loved that I thought far enough into it to bring a silver sharpie for Smoke And Mirror’s since a black sharpie wouldn’t show on it. He signed each of them to my name, which was very cool of him. He asked me where I was from and when I told him Forks he said that he refused to watch Twilight. Ha ha.  He told me that their new music is pretty “bad ass” and that they’ve been working really hard. I hugged him and thanked him for taking the time to talk to me, and he thanked me for traveling so far to see them and then told me to make sure I meet Bryce.

That got Bryce’s attention and he turned around. He said hi to me and gave me a hug. And then he told me it was nice to meet me. I told him that he met me before, but forgot. He laughed and was like “oh yeah?” And I told him that we met last year after the Seattle show. And he then he was like “OH YEAH! I remember that!” I got a picture with him, and then went, “OK. I’m going to talk to you.” And he goes, “Alright.” I told him that I was a freaking jerk to him when I met him last year and he was like, “I don’t remember that?”  And I told him that I said like two words to him the entire time, and when I left I felt so bad. He laughed and was like “Aww don’t even worry about it!” And then I told him how all I said to him was that he was the “twittered” and then I mimicked his response. We talked for a couple minutes about meeting last year and about how excited he was to be in Vancouver, and then I asked him to sign a CD and that he could pick which one. He said he would sign whatever ones I wanted. I told him that Ben had signed all of them, so it was up to him if he wanted to measure up or pick which he wanted to sign. He grabbed them from me and was like “Well then I’ll sign them all, too!” I handed him my sharpies and he was like “You brought a silver one because Smoke And Mirrors is black. You thought this through.” Ha ha. He signed them and then Ben walked up and asked him if they were still going to go get food. I apologized for stealing Bryce from him , and he told me “Oh no! It’s no problem at all!” I thanked Bryce for everything and then they left to go eat.

I walked back over to my spot in front of the stage and had a mini freak out. I was so excited! A few more minutes went by and then Ricky appeared on the stage. My heart stopped. I LOVE Ricky. He was walking around the stage looking for stuff and I yelled his name. He looked over, waved, and said hi. He was up there for a really long time getting his drum kit set up. After probably 20 minutes he hit one of the drums once, and I cheered for him. He looked up, saw me, put his hands together, and bowed. Then I called out his name. He looked over at me and I said “Do you remember meeting me at all?” He looked at me kind of confused, and then I was like “In Seattle last year?” He still looked confused but you could tell he was thinking. And then I was like “At the Showbox?” And then you could see him remember. It was like a light bulb went off. He pointed at me and was like “YES! I do remember that!” I got all excited and was like “REALLY?!” And he was like “YEAH! Absolutely!” I started laughing at told the girl next to me, “I don’t even care if he’s making it up!” And he somehow overheard me (I seriously didn’t say it that loud) and he was like, “NO! I really do remember you! It was an after show meeting, right? I totally remember.” I couldn’t believe it. I was like “Yes!! And I told you that you were my favorite person in the world and then you danced!” He started smiling and was like “Yeah yeah yeah!” And then I go, “And you said you liked my purse!” And he slowly goes “Well..I don’t know if I remember THAT” And Winnie and the other crew guys started cracking up. Ricky looked down smiling and looked so embarrassed! He obviously remembered exactly what I was talking about. After that I was like on cloud 9. I was super friendly and chatty, and I was talking to everyone.

I started talking to a girl named Kristy, who is a professional photographer. She got pictures of Ricky talking to me, and captured the point, and the embarrassing moment perfectly. I turned around and saw Bryce walking by again and told her to go over and meet him. She wasn’t around when I met them and was super bummed that she missed him. She wouldn’t do it but I wouldn’t let her not do it. I walked with her over to where he was and he was getting ready to walk into this building. She turned around and was going to run away when I called out his name. He turned around and told me “hi” and waved and I yelled over to him that she really wanted to meet him but was scared. He was like “Awww, ok, just give me a minute.” So then she started freaking out. I thought it was so funny to see someone freaking out like I was when I first met him that day. I was mentally freaking out still but I was trying to act calm and chill about it. Bryce walked back over and was like “I need to bring these to my family. Will you hang out here for a few minutes” and I told him of course, and he said thanks. So we stood there and I was all proud of myself for staying composed when I talked to him. After about 5 minutes or so he came back over and I was like “She’s intimidated by you Bryce,” And she was like “I’m not used to meeting celebrities!” And he laughed and goes, “I am NOT a celebrity”. So then I was like, “Umm.. You are BRYCE freaking SODERBERG. Own it.” And him and his mother busted out laughing. He kept saying that he was just a person, and I loved that. He was very nice and very humble. And then the girl was like "You're a B Celebrity", and he goes "more like an F" and the he mumbled to me "For effing awesome!". Haha. She spoke to him for a few minutes and then I randomly started talking to him again. I asked him if they were on for a 90 minute set, and he was like “Yeah we’re on for like an hour and a half.” And then I was like “So like an Everything set?” and he goes, “Yeah we’ll be playing that one.” I asked if there were any set surprises and he was like, “No, it’s the same set we’ve been doing for..” “For the past 2 years?” I chimed in. He sarcastically hit my arm and was like “YES!” And I quickly went “No no no, it’s a really good set!” And he insisted that he knew what I met. I made a comment about them not doing the mini acoustic set anymore and he said that he didn’t know what happened but that Jason pretty much calls the shots when it comes to the set and that sort of thing. I told him he needs to stop letting Jason boss him around, and we laughed. I told him that I was glad we got to talk and that I was making up for lost time, and he said “Aww..do you feel better now?” (referring to feeling bad about the first time we met.) We talked for awhile. He said that he had a lot of family there and was really excited to be in his hometown. I told him it must be really exciting to play a show there and he got all excited and agreed. He was so sweet! I asked if we could redo the picture thing because the last one didn’t turn out great and he was like ‘Yeah! Whatever you need!” So we got a few more pictures. A guy that was with Kristy offered to take the picture with my phone, and after he gave me my phone and said to check to make sure it worked. I realized my phone had frozen up and the picture didn't take. I told Bryce, "NO my phone froze up. I'm going to cry!" And in the sweetest, funniest voice he goes, "DOON'T CRY!" I seriously wish I could have recorded that because it sounded so funny. Eventually my phone worked, and Kristy also got some awesome pictures of us with her camera. After I got the picture on my phone he asked me in a really curious and sweet voice, "Can I see?!" And leaned over to see the picture. I  sarcastically told him no, and then said I would tweet them to him. I don’t really remember how it came up, but I said something about how I feel like I already know him because of the internet, and he was like “Yeah! Twitter!” And somehow my name on there being “FanOfLifehouse” came up and he was like “THAT’S YOU! You woke up at like 4 AM!” Ha ha. I thought it was so funny that he remembered me tweeting that early that morning and that I said it.

One of the girls asked if they could play “Butterfly” and he was like, “I don’t even KNOW that one. And I try to keep up with all the old stuff. Like “The Edge, ands stuff.“ And I was like, “It’s ok, this was before your time.“ And he looked at me in a “Woaah” way, and I was like, “Your time in the band, not like your time on earth.“ And we laughed. We talked a bit more and then I gave him a hug and told him to have fun at the show tonight and he thanked me for coming. We started walking away from each other and then he goes “HEY! And remember, don’t worry, we’re cool. We’re good.” I thought that was so sweet of him. I'm really glad I was able to relax and joke around with him and really chat with him.

I walked backed over to the stage and was told that I had missed Jason walking on stage. I wasn’t too bummed because I knew he’d be back and that talking to Bryce was worth it. Not even 2 minutes later Jason walked up on stage. He was standing by Ricky and I yelled out his name. He looked over at me and waved, but in a friendly way like he would do to any fan waving at him, and then his face changed and you could see it click. He looked so surprised and was like “oh HI!” And smiled and waved again. And then he very slowly went, “I (pointed to his eye) remember YOU (pointed at me” And I froze. Ricky jumped up and was like “SEE! I told you!”  And motioned towards Jason and then to himself. I couldn’t believe it. He recognized me from a year and a half ago, without me saying anything. I was so shocked. Permagrinned forever. The girls around me were freaking out for me.

I’m pretty sure Jason was sick. He kept putting his hands over his mouth and coughing. He just generally didn’t seem like he felt very well. I thought it was really adorable how kind and touchy feely he was with everyone. Like when he saw Winnie he gave him a hug, and the same with Ben, Bryce, and the other crew guys. He would talk to a crew guy about something and would pat them on the shoulder or something. He’s just so sweet.

They were gearing up for sound check, and the crew guy had to call over the mic for Bryce, and then I saw Bryce run from talking to his family from the crowd to the stage. He didn’t realize it was time for sound check. Ha ha. They only sound checked 3 songs - “Broken”, “Spin”, and “Falling In”. Jason made a motion to his throat and it seemed pretty obvious that they cut sound check short because of him not feeling well. I’m guessing he wanted to save his voice. At the end of “Spin” Ben looked at me and was like “How’s it goin’? “ I told him that I was doing great and asked him how he was. He said that he was good now that he had lunch. I asked what he ate, and he was like “I went to three countries actually. Vietnam, Russia, and France.” I was like, “Wow. You’ve had a busy day.” I got a lot of strange looks for why I just had a conversation with him. Not many people at all recognized him or Bryce though when they were walking around, so I was one of the only people he met that day. A TON of people were around for sound check. I was a little surprised by that. The place filled up quite a bit.

After sound check we still had 2 hour until the show started. Winnie was tuning Ben’s guitar and I was like, “That is NOT your guitar.” And he laughed and was like “I know. Well, it is mine, I just let him use it.” Ha ha. The place filled up really fast. There were a lot of people there early.

So it was about 20 minutes until the show and the place was pretty full. Winnie walked out on stage and I yelled out “WOOOO WINNIE!” And the crowd started cheering for him. He laughed and shook his head, and then did what he had to do and walked away as fast as possible. He looked over at me and laughed because he knew I started it. So then when he walked out again I did the same thing and the crowd was even louder than before. He was like “You guys are fun” And then glared at me sarcastically as he was walking back over to the guitars at the side of the stage. So then he sent the drum/bass tech out and I cheered for him and the crowd did the same, he was like “Whaat?!”, and looked all surprised and embarrassed and pretty much ran away. Winnie started laughing hysterically, and then I started laughing hysterically, and then Winnie looked at me and nodded in approval. So a few minutes later he started tuning a guitar and I was like “YEAH!!! Winnie!!! You tune that guitar!” and he goes “I’m gonna make YOU get up here and do it!” And motioned for me to go up there. We kept giving each other a hard time like this up until the show started. You could totally tell that he was loving the attention, though, and that someone knew who he was. It was so funny, and made the time pass faster.

I had the concert countdown on my phone and I would randomly yell out how many minutes and seconds were left and the people behind me would diligently listen and would ask “How much longer??” Ha ha. There was about 10 minutes until showtime when the song “These Times” by SafetySuit started playing. I was so excited and happy that they were using that as one of their pre concert songs. Jason’s doing I am sure.

At 8:00 the announcer came on announcing the PNE Summer Nights Concert Series, and we knew it was happening soon. A guy inside the barricade was setting up this big video camera and I asked him if he was important. He was like “Yeah! Well, I like to think so.” And then I asked what he was recording for, and he said it was for the video screen. So then the stage lights go off and this creepy sounding old song starts playing over the speakers.  And then Ben came out and the old song stopped as he started to play the guitar.

The concert was really amazing! They played: “Hello There”, “All In”, “Here Tomorrow Gone Today”, “Nerve Damage”, “Spin”, “You And Me”, “Whatever It Takes”, “Wrecking Ball”, “Beast Of Burden”, “Wash”, “Hanging By A Moment”, Falling In”, “First Time”, “Broken”, “Halfway Gone”, and “Everything”. They completely blew me away. They’re even better than I remember. It flew by, of course, but it was so captivating. You could tell Jason wasn’t feeling 100%, but he didn’t let it show in his singing at all. He’s really pushing what his voice can do, and I LOVE it. Winnie was nice enough to hook me up with a setlist after the show. I’ll post some videos from that night once I get them uploaded!

I had an amazing day. I made some new friends waiting all day, too. It felt so good to realize that they remember me. It’s hard to believe that I would leave any impression at all that would make me memorable over a year and  half later. I love them so much!

"I remember you"

 Ben and I

 Bryce and I

 Where do we look?

 I was getting impatient. Awkwaaard.

 The 2nd take with my phone.

 The first take with my phone. I was trying to say something.

Which camera do we look at??

 Ricky getting embarrassed during the purse conversation.

 Chatting with Ricky.

 

Ricky's reaction when he remembered me.

 Signed CD covers by Ben and Bryce.

The Setlist Winnie gave me.

SafetySuit "Hallelujah" EP on Itunes!

My SafetySuit guys have a new EP coming to Itunes this Tuesday (28th)! This EP will feature their much loved cover of "Hallelujah", an acoustic version of their song "Anywhere But Here", an acoustic/wedding version of their song "Never Stop", and an acoustic version of their song "Let Go". I am so very excited to get this EP.

Their version of the well known song "Hallelujah" was a hit this past tour. It never failed that every time they performed it, they would get a standing ovation from the entire crowd. All of the people who had no idea who SafetySuit was, were completely blown away by that performance. I'm so glad that they recorded and are releasing it.

"Never Stop" would be a perfect wedding song. I thought that the moment I heard it, and always hoped they would release an acoustic version for that purpose.

"Anywhere But Here" is one of my very favorite songs by them. I'm really curious and excited to hear how this version sounds.

Everyone needs to get this EP on Tuesday! You won't regret it!

Happy birthday Doug Brown!

Happy birthday to Doug Brown of SafetySuit!

This guy is a big deal to me. Why?

- He's one of my very favorite singers and songwriters.

- He's created songs that have helped me tremendously.

- He makes me feel like i'm not alone.

- He reminds me that there's a positive in everything.

- He reminds me that I don't deserve to settle.

- He makes me feel important and necessary.

- He gave me some of the very best memories.

- He made my first SafetySuit concert a very special and personal experience.

- He is proof that great guys still exist.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DOUG!

Some things I am starting to accept about myself...

I really don't like talking about what's REALLY wrong. So, I can be in the middle of a conversation with someone, that turns into a disagreement. The person I am disagreeing with will obviously assume I'm angry because of whatever we're disagreeing about, but at least 85% of the time, that's not it at all. Either something else happened in that conversation that set me off, or something else entirely unrelated is bothering me, or a series of things are building, and I lash out without explaining what's really up. I know I do this. I know it seems like I get upset over really insignificant circumstances, but that's not ever what i'm upset about at all. I need to get better at this.

I also let things build. I let everything in my life build, and I avoid it all. I use my sense of humor to make light of everything, and just let the issues grow and eat at me until I breakdown. Literally. I have my infamous breakdowns. You would think it would be easier to just deal with things as they come. But I somehow still try to believe that everything will just improve and get better if I just keep pushing through it and staying positive. Dumb. I'm easily overwhelmed, so this doesn't help anything.

I push people away when things get rough. Part of me thinks that once things reach a certain level, I just need to deal with everything myself. Therefore I push everyone that means anything to me away. I don't know why, because that's obviously when I need these people the most. Maybe it's a defense mechanism. Or maybe part of me just hopes that someone will care enough to push back. Who knows.

I have a screwed up way of dealing with life. I should probably work on this. Time, I suppose.

Cheap Trick and Aerosmith rocked the Tacoma Dome!

On August 8th, 2012, I saw Cheap Trick and Aerosmith play at the Tacoma Dome. Wow. That was one of the most impressive things I have ever seen. The Tacoma Dome was completely sold out. A 23,000 capacity venue. Sold out. It was loud. There were people of all ages. Lots of drinking. And lots of pot smoking.

The show started off with Cheap Trick. Now, I don't actually know that much of Cheap Trick's stuff. I only knew like three or four of the songs they played. They did a really good job. It was really hard to hear/understand the singer, though, which was a bummer. The music really drowned him up. My favorite moment from them was probably when they played "The Flame". That sounded really great, and his vocals were spot on.

After Cheap Trick got off the stage, a huge crew swarmed the stage and started getting things set up for Aerosmith. That got me pumped. They transformed that stage very quickly.

Lights go out. And a video starts to play. It was a very creepy video, but it just made the whole thing way cooler. The lights on the back of the stage were going, as were these video clips. I was looking around the stage trying to see where the band was coming out from, when this smoke came up from the front of the stage, and BAM there was Steven Tyler coming from UNDER the catwalk. It was like POOF he was there.

Aerosmith played for a good 2 hours. Going strong the whole time. Those guys have some crazy energy. Steven Tyler is insane, in the most epic way possible. Their talent completely blew me away. Tyler's vocals were captivating. It was a really surreal experience. A really cool moment was their drum solo. It was a good 5 minutes long. That was probably the most impressive drumming I've ever seen. Steven Tyler came out and joined him for a minute, too, which was really cool. Their drummer threw out the drumsticks and started hitting the drums with just his hands, and even his head. It was so crazy, and so awesome. I'm a huge drum lover, so that was really exciting to see. My favorite songs were probably "Livin' On The Edge", "Love In An Elevator", "Come Together", "Walk This Way", and especially "Dream On". Their cover of  "Come Together" is really awesome, and it was really special to sing every single word as loudly as I could with 23,000 other people. "Dream On" about made me tear up. That song is just ridiculous live.

I'm leaving a lot out, and i'm totally winging this. I didn't pre type this or anything. Maybe one of these days i'll give this concert the recap it deserves. But it's late, and i'm too tired to think. Just know, everyone needs to see Aerosmith while they still can. They're on top of their game, and are seriously incredible in concert. I'm so glad I went.

Here's to Mike Sanchez!

Some background for you: Mike Sanchez has been on tour with Daughtry for several months this year. I believe the tour started in April (I could very well be wrong though.) Every show day he would post a video to Youtube, and called it his "Backstage Tailgate" series. He mostly posted covers, but threw some orignals in there too. He's never posted anything that I haven't been thoroughly impressed by. As most of you know, it didn't take any time at all for me to become a fan of his. As soon as I heard his voice I knew that he was something special, and was psyched to see him with SafetySuit and Daughtry. Me being who I am, I pretty much instantaneously started (nicely) harassing Mike to post a Lifehouse cover. Now, I am not a Lifehouse cover supporter by any means. I generally believe that their songs should not be messed with. Leave it to Jason Wade to sing the songs that he writes. But I loved Mike's voice and style so much that I was dying to hear his take of one of their songs.

If you read my concert recap, than you know that he told me that if he was to cover a Lifehouse song, it would be their song "Take Me Away". This made me very excited because that is one of my very favorite Lifehouse songs. So ever since then, I would occasionally remind him of this, in the hopes that one of these days he would cover it. As their tour started coming to an end, I basically gave up on the idea that this cover would happen. But today, it did.

Today is Mike's last day with Daughtry, and he posted "Take Me Away" as his backstage tailgate. Saved the best for last, I suppose. I'm sure you can imagine my excitement. I may or may not have even cried. *Sniff.* By no surprise at all, his cover was absolutely amazing. He definitely did Jason and the guys' justice. And I don't think I have ever said that before. The best Lifehouse cover I have seen, hands down. I am still so shocked that that's the song he chose to do for his last show. His version will be played very frequently. So awesome. Watch here: "Take Me Away"

I can't believe this Daughtry tour is coming to an end. I am so sincerely PROUD of Mike. It has been pretty remarkable to witness his journey through this tour. Seeing how quickly fans loved, supported, and became equally excited to see him play, was truly amazing. A Daughtry tour just won't be the same without him, and I know a lot of fans would agree with me on that. He's made these experiences so much more memorable for so many people (myself included.) He really went out of his way for his fans every single night. I am so grateful that I was able to see and meet him when I did. He is one of the most talented, nice, caring, selfless, and genuine people I have ever met. And as I type this, teary eyed and all, I can honestly say that I wish Mike Sanchez the very best in everything and anything he chooses to do. He's gained my lifelong support.

Check him out! 

I saw Aerosmith this week. I'll most definitely get a full review up soon. Just need to sit down and actually type it out. Just know, they rocked. Literally.

Matchbox Twenty is back.

I dig Matchbox Twenty. "Exile On Mainstream" is one of my very favorite albums. They don't know how to make a less than awesome song.  As most people know, Matchbox Twenty split up quite some time ago, and Rob Thomas went solo. But they are back, and have been working on their up and coming album, "North", for well over a year now. "North" is set to be released on September 4th, 2012. No doubt this album will be well worth the wait, and the tour to back it up will be phenomenal.

Just a couple weeks ago they released their first single off of "North" titled, "She's So Mean." Talk about catchy. Is it Matchbox Twenty's deepest, most meaningful, life changing song? No. But is it a high quality, beautifully produced, catchy single? Absolutely. I have no doubt that this album will have those    in depth, emotion provoking songs, though. That's a given for Matchbox Twenty. This song makes me pumped for the new album, and my ears can not wait to hear it!

Have a listen!

Let the craziness begin!

I'm not sure if I've made it entirely clear, but I'm kind of inlove with Lifehouse. A lot. It's common Emily knowledge that my 3 favorite favorite (yes, I said that twice for emphasis) bands are Lifehouse, SafetySuit, and Daughtry. Typically in that order. (Though I think it's safe to say that Lifehouse and SafetySuit share the #1 spot.) The last time I saw Lifehouse was on March 5th, 2011. Nearly a year and a half ago. For some time now, I have been suffering through Lifehouse withdrawls. After seeing them three times all within a year's time, not seeing them after so long seemed unbearable.

Yesterday I found out that they will be playing in Vancouver, BC on September 2nd! And guess who's going? Oh yeah, that's right. I'm not excited AT ALL.  In 52 days, my Lifehouse withdrawls will be temporarily satisfied.