Good things are happening!

This is going way back, but I wrote once about how there were five bands that I needed to see for various reasons. Actually, I may have mentioned it again when I got on Twitter, because I started following them so I could get tour updates and know when my chance was coming.

Just to review, here was my list of heartbreak:

Gin Blossoms—last chance was when I was a broke college student and could not afford the $13 to go.
Maroon 5—Had tickets and was deathly ill, so Maria rounded up a date while I stayed home in bed.
Keane – Had tickets and dates were canceled due to rehab, though I totally applaud people getting the help they need.
Jimmy Eat World – Maria made me leave early one show, and come late another, missing them completely.
All-American Rejects –I discovered them just a little too late, and missed my chance. It’s what I get for not keeping current, I guess.

Suddenly, my luck is changing! Recently the Gin Blossoms announced a date at Grande Ronde. I was disappointed with my last casino show, but I posted about it on Facebook, and one friend encouraged me that they would overcome the venue, and others indicated interest in coming, and suddenly it happened, and three of us are going, and we have tickets. It’s only twenty years late!

When I wrote about it before, I said the Gin Blossoms should come to the Crystal because that’s where I finally caught up with my other two college disappointments, the Presidents of the United States of America and the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies. Obviously they are not, but guess who is! The Rejects are coming! And I have tickets to them too!

In a nutshell, in a little over a month, that list will be whittled down to three.

Of course, it’s not quite that simple, because bands that I have discovered just a little bit too late to see them now includes My Chemical Romance and Gaslight Anthem. (Seriously, I know about Gaslight Anthem because I say an article the night of their sold out concert and was curious, so started listening to them.)

Also, I’m not sure if the existing list is still completely valid. I am not sure that I still like Maroon 5. I mean, I don’t hate their new stuff, but it doesn’t affect me the way Songs About Jane did, and I sometimes get this inexplicable feeling that they might be a bit tool-ish. Actually, all three of the remaining bands are bands where I responded strongly to specific albums and have not really kept up, but I am listening to different things now, and learning more about giving music a fair shake, so on the to-do list will be listening more to all of them, and deciding.

I did go ahead and check tour dates. I knew that Keane was touring because of Twitter, but the dates were all Asia and Europe. From the web site, the last schedule show is Miami, on December 8th, so I suspect we will be seeing more tour dates, and getting a chance to see them is still totally a possibility.

Jimmy Eat World does seem to be working on some new stuff, and that can take a while, but again, that’s why I started following these groups on Twitter. You end up getting more than that, which is usually great. I just keep loving the Rejects more, based on their individual Tweets. They’re delightful!

It doesn’t always work. I actually stopped following Maroon 5. I think it was all of the updates about The Voice. I totally do not care. I know people who say the show is great. I’m glad they like it. I still don’t care. Maybe that’s when I started wavering on them. Nonetheless, I will listen to the new album at least twice before I make any decisions. I owe them that, for Songs About Jane alone.

Other than that, just color me excited for October 28th and November 10th.

And obviously, when I do get a chance with Jimmy Eat World, Maria is not allowed, I don't care who else is on the bill.