Concert Scorecard

With giving the Gin Blossoms an extra post, it threw off my music writing schedule a bit. No regrets.

My initial plan was to review Revenir, because they do come first out of the bands that I have become acquainted with via Twitter, by leaps and bounds! However, they are currently recording, and it doesn’t really make sense to point people at them until the music is available. The drummer, Matt Pelissier, says it’s going to be insane, and I believe him.

One reason I wanted to write about them is that there is a benefit show for them on February 9th. They had a break-in and equipment stolen, which was a blow, but they haven’t let it stop them. They have found a new place, and are making things work, and there is a benefit show at The Music Hall (Wayne, New Jersey), that night.

https://twitter.com/MattRevenir/status/293884667004850176/photo/1

Obviously I cannot attend anything in New Jersey, though now that it seems to be the promised land for music that does seem more desirable. At one point there had been some talk about streaming it, which is a great idea but maybe not practical. Also it would still not work for me, because I will be traveling that day, which is great. I am going to have a great time, and am looking forward to it. Regardless, this seems like a good time to review how I am doing for makeup concerts.

If you will recall, the original lost opportunities were Gin Blossoms, Presidents of the United States of America, and the Cherry-Poppin Daddies. To be fair, with the Daddies it was more that I had seen signs for their shows all the time when I was in college, and then they were nationally known, and it felt like I should have been on that. With the Presidents and the Gin Blossoms, it was just financial. Yes, back then the tickets were $13.00, but it was still just completely out of range.

Eventually I saw both the Presidents and the Daddies at the Crystal Ballroom, plus the Presidents again at Rose Festival, and they were really good shows, and it made me feel like I still had hope with the Gin Blossoms, but every time I would look and they would have shows, it was just in places like Missouri and Indiana.

So, one left, and that list suddenly expanded to five. This involved mainly cruel twists of fate. I had Maroon 5 tickets, and I got deathly ill. I had Keane tickets, and well, the cancelled tour dates were sort of health-related. I’m glad he got the help he needed. Jimmy Eat World I actually had seen, but Maria wanted to leave early, and then when they were opening for Green Day Maria made me late, and we missed them completely. And with the Rejects, I just realized I wanted to see them after the one tour was done, and then the closest they got was Salem for a while.

I remember shortly after I got onto Facebook (about 2008) people were always posting different quizzes and things (I may have all those blocked now), but one was your 5-band lineup for a music festival, and I had that list so ready, and I posted that it would be a concert of great healing.

Well, it took a while, but there has been much healing going on. October 28th, Novemeber 10th, and January 8th. The All American Rejects, the Gin Blossoms, and Keane. It’s been so amazing.

(Incidentally, Maria really wanted to go to Keane, but she knew she would want to leave early, and we mutually agreed it was for the best that she stay, so I went alone, my first time doing that, and I will write about that in two weeks.)

So, I am feeling pretty good about this. First of all, I have seen at least part of a Jimmy Eat World show, and they are in the studio anyway. I am optimistic about something coming up. With Maroon 5, I actually need to figure out if I still want to see them, but they’re not coming to Portland on this tour, so I have time.

Of course, now things have just been added. I came to My Chemical Romance after a tour was wrapped up. I learned that the Gaslight Anthem existed on the day they played their sold out show here. Obviously, I need to be more on the ball.

I do feel more optimistic about getting second chances—that has been going well for me. I am still go grateful for all the bands that I just got to see the first time, especially for A-ha, because they never came back, but I am hoping the others will.

To some extent, there is also a need to make good choices. Torche came, and I wanted to go, but didn’t. I initially phrased this in terms of my needing to know that I can get there and back without being raped and murdered. In truth, that probably would not have happened. It’s more likely that I would have been vomited on, or slipped in urine, or something like that.

This is not a reflection on Torche, but on the venue. It was a cool lineup, but they were playing a dive that was in no way conveniently located. I am still a lone female who doesn’t drive, and I have to think about that. With Keane, because it was late and I was alone, I took a cab back. That was expensive, but it was a concession to safety, and it seemed like a reasonable one. Also, the Crystal is a great venue, and I’m really familiar with it, and it’s not exactly close to home, but not as remote.

And also, some of it was a matter of desire. If Keane was playing the dive on the other side of the river on a Thursday night, I probably still would have made it happen. With Torche, I listen to “Triumph of Venus”, and I am just amazed, but I don’t love them. If I had gone, I totally would have liked the show, but also, I am not merely a lone female who relies on public transportation. I am a white Mormon girl from the suburbs. Loving the Ramones and voting liberal is probably as hardcore as I’m going to get. Unless I get a nice biker boyfriend who likes going to shows and can provide the transportation and protection.

So no matter how good the musical pilgrimage to New Jersey sounds, just going to clubs and hearing what’s new, probably even the nice biker boyfriend won’t cut it unless he’s native, which seems highly unlikely.

For now, though, I have two more concerts to review, lots of bands I haven’t seen to review after that, and I do not have to go to Soundgarden because Maria found a friend for that. I’d be all over it if it were Audioslave. Yes, I might appreciate it anyway. Still relieved.