This year I travelled with none other than the two eldest chitlins and a friend of theirs.
The trip was filled with talk of bands and music blaring from the speakers. Needless to say the 3 hour trip went by OH so quickly!
Excitement ensued as we arrived at The Gorge and handed over our precious tickets.
First order of business? Fervently search for our favorite bands on the schedule. Not a problem...save for the thousands of other people crammed in front of the ginormous balloon displaying band stages and times. We were sardines...and I needed an escape hatch FAST! Four Year Strong was already playing! ((T-minus 4 1/2 hours to Alesana))
Finally we make it to the Hurley stage. We missed the song "Bada Bing Wit A Pipe", but no worries...I've seen this band live before, I'll manage. Still...they make me very happy!
Four Year Strong finish their set and Shane and Kayl take off in search of their own musical bliss...
Ash and I decide to roam the tents in search of all things great and holy (i.e. band merchandise)
Sunglasses, shirts, hats, scarves, belts, stickers, posters, booty shorts...you name it, you can buy it! I found a band called The Randies. Chatted with their lead singer for a bit and bought a button and guitar pick. Wandered past the Pierce the Veil guitarist and said my hellos (I've seen them 4 times. I think he's beginning to remember me!)
AH!!!!! EUREKA!!!!! There stood the Alesana tent before me like a great light!!!! *sigh*gasp* Catch your breath Randi. It's only a tent and their merch guy. As he and I strike up a conversation I realize I must be glowing because he asks me how big a fan I am (on a scale of 1-10). Really? REALLY? Are you KIDDING me? I know every band member by name! Every word to every song...including the screaming parts. I know birthdays and names of girlfriends (or in Shawns case...fiance'). Seriously...I'm a regular Alesana Teen Beat!!! (It's disturbing really....)
He laughs and we talk tattoos....then I decide to purchase the new T-shirt that the band had made for Warped. $20.00? Eh! Who needs food anyhow? YAY for new shirts!!
On to All Time Low.
I've also seen them play before, but I adore their music and figure Ash will enjoy them as well.
We brave the mosh pit and sing and dance...strike that...I sing and dance. When I look over to Ash she is simply smiling politely. "What's wrong? Aren't you having fun?" "Sure," she says, "I just really don't know any of these songs."
Strange...I play them constantly. Even have a ringtone...ah well.
All Time Low strums their final chord and lightning shoots through Ashton. We The Kings is the next band playing. She grabs my hand and shoves her way to the front of the stage...and we wait.
Ashton has been looking forward to seeing We The Kings for months. They are her "Alesana". While waiting for All time Low to break down and We The Kings to set up, we converse with those around us. A girl mentions how embarrassed she is that her dad is at Warped. "He doesn't even like any of the bands!" But he wouldn't let her go alone. I laugh. "Don't hate on the embarrassing parents...I'm one." Ash smiles and elbows me at which point everyone within earshot exclaims that they thought we were sisters. Now THIS I get a kick out of. I'm not certain Ash derives as much amusement from it!
We The Kings runs out onto stage and my child is enraptured. Screaming, jumping, dancing around. She was fantastic! Thank GOODNESS I didn't waste a ticket dragging her to a place she'd rather not be!
We see a few more bands that I haven't the good sense to snap photos of and then we head to the Smart Punk stage.
We are a full band early, but it is of no loss to Kayl. He had wanted to see The Human Abstract anyway! So I patiently listen and wait whilst capturing the moment.
The Human Abstract finishes and its a mad dash to the front to the stage (or rather the barriers they have set up about 3 feet from the front of the stage)
ALESANA!!!!!
We have to listen to some Japanese girl band while I wait...they stink, but I don't care. The roadies bring out the speakers...
I scream...
They bring out the backdrop...
I scream again...
And then.....
I lose my ever loving mind!!!!!!!!!!!
Thankfully Ashton had enough sense to take the camera from me. All the photos are her doing as I was too busy screaming my guts out. I did notice the security guard directly in front of me is staring. It couldn't be the fact that I look like I belong on stage? *teehee* Okay....maybe not, but I was singing all the song with the band...and yelling out Dennis' name every chance I got!
At one point Dennis points to his eyes and then to me and smiles. SERIOUSLY!!!!!!????? Did that just happen? Apparently so, as my kids thought it was the coolest thing ever (as did I) haha!
More songs...more photos...
Some guy reaches up and tries to shove his way to the front of the stage. I elbow his arm and look back at him sadistically shaking my head no. I don't care. This spot is MINE! I'll fight for it if I have to!
Yet more songs...more photos...
Dennis comes down off stage and jumps onto the crowd. Kayl grabs his hand...I am covered in Dennis' sweat and couldn't be happier. Thinking back on it I really should have ripped his shirt off. Hmmmm.....next time.
When it's over...I am spent.
During Mayday Parade I sit near the beer garden while Ashton and Kayl brave the crowds. Mayday was the very first band I ever took them to see. Ashton got elbowed in the jaw during that concert. I'm shocked that she would put herself anywhere NEAR a mosh pit after that...but she does. And she gets a great many photos!
We see a couple more bands all while keeping a close eye on my watch.
During The Devil Wears Prada I get a glimpse of the monster within my daughter. Who knew she was so much like me?! I learned that whilst in the center of a mosh pit with ones daughter one should trust that ones daughter is capable of handling herself. Because if one spends all ones time trying to keep an eye on the child in question...one will get beaten severely from head to toe.
Regardless, Ashton had a blast & was just fine. Go figure....
5:00!!!
Alesana is signing at the skelanimals tent and We The Kings just across the way at the AT&T bus! SCORE!!!!
Ash and I head that way and stand in our respective lines armed with posters and shirts.
The kids behind me are talking about Alesana and mention something about the lead singer and the screamer...I politely whisper "Shawn and Dennis." This buds many questions about the band on their part. I answer them quietly. What on earth is my problem??? I've turned into a little girl!!! I can't find my voice! It's lost somewhere in all the anticipation of meeting my favorite band. I'm a dork...
Ashton is finished with her signatures, so she jumps in line with me. As Huck, Jeremy, Dennis, Pat, Shawn and Jake (who is standing in for Shane on bass) sign my shirt and then move on to Ashton's poster, she informs them all that I am a stalker mom and that I'm completly enamoured with them. Everyone laughs....I am horrified!
They seem pleased none the less and come out behind the safety of their little table to take a photo with me.
There I stand...so very NOT typical of me! Arms pressed in, quaint little closed lip smile on my face. I can't move...can't speak...I've lost all sense of time and space.
My kids are amused.
When I walk away...gasping for air...Kayl's friend Shane walks back to the band and informs Dennis of my obsession with him. And while I am still regaining my wits...there before me...three tents away from his band-mates...stands Dennis.
"I'm told you're my biggest fan. I think you need a hug."
Eyes the size of dinner plates....mouth hanging to the ground. I've officially lost my mind.
He wraps his arms around my waist and I around his neck. Dennis laughs and says "Bring it in girl...I know you can do better than that!" No...no actually I can't. I've lost all feeling in my hands. I somehow manage to stutter "I'm...so...in...love...with...you."
UGH!!!!!!! WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?! "I'm so in love with you?!?!?!" Not "Heck to the YES I'm your biggest fan!" Not "Are you KIDDING me? I know everything you've ever sang into that mic!" Not "Yep...biggest fan...we should party! Name the time and place!"
Nothing witty...nothing amusing...nothing at ALL! I could not have been a bigger loser! Every band I've ever met I am my usual amazing self. Dennis Lee stands before me and I am a marshmallow. UGH!
And to top it all off...does ANYONE get a photo of THAT moment? OH NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! Miraculously all the cameras have been glued to the inside of our bags for the time being. Such a great loss.
After that I sat in the grass for a good half an hour just trying to find my legs. Then we made out way to the amphitheater where we sat back and watched more bands from afar.
Angels & Airwaves set the perfect tone for the beautiful backdrop. I am lost in the beauty of the music and scenery. A perfect afternoon.
Finally the camera died, which makes the telling of this next part oh so difficult.
The day is winding down. Im exhausted but Motion City Soundtrack is playing soon...so we stay. The sun goes down...the air cools considerably. We use our many purchased t-shits as blankets as we sit in wait for the final two bands.
Ashton wants to walk down to the crowd in front of the amphitheater during MCS...so I oblige.
As they play we are once again plummeted into a mass of pressing bodies. I look at Ashton and smile. "Wanna body surf?" Need I even ask? She uses my hand as a step and flies on top of the crowd where she is passed not so gently to the front of the stage! I will admit...I cried a little. I honestly have the coolest kids alive!
A little while later she finds me and does it all over again!
This continues until Cobra Starship plays the final set of the night. At this point it occurs to me that we are in the direct lane of ALL body surfers. I can't even enjoy myself as person after person flies over my head and occasionally kicks me in the face. We decide to call it a night.
The kids and I make our way back up the massive hill and then to the van.
On the way home we stop for dinner (it is 10:30). We are sunburnt, beaten, and bruised. Everything was absolutely heavenly!
We stopped long enough that our entire ride home we were surrounded by tour buses headed to Portland.
Perfection.....
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