Lets start with Thursday. Thursday is the last day that I have class for the week, so I consider my weekend starting after my last class that day. Before my first class on Thursday I got a phone call from a strange 602 number, I answered, and sure enough it was X103.9 and they are telling me that I won tickets to see Against Me!. I already has tickets for the show, so I asked around to see if anyone else wanted to go. I wound up bringing six people to the show. Pretty cool. Also, four of the six were seeing Against Me! for the first time. AM! "noobs."
The chronicle that was Jan 28, 2010 started off very good. I woke up around 10:30 in a very good mood. Went to Uncle Sams with my brother at around noon, it was his birthday. So got to heading down to the venue around 2, and was actually expecting to see a line for the concert already forming. I was wrong, we thought we were the first ones to arrive to the concert. We sat around for about 30 minuets or so until two other people showed up, apparently they had been there since 1:30. So we sat around playing our guitars for a while, then around 4 decided to put them away. Wouldn't be the last time we saw them.
Around 5:15 we see a white van arrive to the venue. We at first thought it was one of the other opening bands. It wasn't. It was AM!, they had just arrived. My brother and I walked over to my car to put some stuff away, and said "hi" to James Bowman (guitarist), and Andrew Seward (bassist). Then we saw Tom Gabel (rhythm guitar/lead vocals) and said "hi" to him too. Tom had long shaggy hair, which he is growing out, "for world peace." They went into the venue for their sound check. It wouldn't be the last time we saw then, oh no.
Shortly before the doors opened Tom walks out, and walks by the line that was about 50-100 people long at this point, and we stop him and have a few words with him. It was really cool meeting him. Tom Gabel is no short guy, is is about my hight, I think he is about 6'1, but I was eye level with him. We talked for a few minuets, then he said "I have to go eat," and disappeared into downtown Mesa. Shortly after he disappeared, Jay Weinberg, their new drummer and Max Weinberg's kid, came out. Again we started talking to him. He is my age so it was cool talking to him, actually I am about 6 months older than him, which was weird. The strangest part about this was that no one else in line noticed that Tom, and Jay were outside. No one else moved.
We get into the venue, and got front and center. Best spot I have ever had. The first two bands sucked, the second one ha a guitar player that had horrible EQ's on his guitar to the point I needed to cover my ears. Too much high. That hurts. AM! came on about 10 or so, and they opened up with "Pints of Guinness Make You Strong," which was awesome because me and my brother did the same thing when we did our acoustic show. The set they played was flawless, and almost perfect. Heard close to all the songs I wanted to hear. Just an all around great live show.
Then here is where things started getting really awesome!!!
Right after the set ended, Jordan, AM!'s manager was taking some gear off the stage, and we asked him if we could meet the band and get the setlist we ripped off the stage signed. He directed come around the front of the venue and for us to wait there. We bolted out of the venue, pushing through the crowd trying to get out as fast as we could, which strangely we didn't exactly have to rush out of there. We get to the "backstage" area and wait. Someone suggested in getting my brothers guitar signed, which we had brought. I go running back to the car and grab the guitar. I sprinted back there, but there was no need.
Finally after about 20 minuets of waiting AM! came out, at first we couldn't talk to them, but then Jay started walking around, and we started talking to him. He was teh first to sign my brothers guitar. We talked for a bit, then let him talk to the others. Then we met Andrew Steward the bassist, who is one funny mother fucker, and then James Bowman. James gave my brother a pick, which was gig used, then Andrew who did not want to be outdone by James reached into his pocket and pulled out, as he described, "an American quarter." Not only that, when we first asked him to sign the guitar he said, "hold on, I know something," he preceded to play the opening of "Under the Bridge" by RHCP. I said to him, "ohh I see you are going to give James a run for his money on guitar." He replied by saying, "nah, that's all I know..."
One of the most exciting parts came when we asked Jordan is AM! will be on Warped Tour, he hinted with an optimistic, "you never know." Then when we spoke to Tom again, he confirmed that they will be doing Warped Tour this year. Which now has me excited for Warped Tour 2011!
The guys in AM! were amazing, there is a reason they are AM! is the number two band on my list behind Rise Against. We got a picture and able to have conversations with them which was so cool. It is so rare that you get to meet one of your favorite bands, and get them to do all these things for you. It was just an all around great night. I don't think I could have asked for more.-SS
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