Daughtry, Theory Of A Deadman, And Cavo 12/4/09

So the Daughtry show was great. To be honest, the main reason I went was to see Theory of a Dead Man. At that point, I had never seen them before and it was honestly about to kill me. The first band of the night was Cavo. I had already seen Cavo a few months earlier at Bayfest and I knew what to expect. I even met their singer, Casey there. He was super nice. They opened with my song, Blame. Then they played Crash, My Little Secret, We All Fall Down, Let It Go, and Champagne. They tried to get the crowd to sing the chorus but it was not their greatest effort. After they were done with their set, they had a meet and greet. I like how they took the time to talk to their fans. Even when the show was over they were still out meeting fans and it made me smile. I was nervous to run all the way around the venue to meet them because I really did not want to miss Theory Of A Dead Man. I was one of the first people in line and they took the time to talk to me and their singer remembered me from Bayfest. I guess it is not every day when some 14 year old taps on your shoulder through a fence to take a picture. I made it back to my seat just in time. I still had five minutes before TOAD started. I could not contain my excitement. They opened with So Happy. it made me “So Happy” (sorry. I had to). Afterwards, they played Little Smirk, By The Way, No Surprise, Hate My Life, Not Meant To Be, Santa Monica, Paradise City, and Bad Girlfriend. Great set-list right there. It made my life for a little while. Then, Daughtry came out and played Every Time You Turn Around, It's Not Over, Ghost of Me, No Surprise, Breakdown, Life After You, What I Want, Open Up Your Eyes, September, Tennessee Line, In the Air Tonight, Call Your Name, Over You, Helter Skelter, Feels Like Tonight, You Don't Belong, Home, and There And Back Again. At one point, in the audience, there was a girl that started stunting. Like, college cheerleading stunting. It was the first time I had ever seen that at a concert and I really appreciated it (since I am a cheerleader). The crowd at this show was really involved. Since this show, I have seen TOAD four times. Holy cow. If there is ever an opportunity to go see them, take it. Tyler, their singer, is a comedian.

Candlefuse Concert

I saw Candlefuse for the third time today. Before the show, some of the members came out and I begged them to play my song (Echoes of Words). They were very apologetic and told me that they could not play it because when they wrote it, they had four members in the band and now they only had three. I begged them to wing it, but alas they could not. But they did play Ordinary, Diamonds and Pearls, and they also did covers of the Friends theme song and Bleeding Love by Leona Lewis. After the show I met the band and got pictures with them. They also signed my shoes. Too bad they broke up after that show but they were a good band while they lasted and I am thankful I got to be apart of their last show.

Skillet, Disciple, and Decyfer Down 4/18/09

dude the skillet concert was amazing. decyfer down was the first band. they opened with crash. i had a freak out moment. then they played fading, fight like this, life again, and a few more. then disciple came on. they are a great live band. they opened with game on and i had another freak out moment. then they played 3,2,1, whatever reason, after the world, and rise up. they also had a really big discussion about God and how He saves you. then skillet came on. they are better everytime i see them. they opened with the intro, then they played comatose, whispers in the dark, collide, rebirthing, the last night, the older i get, those nights, the older i get, angels fall down, yours to hold, better than drugs, forsaken, two new songs: hero and monster, savior and their encore was best kept secret. me and molly had a freak out when they played that. my neck and throat hurt for a week after that but it was well worth it =]

Crawfish Boil May 5/1-2/09

So the Crawfish Boil in Birmingham always manages to book a very… eclectic group of acts. And the way they are placed in the line-up is well, interesting. The first band of the day was Saving Abel. They played In God’s Eyes, New Tattoo, 18 Days, Drowning (Face Down), Out Of My Face, and Addicted. I love Saving Abel, but something about their live shows just does not do it for me. It makes me feel bad because they are from the next state over. Anyway, after Saving Abel was Shinedown. They were the main reason I wanted to go to this show in the first place. Even though their sound system kept going out, it was still a pretty solid set. It was also good to know that Brent Smith does not lip sync. They opened with the Sound Of Madness and followed it with Heroes, I Dare You, Left Out, 45, Save Me, Second Chance, and Devour. Every time I see them, I always hold out for Burning Bright. But, sadly, I never get it. I am still keeping hope alive. After Shinedown was (Drum Roll Please) LL Cool J. Yes, LL Cool J. When I said eclectic, I meant it. He was actually a lot better than I thought he would be. I do not know all the songs he played because I do not know many of his songs but I do know that he played Headsprung, Going Back to Cali, Luv You Better, and Mama Said Knock You Out. At the end of his set he threw money into the audience. That was the first and only time I have ever seen any artist do that. After LL was Jason Mraz. He was just ok. He played The Remedy, Mary Jane (Rick James Cover), The Dynamo of Volition, I’m Yours, and Lucky. Anya Marina came out and did Colbie Callait’s part. And to close out night one was 311. They played Beautiful Disaster, Freeze Time, All Mixed Up, You Wouldn't Believe, Taiyed, Love Song (Cure Cover), Applied Science, Prisoner, Hey You, Come Original, Beyond The Gray Sky, What Was I Thinking, Amber, Down, Creatures (For A While), and Feels So Good. After 311 was over, the first day was over. So off to the hotel my mother and I went. When I woke up the next morning, I was so excited because I knew I would get to see the All American Rejects. When we got there Bushwalla, the first act, was already on stage. He played Ghetto Blaster and Gangsta. He was a really fun person to see live. He balanced his guitar on his nose. It was funny. After him, Shiny Toy Guns came on. They were wild. It even rained a little bit during their set. They played Le Disko, You Are The One, Rainy Monday, and Ghost Town. Their singer, Carah Faye Charnow, had on a really cool outfit. After STG, it was time for Filter. They were really loud. I only know a few Filter songs and all I can tell the readers of this blog is that they played American Cliché, Take A Picture, and Hey Man, Nice Shot. After Filter was Everclear. Even though I knew most of the songs they played, they were really boring. I heard several people talk about how they lost their touch. I would not know if this is true, though, because I have only seen them one time. They played Father Of Mine, AM Radio, Wonderful, Brown Eyed Girl (Van Morrison cover), and Santa Monica. After them, it was time for Katy Perry. She opened with Fingerprints. Afterwards she played Hot N Cold, Waking Up In Vegas, Thinking Of You, Ur So Gay, and I Kissed A Girl. She told us that it was the first time she had ever played in Alabama. She also told us that her parents were in the crowd and that she grew up in a very religious household and how that made here the person she is today. During the opening song, she had these huge blow-up strawberries and during I Kissed A Girl, she had a huge blow up lipstick. She kicked it into the crowd and it was pretty funny. I also gained a little respect for Katy because she plays guitar and during most of the set, she did it herself. At some point she crowd surfed as well. Then it was time for The All American Rejects. Go figure that when they started a crowd surfer knocked the camera out of my hand. Luckily, I found it. Tyson Ritter graced the stage with his beautiful self and about made me cry. They opened with I Wanna. They also played Fallin’ Apart, Dirty Little Secret, Top Of The World, My Paper Heart, Believe, Swing Swing, Mona Lisa, It Ends Tonight, Real World, Damn Girl, Move Along, The Wind Blows, and Gives You Hell. During Mona Lisa, he pulled a girl on stage and serenaded her with the song. At the end of the song, he kissed her on the cheek and she cried. I would have too. Needless to say, I was super jealous. Finally, it was time for the last act of the night. Snoop Dogg. He was very interesting. He played I Wanna Love You, Gin and Juice, Ridin’ In My Chevy, Sensual Seduction, and Drop It Like It’s Hot. There were all of these crazy people around me dancing and every time Snoop Dogg would say “Make some noise!” I would laugh. So, in conclusion, this weekend was filled with many interesting characters. Some bands I would definitely go see again. Others, (*cough* Everclear *cough*) not so much.

Old 97's/Rhett Miller Concert 7/26/09

ok so i saw the old 97's today. rhett miller opened for them and then he came out and played singular girl, fireflies, and our love. then the old 97's came out and played all of my favorite songs and after the show i met the band and their tour manager gave me and molly drum sticks =] i gotta go get ready for warped tour and green day now they are in 2 and 4 days =] c ya- kinsey

Warped Tour 7/28/09

Ok warped tour was amazing. The first band I saw was the maine and they started out with their cover of pour some sugar on me. Then they played the way we talk. Then I went to go see 3OH!3. The opened with punk bitch. Then they played starstrukk, I’m not your boyfriend baby, Colorado sunrise, richman, and don’t trust me. They were great. After them I saw saoisin. They played youre not alone and voices so I was happy. After that I didn’t really wanna see any bands so molly and I went to the smart punk/hurley.com stage and we saw streetlight manifesto, cash cash, and a skylit drive. Cash cash played party in your bedroom and I freaked out. Then a skylit drive played eva the carrier and wires and the concepts of breathing. I was a very happy child. After that we went to go see underoath. They played its dangerous business just walking out your front door, a boy brushed red living in black and white, we are the involuntary, writing on the walls, in regards to myself, and moving for the sake of motion. They were great. After them I think we saw in this moment. They played forever and daddys fallen angel. I was very happy. Then molly and I walked around and I saw some of bayside and some of brokenly. They were good. Then I think we went to go attempt to see black tide but it was close to aiden coming on so we ran to aiden and they played the last sunrise, die romantic, let the right one in, we sleep forever, scavengers of the damned, the asylum, and I set my friends on fire. They were definitely on of the highlights of my day, after them I was standing in line to meet them and I watched madina lake and they played house of cards. I was happy. After I met aiden, molly and I ran to see the devil wears prada. We made it just in time to hear HTML rulez Dood so I was happy. Then when they were over it was time to go see a day to remember. They opened with the downfall of us all. Then they played im made of wax larry, what are you made of?, if it means a lot to you, and the plot to bomb the panhandle. After them it was I set my friends on fire. We ran so freaking fast to get there and these guys yelled at me and molly and were like RUN RUN!!!!! It was classic and unforgettable. I set my friends on fire played ASL, things that rhyme with orange, and but the NUNS are watching. As soon as they were over we ran all the way back to where chiodos was and they played the words “best friend” become redefined and there’s no penguins in Alaska. Molly and I freaked out. Then it was about to storm so Kevin lyman came on stage and said go to the main stage because that is where all time low will be so everybody started running there. While we were there we saw big D and the kids table. They played L.A.X. which is my song. After them was a band called Valencia and they were great. Then finally it was time for all time low and they opened with weightless. Then they played damned if I do ya (damned if I don’t), and dear maria, count me in. it was great. I had and amazing day and so did molly. Well I got to go get ready for green day in 2 days-kinsey

Green Day Concert 7/31/09

OMG the green day concert was definitely the best concert I have ever been to as of right now =] they opened with song of the century and 21st century breakdown. Then they played know your enemy, east Jesus nowhere, 2,000 light years away, when I come around, the static age, holiday, boulevard of broken dreams, are we the waiting, st. jimmy, Longview, king for a day/shout, welcome to paradise, basket case, she, brain stew/jaded, 21 guns, mass hysteria, american idiot, jesus of suburbia, blood, sex, and booze, last night on earth, and minority. I had a major freak out when they played when I come around. That is my favorite song by them =D anyways they were great and I will be seeing them again.-kinsey

En Fuego 2009

ok so when i got to en fuego the first band was called nine lashes and they were great. the next band was called hello august. they sucked. then some stupid rapper came on stage. then next was eleventy seven and they were great. then it was thalon and they suck. then it was after edmund. they were great. then december radio sucked. and so did superchick. family force 5 was great they played dance or die, kountry jentlemen, fever, replace me, drama queen, die4you, numb, party foul, supersonic, put ur hands up, radiator, love addict, get your back off the wall, and earthquake. they were amazing =]

Taking Back Sunday Concert 9/18/09

dude taking back Sunday was great. they opened with whats it feel like to be a ghost. then they played sink into me, error:operator, set phasers to stun, carpathia, one eighty by summer, lonely lonely, youre so last summer, new again, liar, cute without the E, everything must go, a decade under the influence, and makedamnsure. during cut without the E matt came into our part of the crowd and i had a freak out =] i gotta go get ready for blink 182 now c ya-kinsey

Blink-182, Fall Out Boy, And Asher Roth Concert 9/18/09

Ok. Words can not even describe how great this concert was. I have waited since I was 4 to see B182 and I finally got to. Asher Roth was the first to go on. He played
Sour Patch Kids
Lark On My Go Kart and
I Love College.
After him was Fall Out Boy.

They said Don't Stop believing was Alabama's anthem. I agree. 

Then it was time for Blink-182. 

During Dammit, Pete Wentz came out and played with Blink. *cue crowd freakout*
and that's a wrap! I am so thankful that I had the opportunity to see FOB when I did. 

Bayfest 2009

Saying bayfest was great would sound very cliche. But i cant think of any other way to say it. my bayfest weekend started out with cage the elephant. they were wild in a very good way. the lead singer was a headbanger and they dont even play normal headbanging music. they played ain't no rest for the wicked and in one ear. those are my songs =D. after them was stone temple pilots. they played wicked garden, vasoline, big empty, creep, sex type thing, down, sour girl, plush, interstate love song, dead and bloated, and trippin on a hole in a paper heart. i can now partially die happy now that i've seen them. then on saturday i saw a local band called top of the orange. they were good and my cousin's mom's co-workers son is the drummer. tee-hee they were really good and i hope to see them next year if i go. after them was halestorm. they opened with it's not you. then they played love/hate heartbreak, dirty work, and i get off. they also did a really cool drum solo thing. during the set change i met them and i got autographs and some pictures. then after them was pop evil. they played another romeo and juliet, breathe, 100 in a 55, and hero. during hero he walked on top of everyones hands to the tent in the back and then he started singing walk by pantera. it was great. then after them was cavo. they played let it go and champagne. i met the lead singer but that part of the story is coming up =] after cavo was chevelle. ive waited since i was 7 to see them. they played well enough alone, vitamin R (leading us along), comfortable liar, the red, jars, send the pain below, the clincher, and i get it. at that time if someone shot me i wouldnt have cared because chevelle was so great. then after them was 3 doors down. i hadn't seen them since 2003. and they put on a great show once again. they played duck and run, citizen/soilder, away from the sun, here without you, let me be myself, loser, train, be like that, kryptonite, and when im gone. during the middle of loser i went to meet the lead singer of cavo. i was so freaked out to ask him but i worked up enough courage to ask him to take a picture. im so glad i did. my feet have never hurt so bad before but it was well worth it. now i have to go get ready for the will hoge concert c ya - kinsey

Will Hoge Concert 10/16/09

So i just got back from the best will hoge concert i have ever been to. No joke. so here is the setlist. just like me, let me be lonely, second hand heart, she dont care, the wreckage, heartbreak avenue, draw the curtains, someone else's baby, favorite waste of time, better off now (that your gone), wish, what could i do?, highway wings, not that cool, dirty little war, when i can afford to lose, even if it breaks your heart, ms. williams, It's a shame, long gone, be the one, Hard to love, woman be strong, all night long, encore break, southern belle, baby girl, the highways home, doesnt have to be that way, and too late too soon. my least favorite will hoge song is baby girl and he played it and he messed up the beggining because his guitar was in the wrong key. and i was a little annoyed by that because i have a very strong dislike for the song. but he played for close to two and a half hours and it was great.=] after the show i went to meet him and i gave him a BIG hug and told him he was my best friend and i loved him. he laughed. it made my night. =] lol i also thanked him for playing all the old songs. i hope he comes back to b-ham soon. c ya - kinsey

Hanson Concert Birmingham, Alabama October 26th, 2009

If you had asked me three years ago if I ever thought that I would see Hanson I would have said no. If you had asked me if I thought I would have seen Hanson every year for the next three years I would have called you crazy. But that is what happened. In 2007, 2008, and 2009, I got to see Hanson. When we got to the show, we waited in line. There were two opening acts, Sherwood and Steel Train. They were actually the best opening acts I have ever seen with Hanson. At the time, I only knew one Sherwood song and that was Middle Of The Night. They played it! After they were over, their singer said he would be out at the merch table talking to people. I walked out there and he signed my poster and thanked me for buying a lot of merch. Ha! Then it was time for Steel Train. I only knew one song by them as well and that was Road Song. They played it too! Then it was time for Hanson. When they came on, I was so excited. They played - Where’s The Love - Great Divide - Get Up And Go (AHHHH!!!) - Thinking Of You - Running Man - Got A Hold On Me - Been There Before - World’s On Fire - Carry You There - Penny And Me (AHHHH!!!) - This Time Around (AHHHH!!!) - Use Me Up (Zac Solo) - These Walls (Taylor Solo) - Oh Darling - Waiting For This - Crazy Beautiful - A Minute Without You - Can’t Stop - MMMBop - If Only - Lost Without Eachother - Hey - Sweet Home Alabama with Steel Train and Sherwood This set was such a great mixture of songs. But it still does not top my first Hanson show.

Eddie Vedder Day Two Nashville 6/18/09

So it was time for night two of Eddie Vedder at the Ryman. I swear, he puts his heart into every show he does because this show was just as stellar as the first night. On the second night, my cousin and I were seven rows back from the stage. I thought I was about to cry because these seats were so close. During some points at the show, I did cry. Eddie opened with Far Behind, which is my favorite song off the Into The Wild soundtrack. Then he played Sometimes and a cover of Girl From The North Country by Bob Dylan. After that he played I Am Mine. That is of our favorite Pearl Jam songs. I feel bad for the people that had to sit by these two teenage girls freaking out over a song. We wanted to stand up so bad. But, alas, we could not. But it was the best version of that song I had ever heard, even though, at the time, I was biased because I had only heard it one time. Then he played I’m Open(!), Man Of The Hour, Dead Man, No Ceiling, Guaranteed, Rise, Soon Forget, Hide Your Love Away, and Wish List. Then it was time for Lukin. He played this song super fast and for the first time that night, the crowd was on their feet. After Lukin, he went straight into Porch. Once again, the crowd was on their feet. They were so involved with all of their handclaps and singing of the lyrics that it was truly magical. This was probably, hands down, the best version of Porch I have ever heard. Then he went off for the first encore. He came back out and played Society with Jerry Hannan, Throw Your Arms Around Me, The Golden State, and Elderly Woman. He stopped and talked to us about the new Pearl Jam album. He told us it was coming along great and he was about to play us a new song from the new album. He played The End and about had me in tears because it was so beautiful. He went straight into ARC, which is the best live song I have ever heard in my life. I have heard it three times live to this day and each time is just as magical. Then he went off for his second encore and came back out to play Hard Sun. It was great, of course. So that wrapped up my two nights with Eddie Vedder at the Ryman. I wish he would come back. Only time will tell……

Eddie Vedder Day One Nashville 6/17/09

When my mother told me we were going to see Eddie Vedder, solo in Nashville, I was so excited. He was going to be there for two nights and we were originally only going for the second night. But, the night before the first show we decided to go. I love spur of the moment concerts like that. Not only was I excited about going to see Eddie Vedder, the lead singer of one of my favorite bands, I was going to see Eddie Vedder in The Ryman Auditorium. The freaking Ryman Auditorium in Downtown Nashville. One of the most important buildings in all of Nashville and Eddie Vedder was playing there. It was such an exciting moment for me to actually be there to see Eddie and to be there with some of my favorite people, my mother, my aunt, and my cousin. While we were out in the line the security stressed to us that cameras would not be tolerated. If you were caught with a camera, it would be taken away and you would be escorted out and not allowed back in. When we walked in, we were briefly searched. The extent of the search went as far as security asking us if we had a camera. Anyone could have easily lied. After the security encounter, we ran directly for the merch table to get the poster. If you were a Pearl Jam fan, you would have an understanding of why getting to the show early to get a poster is important. After we got the posters, we went to our seats and waited for the show to start. The seats in The Ryman were really cramped. I feel bad for overly tall people that have to sit in those seats. Liam Finn was the opener for this show. This was the first time I had ever heard of him and I was really impressed. His wife, Eliza Jane, was also with him. She has awesome hair. I think it is awesome that Liam is multi-instrumental and he is so cute! I do not remember many of the songs he played, but I do remember Second Chance and Plane Crash. They were just splendid. During the set change, this guy that was sitting by us asked my cousin and me how old we were and how long we had liked Pearl Jam. We both answered 13 and since we were born. He laughed and asked us our favorite songs. My cousin [Molly] answered with Better Man and Elderly Woman. I answered with Brother and Gremmie Out Of Control. Needless to say, the guy was more impressed with my answers because those Pearl Jam songs are not as popular as the ones my wonderful cousin answered with. After that lovely conversation, it was getting really close to show time. Then, the lights dimmed and the crowd roared with excitement and then Eddie graced the stage and everyone sat down…. Sitting down? At a concert? I was really confused. There ended up being appropriate times to stand up, so it got better. Eddie opened with Walking The Cow. Pearl Jam covered it a while back but they had never played it live. To this day, as a band, I still do not think they have played it. So this crowd got lucky that they got to hear it live because it would be one of the only times they would ever get to hear it (of course if you followed the tour, then you would probably hear it a few more times). After that amazing opener, he played Sometimes with a Brain Damage by Pink Floyd tag. If the crowd was not stoked yet, that definitely put them over the top. The crowd cheered. The next few songs were Trouble, Thumbing My Way, Gone, Far Behind, No Ceiling, Guaranteed, Rise, Poor Girl, You’re True, Driftin’, and Hide Your Love Away (Beatles Cover). Then it was time for Better Man. Eddie told us that he was originally not going to play this song but he decided to play it Nashville Style. And he did just that. It was extremely different than any version of this song I have ever heard. As a crowd, we tried our best to follow along with him, but we failed miserably. After that he did a stellar cover of Let My Love Open The Door (Pete Townshend). Then he played Elderly Woman Behind The Counter In A Small Town. During this song, I experienced one of my numerous favorite concert moments. Like I said earlier, we were sitting down at the show. During the middle of the song, this guy decided to get up and stand at the balcony rail. He had his arms in the air and was singing his heart out. The security lady kept getting in his face to try to get him to sit down, but he just kept on singing and flapping his arms in the air. (The part of the song he put his arms in the air for was “ I just wanna scream HELLO! My God it’s been too long. Never dreamed you’d return but now here you are and here I am!”). When it was time for the HELLO lyric, it sounded like we were in a church choir. We were all in unison and it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard in my life. After Elderly Woman, Porch was played. For the first time that night, the crowd stood up and rocked out. Eddie made an acoustic song sound like an electric one. The crowd’s harmonies were so beautiful. When the song was over, we all clapped louder than we had the entire night. Then it was time for the first encore. He came back out and played Society with the guy that wrote it, Jerry Hannan. It was great, of course. Then he continued with a few more cover songs. He played Throw Your Arms Around Me with Liam Finn. My aunt had her moment because that is one of her favorite Pearl Jam covers. The Golden State by John Doe and Believe You Me by Bad Radio were both played as well. Then he played Wishlist and Arc. That was the first time I had ever heard ARC live and oh my gosh. It was beautiful. You have not heard the beauty in Eddie Vedder’s voice until you have heard him play ARC. After ARC was over, it was time for a second encore. Because one encore is not enough. For his second encore, he played Hard Sun with Liam Finn. That was just cool. He and Liam perform so well together. There was one day where he pulled up a little girl on stage to sing with him. I think her name was Lily. She was so excited. Hey, if that were me, I would have been excited too! I know her parents were proud, also! This night was definitely magical and it was an extremely life changing moment for me. As the kids from the movie School Of Rock say, “One great rock show can change the world.” And that is exactly what happened.