A Moment

I have a new article coming up very soon (probably right after this one) but I wanted to take a moment and acknowledge that this website has been in in existence for four years now. FOUR YEARS! (Insert Four Year Strong joke here.) Something that was a pipe dream when I was a freshman in highschool turned into a series of unbelievable adventures and I am so thankful for that opportunity.

I can never say if I’m returning to this site for good, but I would love to make that promise. I went to a Neck Deep concert at Rocketown earlier this year, and I’ll be seeing Pvris and hopefully The Nearly Deads later on this spring. Between classes and my new position at Odyssey, I may or may not find the motivation to write more reviews. Something I’d like to consider is just a weekly update of what I’ve been listening to, so the website doesn’t go dead while I’ve got other plans.

All in all, I want to thank anyone who has stopped by over the years, and my parents for helping me get this together and taking me to all those concerts because I am STILL not 18. It’s been the craziest, most wonderful thing.

Back to music!

xoxo,

radium rollercoaster

Rocketown Continued: Part Two!

You’re back for part two of my adventure: the behind-the-scenes. I hail from a small town, and I’m still hailing from said small town. Going to my first concert? Mind blowing. Going to my second with my best friend? Awesome. Going to Journeys Backyard BBQ? Life changing. But the behind-the-scenes of my day at Rocketown was absolutely pure magic. I found out after Satellites and Sirens were finished that the Nearly Deads wanted me to go out for the interview.

            Only the bands were allowed out, but we got to go past security because we were with the band. How many teenagers actually get to say that? It took us awhile to get the light set up just right, but we got it done! After the interview, we just stood around and talked. As little as that seems to entail to most people, it’s cool to see that a great band is so down to earth. Romeo had walked out not much later, and the security guard gave up and went inside.      

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            I went to talk to the first person I saw, the singer of Romeo. He- Joe- was very totally eager to go ahead and check out my website. It just added to how awesome the band seemed! Romeo seemed young for a band that seemed to have it on the right path, and it was really cool to be able to talk to him. I decided to go ahead and also chat with the other members (not including their drummer Cameron, who had already left) of Romeo. Christian, Cris, and Zach were super funny and extremely nice. I was offered a cookie…from a cup!

            The bottom line was I got to be part of two great bands, and actually talk to them like humans. Most people forget about very famous bands, that they are still just humans. I look at them and see people that fulfill dreams that I’m still realizing, and it seems too far away until I just take a step forward and start talking. Both bands are humble and love talking to fans. I’ll be back eventually to interview Romeo. I wouldn’t miss that for anything.

            There is only one part left. You ready? Come back tomorrow!

            XoXo Radium Rollercoaster

Rocketown: Part One

I believe there is only one way to do this: the show, the behind-the-scenes, and the interview. You may ask yourself, “What is THIS?” And in response I will tell you, this is an adventure. I ask you to follow me as I bring you through June 17^th, 2012, in Nashville Tennessee. This day was not only Father’s Day, but something beyond my imagination. This was when The Nearly Deads, Tell Romeo I Hate Him, Satellites and Sirens, and The Wedding all played in a small area called Rocketown. I had never heard of it, but being able to meet up with the Nearly Deads was a chance I wouldn’t miss.

But that’s part three. The first part is the show. I got there 20 minutes late, worrying that we missed the first band, but later learned we were 40 minutes before the first band. So I stopped to talk to the Nearly Deads (Kevin greeted us first, and TJ was soon to follow), and checked out the rest of the bands’ booths. All seemed eager for even a teenager like        me to interview their bands. I felt very encouraged and in time it seemed like a normal routine.

The venue was small, but was only filled with like 35 people. It was a new, interesting environment, almost like an underground concert. The first band to go on was Tell Romeo I Hate Him- whom I refer to as Romeo for short. Romeo got on stage, and I had to cross the whole room to get up front when I heard them start playing. They had a great first impression on me, with amazing guitar, an all around bouncy personality, and hard, skilled drums. When the singer started doing his stuff, it was so easy for me to get into the music.

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They had a great set list, and their stage presence was wonderful. They kept their energy constant, played a diverse amount of music, and made awesome conversation when changing songs. I was more than happy to stand and watch them. The Nearly Deads went on afterwards. I felt special, because knew I had something the others at the venue didn’t: a connection to the band. I talked to TJ as she set up, and stood center front as they jammed.

My favorite Nearly Deads song is the first song I ever heard by them, “Fact And Friction”. It has an enticing (yes, enticing!) piano intro played by TJ and is full of energy. Its buildup is nice and easy, and the chorus just hits you with inspiration. Now that I had listened to the song maybe a hundred times, I happily sang along. I was maybe too over enthusiastic. However, my sister got a new shirt! The other people in the audience seemed more than content to listen to them as well. They performed well as always.

The next band to go on was Satellites and Sirens, an electro-rock band. Their sound was totally unique, and a huge group of young men were having a lot of fun listening to them. Their bass player of old returned for one night when their new one couldn’t make it, which was interesting. The voice of the singer did not seem apropos from someone such as himself, if you judged by looks. The whole band had a strange image. I enjoyed it to a point, and they were good, but not overly impressive to me. Their guitar was pretty repetitive and there wasn’t much buildup or variety.

I did not get to see The Wedding, and I wish I had, but the things that conspired afterwards were quite worth missing the main event. Do you want to know? Are you sure you want to know? Alright, I’ll tell you…Next time! Come back tomorrow and I will tell you about part two!

XoXo Radium Rollercoaster