- TwentyOneRest, Causeway, Skipjack, Hubris, Pivit, Ground Zero -
Ok, Erin was supposed to drive Alex, Melissa and myself down to SOMA right? Well, she ended up getting way too many people in her car, so we had to get our own way down there. So, I gave Melissa gas money, and she drove Alex and myself down to SOMA. We got there early, duh, and we opened Christmas presents. I had presents for them to open, so I decided that they should then, for no real reason, I just love giving gifts. All the while I’m drinking my Red Bull, and it’s not even 6pm, and the doors weren’t even going to open until 7:30pm. Damn my being early.
Alex wanted to go home, because he’s a bum like that, but rather we went for a walk. We headed down Sports Arena Blvd. To In-N-Out, just because we could, and plus I had to pee. So, we get there, I went pee, and we left. Alex for some dumb reason decides to tackle Melissa into this grassy area, and then takes me down with him. Weird kid. We proceed to walking back to SOMA, and I decided we should go into Pier One, and we caused a ruckus. Alex ended up spraying this household smelly spray on me because I got it on him, and it was all over my jacket. Nasty.
I left and headed back to SOMA, and Alex and Melissa went to the Salvation Army. Sitting on Melissa’s trunk, I started thinking about things, things in life. Alright, I need to have a random reflection right now, it’s 3:30am so I’m allowed to. I was thinking, have you ever done something because if you don’t it will make you feel bad, but the later on you don’t necessarily feel bad, you feel better, but you start questioning why you did it to begin with? That was my moment. I’m living in a state of questioning, and I need to explain it to someone.
Alex and Melissa returned, and they realized that they had to leave due to this friend of Alex’s was going to break into their house. So, I found Erin, and she couldn’t give me a ride back home, and so I went looking for Brant. (Brant used to live in Carlsbad and my truck was in Carlsbad). Brant couldn’t give me a ride back home because he was going to Ramona. Weston and I thought for a minute or two, and he didn’t have his car, and neither did Sean, so I was screwed. I told them I was sorry and I had to go because I had no way of getting home, and things were sad.
But, as Melissa, Alex and I were walking to the car, Sean’s girlfriend(?) Danielle comes running after me offering to give me a ride back to Carlsbad after the show. Now, she lives in Ramona, but she was offering to drive me to Carlsbad, and then drive home.. 30 miles out of her way. It was so sweet. Honestly, that made my year. People are never that nice, but the fact that she even offered, and was really going to do it.. Danielle, I love you! J Thanks.
Thirty minutes later..
Alex and Melissa drove me back to Carlsbad, Alex gave me gas money, and I headed back to San Diego. I went to Cane’s to pick up the TwentyOneRest tickets for the December 26 show, but they weren’t there, so I just headed to SOMA, without the tickets. I paid my $6, said TwentyOneRest at the door, and headed inside. The band had no clue that I even came back.
Causeway was on when I got inside, and they weren’t too bad. It was kinda ghetto though, they were just.. Anyway.. I found Schmidt when I got inside, and he smiled briefly. We stood there for a minute, and I was on my tippy toes looking for Erin. I finally saw her and began to mosey my way through the crowd – too many people – but I finally made it there. I tapped her on the shoulder and she turned around and was like “Oh my God! Are you serious?” She was a little bewildered that I drove back down there, but hey I had to. No worries.
There was this trippy-ass bass going on in the second to last song that Causeway played. It burst through you and seriously made you want to fall over. It was cool, but it was about all that was really cool. Erin said that the lead singer had Brandon Boyd-like facials.. I guess. The bass player in the band made me think of Nick, which was ironic.. but that comes later. Erin and I decided that the lead singer of Causeway had some massive sexual frustration during their last song.. If you were there, you would definitely know what I’m talking about.
Causeway finished up their set, and I could see Brant through the back door of the stage peering in to see when it was safe to come on. Erin told me that Hubris, who played before Causeway, weren’t too hott. Oh, but weird thing about Causeway, was they had this lamp on the stage, with a tree and a zebra on the bass and the light bulb in it changed colors from red to blue to green. Weird guys. But, as I was saying, Causeway was through so they got all of their stuff off the stage.
Erin and I made our ways to the front of the stage against the railing, and watched 21Rest set up their instruments and such. Sean had no dreads, but I knew that, but Erin didn’t, and she decided that he looked really hott without them. Of course, she thought he looked hott with them, so I think her view is biased. Erin kept on asking me if the band knew that I came back, and I kept telling her no, so she yelled up to Weston and as he looked down he saw me and was all baffled that I drove back down there. No worries. I needed to do it for me.
Aaron grabbed the mic and was like, “I’m glad to be back at SOMA, I love it here,” and then Brant started thumping on the bass. The guitars piped in, and it was a little different than normal. Schmidt snuck up behind me with a ton of their friends, and as I glanced back to the stage, the music finally caught my attention. ‘Eating Tinfoil’ was ensuing, but the intro to it seemed a little different. No, not in a bad way, just a little different, re-worked if you will. Aaron was playing his guitar, the black one, but the chords were slower, softer. Weston however, was playing the exact same chords, but a hair of a second faster, and harder, more physical emotion. It was a very intriguing audio affect as well as visually. The light and dark sounds almost overlapped as Weston and Aaron took on that light and dark persona in their playing, so that their individual stage presence overlapped, almost conflicted, but in the finest balance.
It was a battle of feeling, and the pronunciation through Aaron was immaculate. There are times when he’ll almost slur his words, however it did have to do occasionally with the old PA (they got a new one), but tonight it was perfect. The new PA and Aaron’s pronunciation of his lyrics were beautiful. At once point though Aaron was prancing around the stage, and Erin taps me on the shoulder and starts saying, “Now, I’ve never met Evan before, but if I’m not mistaken, I think that’s him.” I just looked at her in disbelief, not even turning to the stage, but she pointed, and as I glanced, I doubted myself, but then shortly realized it was none other than Evan himself. It was peculiar, for a bunch of different reasons. And with Erin literally was screaming at me “Stop living your life for someone else”, it became even more impactful. The whole night was a little strange. But, there’s another completely different story behind it.
‘She Said’ piped up after ‘Eating Tinfoil’, and Erin put up her hair only to shake it back down to the opening line of the song: “Come along and take your hair down”. She’s a character, I must say. I think Aaron might’ve been watching too many Jimmy Eat World music video’s that day, because he had such Jimmy Adkin’s expressions going on through that song. It was hilarious, but it added so much character. Erin pointed out that Weston had a ring on his wedding finger, and that’s another story in itself. I’m happy for him either way. And, Aaron.. You finally found what I was talking about with stage presence, and it’s perfect. J
There was some weird problem with Weston’s stage monitor, so they took a momentary break between songs as SOMA adjusted it. No worries. ‘Puddles’ followed in suit and Aaron was doing this peculiar little stomp/dance thing. It was entertaining. I’d say that he was doing it to keep beat, but it wasn’t necessarily on beat, it was simply just random. It did add an extreme amount of emphasis to his words though. As he stopped stamping his foot, he tilted his head down so he practically had to look over the mic, his hair lightly drawing forward, and his eyes were terribly piercing, “Put the gun away”.. It was awesome. The PA sounded so good for this song, seriously. And, Sean was wandering across the stage..
As the lights went out, for a stimulating dramatic effect, ‘Closer to the Ground’ began. There are certain songs that the audience loves, but you almost hate to hear because they get overplayed. Like how ‘First Summer’ was overplayed, yep, ‘Closer to the Ground’ is following shortly in it’s footsteps. So sad. I finally noticed the guys videotaping the show though, that was funny. The intro was a little shaky, to the song that is, but it might’ve just been me. The lighting caught Sean, and the cut of his hair hugely defines his cheekbones, it looks good on him, that and the color brings out his eyes. Yep, I sound like such a girl right now, but sometimes I need to.
The vocal harmonies meshed together beautifully, and then the song faded out. The guitars began to hum as ‘Lightshow’ began. The lyrics to this song always mess me up because of a dream I had with this song in it and the lyrics were different. However, the line at the show, “I want to paint a picture” came across in such a tone that I made you want to pay attention. Wondrous. Aaron’s keys in his pocket were on a Midway lanyard, and it was funny. The camera guy filming next to me had some awesome angles going on, it was simply beautiful. Very awesome, VERY AWESOME!!! The two beat break was perfect, I love it when that happens – like in ‘Know Me’.
‘Drifter’ was on shortly after that, and it was sad that Alex left – it’s his and my song. It’s exactly the tale of us, and he did “find another girl”.. Oh well. The camera guy, the one who was filming next to me, kept on watching what it was that I was writing, and it was funny because I kept on watching what he was filming. Erin kept on laughing at us. Aaron hit “You’re” in the line “You're killing me...hey don't you see me here?”, was awesome. Makes me very happy. There was a segment of guitar before the second verse that was taken out, if I’m not mistaken. So much editing has been going on. Good times.
‘We All Want’ snuck in after that. “Doncha know” was crazy good. Sean was dancing around the stage again, not unusual. Weston was listening to his guitar. And, damn this song, because every time I hear it the lyrics seem to be different, but I don’t really know if they are, because I don’t really know what they actually are (ahem). But if I’m right, the line goes “For you and I have got to grow” – it was extremely emotional. The expression was there, the same expression that creates that stage presence that they need. And, ohh yea, they found it. J Aaron had on a bracelet that was a fork, it made Erin and myself laugh. So many people used to have those, and now it seems to be coming back again. The break before “But you and I…” was overwhelming, but not as overwhelming as..
‘We All Want’ ended shortly after that, and ‘Burn Purple’ began. And, this girl took my pen to write the band some note. To whomever it was that took my pen: bring your own to write the band notes, please don’t take mine. Thank you. The unique thing about ‘Burn Purple’ is that it truly shows how far the band has progressed since it began. Sincerely, it does. There is so much to it, so many little things that make it one fantastically great thing. Like the way it leaves you feeling, and since it was the last song it began to create that impression, like maybe there is a hope for something better than what we are and where we stand right now.
“Put your mind at ease”, yes it true, and it’s where it always begins. Every time I hear this song, every time I see it, it’s more compelling, and it’s always better than the last. Perfect, I know, and I know that everyone else can feel it too. It’s not just me anymore.. “The world is coming out”(?) was beautiful. Aaron found his emotion, and the rest of them are backing him up. Sean has a unique aura that simply attracts you to him. Weston has this undeniable charm that pulls you toward him. Brant’s unique character pulls your eyes toward him. It’s amazing. Half-way through the song, it almost seems to begin again..
Piercing blue eyes like a glacier against the Antarctic sky.. A soft glare from an obsidian black guitar.. Static whispering amongst a crowd.. Third-grade show-and-tell.. Dark hair and defined cheekbones.. Stage lights and bottle-necking.. Make love not war.. Raven baseball cap contrasting a glistening ring.. Ring to foreshadow.. Sunburst soft hum.. Deep shadows.. Dirt road be-next an emerald field.. Brush of a cymbal creating a tinny wind.. Dark eyes and a drum key.. Three-AM twilight sky.. Butterfly wings.. Blue pen to a fast-food napkin.. A chord instigated inside of a mind.. Just once voice can put together those words.. “Put your mind at ease”..
It was beautiful. Remember those times you would wake-up the day after you went to Disneyland and you weren’t entirely sure if it really happened – this is like that. You’re never really sure, but when you stop and listen back, and you hear everyone else that was there say how indisputably perfect it was, you know it was real. The slower parts of this song sounded so trippy. It’s hard for any band to play slowly, because then the focus isn’t just on the vocals anymore, it’s on the instruments and the vocals, you can’t hide your mistakes as easily – like playing a banjo. Weston pulled it off beautifully, a slow purring on the guitar. Aaron continued to sing and as it picked up, he walked away by finishing the lyrics with a “Thank you” at the end. The lights fell and the sensation was over, but the feeling never fades.
It was so great. Honestly, the show was perfect. The only thing I might say is that maybe the beginning of ‘Closer to the Ground’ was off a little, but I might be wrong. It was perfect. Simply indefectible. After they played though, Erin was yelling at me about how I had to talk to Evan, and I was telling her that I didn’t. Long story. Surprisingly though, about how I was saying practically all of Ramona was there that night, they were, and everyone else everyone knew. Kevin, Schmidty, Nick, Evan, Ally, Marissa, Danielle, Bridget, and Nick's roomate Lauren. It was madness. But, good times.
Nick got a new truck. He traded in the Ranger for a Tacoma – it’s white with a zebra print steering wheel cover. LoL. J/K/ It's his roomates, Lauren. But, it'd be funny if it was Nick's. He still has the Ranger. Good times. In the process of looking at Nick’s truck there was some random girl backstage who was getting breast implants that weekend and her boyfriend was telling everyone around that she was getting them. Randomness, but good times. Either way, Nick looked good, in his striped blue shirt and grey pants – and yes, the shoes were white.. Long story. It was still weird seeing Evan. I haven’t seen that kid in almost a year and a half. Weird.
All of TwentyOneRest’s equipment was outside, and they were going back inside for some reason or another, so they asked the guys outside to watch it – Kevin and Evan I think. All was good, but then Kevin just decided that he was going to load it all up, but he didn’t want to touch Brant’s drums. Ultimately he did, but it was still funny. They all decided to go and party at Nick’s, but there was some equipment problem because they didn’t know where they were going to put it if they were going to party. Either way all was good, I said my goodbye, but I wasn’t much missed, they were all too enthralled with each other. No worries. I gave out gift certificates to 21Rest, Christmas you know.. Good times. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.. Eh.. Or good morning!