Taking Back Sunday (and a Rant)

I finally saw Taking Back Sunday live. I SAW THEM LIVE. I'm screaming from the rooftops. No, not really because I'd probably get up there and then not be able to get down and then I'd have to be rescued by a firefighter like I'm a cat. So I'm screaming from the comfort of my desk. AHHH!

I've seen a lot of bands live in my lifetime. But for whatever reason I had never seen TBS (as they will be referred to going forward) live. They have always been on my need-to-see-before-I-die list (other musicians on that list include but are not limited to Brand New & Maria Mena).  So I bought Dustin and I tickets the minute they went on sale late last year. 

I swung by the house to pick Dustin up right after work on Friday and we got right on I-4 with zero traffic. I didn't want to say anything because I thought I'd jinx it. But literally no traffic at 5:45ish on a Friday?! What the fuck. That's just unheard of. We stopped at Chili's on I-Drive to eat dinner beforehand. We were running way early because I had planned for an hour or so of our lives to be sucked away from the hell that is I-4. We got back on the highway and headed over to House of Blues. Again, everything was pretty ok. 

FAMOUS. LAST. WORDS. 

I pull off our exit and it's at a stand-still. Ok whatevs, Disney is busy. We inched along the damn off ramp for 45 minutes. Tons of cars were forming a line next to us trying to squeeze in. OH HELL NO. You need to wait in this shitty traffic like the rest of us. Every car, including myself, tried to stay as close to the car in front of them as possible so no one could get in. It was like a game. A really horrible, not fun in anyway game. Once we got around the bend we saw what was holding everyone up. Apparently a big ol' Disney bus got into an accident with a few cars and were blocking a lane of traffic. 

We finally turned into Downtown Disney and noticed that not only was there a new parking garage in the center of the parking lot but the place was packed. Every time I've been there in the past, it's been dead. Like eerily dead. What's changed that made every person in Orlando want to come to Downtown Disney on the one night we would be there? I still don't know the answer to that because all that place has to offer is Cirque de Soleil (great show!) and House of Blues. We ended up being forced into the new parking garage which was built different than others in Florida. The ramps to the upper levels were super steep and gave me even more anxiety from the already stressful traffic incident. There was a part of me that really wanted to just go home but then we found a parking spot, took a deep breath, and walked into HOB. 

 

I had to pee the minute we stepped inside and of course had to wait in the longest line for the women's restroom. UGH. But that's where the annoying things end. We headed upstairs to the merch (this word reminds me of high school and I like saying it with extra emphasis) table where we both got a TBS shirt. We went back downstairs and settled into a spot with a decent view. One of the opening bands were still playing. They weren't terrible but they weren't anything to write home about either. After waiting for what seemed like forever, TBS finally took the stage at 9:15. The show was EVERYTHING. The set list was perfect. (Dustin found it on reddit in advance so we knew exactly what would be played and when.) Adam Lazzaro was so good live (the whole band was) but his energy really made the show. I finally got to see his infamous mic-swinging in person and it was just as awesome. It's like some kind of art form. The only complaint Dustin and I have was the poor sound quality which is all on HOB. But that didn't stop the boys from going to town. Dustin and I had such a great time. It was worth all the Disney bullshit. We both still like going to shows but they feel so much different at this age. It's just a whole different experience which I guess is good. I guess that means we aren't entirely the same teenage idiots we once were. And that is just bittersweet.