luckygoami

[luckygoami]

The Maine @ 9:30 Club [May 3, 2017]

Please ignore any and all typos in this. It’s coming from my phone since no real wifi to do it in the computer. But that’s okay because I don’t mind one bit.

So yesterday, May 3, I along with my older sister went to Washington, D.C. We were meant to be there all day but people do things and plans get ruined. I digress though! The reason we were in D.C. was because The Maine was on tour!! I mean obviously anyone who enjoys the band knows they were on tour but still. The last time I saw The Maine was in May 2011 in North Carolina, so a good 6 years have passed. Back then, I was only 14 I believe. I had either not started high school yet or was just starting. So for me to be able to see them again live at all was amazing.

My sister (who I’m visiting) lives all the way in Baltimore. The two of us caught a train to Union Station but because of a track issue, the train (well every train) was delayed for at least 2 ½ hours. We boarded around 3:30 were meant to arrived by 4:30 at the latest but because of the delays, we didn’t actually get to D.C. until much later. It was already 7 when we were at the stop before ours. Then we still had time to go and didn’t reach D.C. until about 8. That big of a delay even after we started moving. So imagine my sadness when I found that I had missed Beach Weather. When my sister and I got into the club, they were setting up for The Mowgli’s. I’ve made a promise to myself to see Beach Weather one day.

Before the announcement of the tour, I had actually never heard of The Mowgli’s. But I’m glad I found them. Their overall energy and vibe are amazing and Katie’s speech during the break between songs was nothing short of amazing or love filled. Her words about love and being accepting and just being good and okay is something I could really get into hearing all the time. Not only that, but the raw feeling of the band itself and the connections I didn’t even think could happen actually happened. If this sounds like a lot of running around words and not saying anything, that’s literally how I felt listening to them. They have a great sound and their energy is hype but it’s not something I can put into words correctly. The saying “you have to see it to believe it” really rings true. If any of The Mowgli’s read this, come to Charlotte NC please. I wanna see you guys again and get a picture with you next time!

So… onto The Maine event. Like my pun? No? Okay. Anyway! Let me tell you why I feel like I set up the best day of my life so far. Originally I was on the right end of the stage but something told me to just move over to the other side. Of course I could’ve ignored it but you know. Why would you ignore your instinct at a freakin concert? So I moved and got some pics as they changed from The Mowgli’s to the LLL stage. The roses were great but the turf was a nice touch. The lights dimmed and then it happened. The guys came out on the same side I was standing on. They didn’t see me coming in and only Kennedy waved going out but that close proximity. Anyway there was literally no way. When I first saw them, Black & White was “new.” Not new but it was the most recent album. Who would’ve thought that a year old was “recent.” In Darkness & In Light was out by the 2011 concert too but that’s not the point. The point is, if you needed a mental picture of time there it is. So it’s been a loooong time.

They started playing and being right next to a speaker was probably bad but it was pretty good cause you’re literally right in front of the music. Anyway, I’m not here to rate the concert. I wanna tell how great it is for me and GOD it was AMAZING. During the concert, John was John. Talking about gettin those pits sweaty. My favorite part though was when he was lookin over the crowd and pointed me out. It wasn’t random though. I have an unhealthy obsession with headbands and at the current moment, I have about 10. I won’t go into all of them but I have a lot of cat ears. One of them I recently got and it was perfect. Red cat ears and with roses on them. When getting ready that day, I was trying to decide if I could wear my rose cat ears or a crown. With respect to the current album’s aesthetic, I chose to go with roses and my sister had some rose earrings that I wore too. During the show John looked over and noticed them and as a result, noticed me. You have no idea how happy that made me. Then there was Jason! Hands down the best part of the set. This concert was the stuff that I absolutely LIVE for. As they were going off later on, myself and some others called out to get some of their attention but only Kenneth noticed. He waved and we were happy.

Later, a lot of people got outside because it was over what else do you do? I wanted to get a picture like everyone else with them so we waited outside. That is until Pat came out and told us they’d actually be inside. I didn’t even notice Pat came by until I turned and he was basically next to me. The people at the club kept trying to tell us that nobody can come back in after they went out because they were trying to clean of course, all of us were like that’s not gonna fly because Pat just told us they’d be inside. Luckily they eventually let us in and we all had to line up. There were so many people that it basically reached back down stairs and into the main floor. It was about 10, maybe 15, minutes before the boys came up to meet and take pictures. It had to be real quick so at first it was pic or autograph and no videos or anything. After it was pic OR autograph, not both. Picked picture because that’s amazing compared to an autograph to me.

Let me tell you. These guys are amazing close up and I almost died. Like I was exploding with happiness because last time I saw them I didn’t even get to say hi up closed, I had to go. Anyway, John recognized my ears and high fived me along with giving me a hug. For the picture, I was between Kennedy and Pat. I really think they’re the only “normal” ones of the band. But the craziest one is probably Garrett who seems to have done something crazy in every photo he took. But that’s why I love him ya know? I always say “Oh x is my favorite” or “Y is the best” but honestly it’s hard when they’re all so genuine. My sister kept telling people it was my birthday (which was last week) and so they all wished me happy birthday and ghddjndwjjej it makes me happy just thinking of it. So we said our goodbyes and such and they wished me happy birthday again before we left. I saw some of my new friends down at the bottom of the line too so we pretty much shared happiness especially after they got their pictures.

My sister and I hung out for a bit outside Satellite Room. Well I was in the half in-half out area since I couldn’t go alllll the way in but it was okay. When my sister came out, we say one of the girls I met and we were both basically just waiting around for selfies and to say good bye one last time. It took a while but I and another girl in our group we were with got one last picture with John. He wore my cat ears and ahhh so happy! He also gave me another hug so there’s that. Ever underestimate how tall or short someone is? I don’t realize how tall John was. Pat is around my height & Garrett may be too, but Kennedy, Jared, and John are actually tall. In the selfie, John had to bend over in order to be the same height as me.

After that, we got to go home. It was a fun experience and I immediately went to sleep when I got in. I was so tired and drained that I didn’t even take my shoes off or change clothes. I’ve been sleep most of the day too so until I’m fully up or forced to go out, I’m not changing yet. That’s all there was though.

During the concert, both myself and my sister meet some really cool people. Some traveled a few states, some within the state, some all the way from another country. I even got the red flag they were selling. I wanted more but the flag was my #1 want. I really just had a lot of fun and couldn’t ask for more. My sister who had never head of them even really enjoyed herself which was my main goal.

Did you go last night at 9:30 club? If not, have you gone to any of the LLL tour dates or do you plan on it? Sorry for this super long post. Funnily enough, it doesn’t even go into all that I enjoyed. Some things can’t be put to words.

With this, I hope to get back to reviewing music and concerts that I go to. So many bands and musicians follow me on Twitter every week that I feel like I need to do SOMETHING. So, if you have a band that’s had/having a recent release please let me know. I also plan on going to see All Time Low in August which my sister does know and maybe even Vans Warped Tour this year. I’ve actually never been to Vans or an ATL concert (that’s a totally different story too) so I hope this is the year I do more than I have ever done. Thanks for reading!

You can check out basically all of my pictures from yesterday on my Instagram (@happyflowercami). Go check it out!

- Ami

[luckygoami]

You vs Yesterday - Remember This [EP Review]

I used to be accustomed to bands following me on twitter back when I used to run a (then silly and now defunct) music blog. But since mid-2011 I’ve been deep into the Korean-Pop and Japanese-Pop scene, so imagine my surprise and joy when I wake up from a nap to find a band, You vs. Yesterday to be exact, following me on my actually active twitter. I looked at it as a sign. A sign that I REALLY need to get back into listening to my favorite kind of music: POP ROCK. Let’s listen.

01. Both of Us

Just from the intro, I feel the same vibes I’d get from Mayday Parade and it doesn’t let up. Not only are the vocals strong, but the instrumentals do an amazing job of keeping up. With a second listen while reading lyrics, there’s a lot to the song that I can’t help but compare to other bands that I adore - and that isn’t bad; it’s amazing. Right from the start You vs. Yesterday proves that they can keep up with the big leagues. Both of Us is that song you’d listen to while realizing a relationship isn’t all it’s cracked up to be and start to fight back. It’s also a song that you could imagine in a movie montage during some kind of bar scene which is pretty awesome to me.

02. Summer (Let’s Make This Forever)

Basslines are beautiful and I am thankful they, along with bass guitars and bassists, exist. Anyway, Summer is a perfect summer song and it couldn’t be any better. There’s always a certain sound that I hear that screams “IT’S SUMMER NOW DANCE” and somehow, despite being released in winter, You vs. Yesterday has hit the nail on the (robot’s) head. It is a song that makes you wish it were summer, especially with the cold season about to hit again. I wish there was a way to make this song last forever but there’s always the repeat button. But I have more to review. Compared to Both of Us, one the second listen it’s noticed that this song seems to have less vocals and overall less lyrics but it doesn’t make the song any less great. It’s just a testament to the fact the band understands you do not need to have a over pour of lyrics to be good.

03. Wasted

Wasted is the first song on the EP that was promoted. I must admit, I had not watched or seen the video until writing this. I waited too long. During my first listen, I watched the music video and gosh. Who doesn’t love a love story between a girl and a robot that knows how to partay!? The song definitely has a slower feel to it compared to the previous two and Remember This (which I’ve seen/heard like two days prior to this review). It really picks up during the chorus, however during the verses it has a very nice and mellow feel to it. I’d love to hear an acoustic version of it eventually because I think Wasted will be one hell of a song when played with on acoustic guitars and some bongos. While there are hints of Fall Out Boy, I feel like the band is better compared to We The Kings, Mayday Parade, and at times older All Time Low. I just have one question: who’s the robot, guys?

04. Remember This

This song and video will forever go down in history as my favorite. There’s nothing better than a couple of bros fighting over a blow up doll - well second to cookie dough but that’s another story. This was actually the first song I heard from YvsY so I feel kind of sad I didn’t know the band sooner! I feel like I’m repeating myself at this point because every song is amazing to me. I can’t tell if it’s purely nostalgia or if it’s a mix of their talent and nostalgia. Remember This, if anything, is in a way the bands theme song to me. Despite being a love song, it can very well become an anthem. The backing vocals add to the music despite being a lot of “woah oh” and that’s okay. Unless I’m crazy (which I am but that’s not important), this is the only song so far that has a kind of everyone-join-in feel. This is the song I can see You vs. Yesterday closing a show with while the audience sings along with the guys. It’s a perfect song to me and by far my favorite on the album.

05. Let’s Jump (Head over Heels)

Compared to the other songs, “Let’s Jump” is my least favorite but that doesn’t mean it’s not good. It feels a bit unfortunate to have the song as the end. All through the album it was a bit hype and this feels lacking in one way or another. I can’t tell if it’s because it’s late or if I somehow was pushed from the mood but “Let’s Jump” was a bit of a let down. After listening to it again, it got better but I’d still place it at the bottom of my list for the extended play. If I were to rank my favorite songs of 2016, I do think it’d make the Top 15. The chants do add a lot to the song in my opinion and without them and the slight synths, I feel as if the song would be lacking. Overall though, this is a song that would go on my chill list but not a dance around playlist.

Final Thoughts

Listening to the Remember This EP was a trip and I’m glad I was able to go on it. If I had to list my songs in order from favorite to least favorite, it’d be Remember This, Summer, Both of Us, Wasted, then Let’s Jump. Out of all the songs, I’d find myself listening to Summer or Both of Us the most. One thing I was originally put off about but that quickly changed was the endings of the songs. With Both of Us and Summer, the endings were a bit abrupt and didn’t feel like they were placed right so I was worried that most of the songs would end on those kinds of notes. I’m glad they didn’t, though! While there’s nothing wrong with that, I do believe that it’s something that should be taken in consideration - but I’m not a professional when it comes to music so ignore me, yeah?

I cannot think of any reason why YvsY shouldn’t hit it big! I can’t imagine waiting for 2-3 years for the EP but it’s evident that during that time, You vs. Yesterday was working extremely hard to bring quality content to their current audience and their future fans. Even if it takes another few years for new music, I have a feeling that it would be worth it because it really seems the group focuses on building a base and having quality content against all else. I am happy to review them as the first band on this blog!

I hope that You vs. Yesterday goes on a US tour soon. I’d love for others who are looking for new bands to see just how much talent these boys really have and I’d love to see them live in NC to experience what a show with them is like. As a closing thought, I just wanna say great work guys! You’ve made something that can definitely be enjoyed for ages and that is such a strong debut. I’m officially a fan!

- Ami

Check out the videos for “Wasted” and “Remember This”!

Wasted - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_vVNV8Ywg0

Remember This - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVY_p3UIp6s

You vs. Yesterday is a pop/rock band from Dayton, Ohio and was formed by vocalist/keyboardist Eric Hickman and guitarist Jonathan Hart in 2013. The debut music video for the band, “Wasted,” was released in July of the following year while the second music video, “Remember This,” was uploaded to the band’s channel in April of 2015. After a long and anticipated wait, the band released the extended play Remember This in February of 2016. Follow the band and give them a listen using the links below!

Website : http://youvsyesterday.com/ Facebook : http://www.facebook.com/youvsyesterday Twitter : https://twitter.com/YouvsYesterday Store : http://youvsyesterday.bigcartel.com/ iTunes : http://itun.es/i6YF3Z9 Spotify : https://goo.gl/vlSCgr