Snapshots of Train & Those Nights When the Universe is Against You // July 2015

I mentioned in this post, that before we knew my parents were moving away, we had bought my mom concert tickets to see one of her favorite bands, Train.

She, and my littlest sister OE flew back to Kansas for the show. It was really nice to see them, and made it seem like we would continue to get to see them a lot even though they live far away now. :)

We met at the concert and listened to the opening bands Matt Nathanson and The Fray. Both openers were really good! We spent a lot of The Fray's set running around trying to get drinks, and ear plugs, and t-shirts, but it was easy to hear and see from the concessions.

Matt Nathanson was a goofball. He was cracking jokes, and had a lot of commentary that was really funny. It was a good way to be as the first opener. Plus it was entertaining families and others who were already waiting for Train. :) I kind of love some of his music, and he is coming back to KC to play at a bar... maybe we'll go out for that show!

I used to think I hated The Fray's music, but it turns out it's now nostalgic, and that I really do like some of their new stuff a lot. :) Has this ever happened for you guys with a band or artist?

We got settled, and before too long a woman working for Train came out to ask Olivia if she wanted to sing and dance with Train and a bunch of other kids on the stage! WHAT?! That's so crazy. She shook her head and went back to playing Fruit Ninja.. bhaha. When mom heard, she was like OLIVIA, My FAVORITE BAND! You said no?!? hehe

Train came on and their performance was awesome. They sang lots of songs from a bunch of their albums, it was so fun to hear them live, the sound of my childhood car rides. :) We all sang and danced, and had a good time.

I may have shed a tear or two during 'Drops of Jupiter' ... there's just something about hearing a song you love live after loving it for so long. Also, let's keep in mind that this was my year up until (and after) this night....

We were taking my mom and OE back to my grandma's to stay, so we took our time leaving to let some of the traffic get out of the park. We got in the car, exited the park, and a family of raccoons promptly ran out in front of us. We didn't hit them, but it was very hard to see as the park didn't really have streetlights throughout.

We stopped for some waters and ice cream for the ride home. We get ready to take our exit, almost miss it, then get hit by a car... we've never been in a car accident before then. At this point it feels like after months of chaos the universe is trying to tell us something... we just don't know what....

We exchange info, call the police, they won't come to where we are, so they tell us to drive to the nearest police station. We do, and they tell us we're in the wrong place and give us bad directions to the next one. We finally find another one, and get it all taken care of. By this time it's about 2 AM, and I feel so stressed and also awful that this is how my mom's special night turned out.

We make it almost all the way back to my grandma's house, exhausted, so stressed out, when we are coming down a hill on a country highway, and there is a man with his dog walking IN THE HIGHWAY. At least no one else was on the road, and we were able to swing wide around him and get into the other lane.

It was so stressful I cannot even tell you. We've never had any driving situations like this alone or together, and all in one night, with passengers, we manage to have them all. Ugh.

So, I may have cried... because after the busy year, new job, craziness in Alaska, my family moving etc. I had nothing left to keep myself from doing it.

Bottom line: The concert was amazing, I'm glad we had that experience as a family, though we missed you dad! The end of the night and the whole year surrounding it so far sucked. But August, seems to have turned things around. Hoping so much that it stays this way!!!!!!

The next night we got pulled over for the first time for not signalling when a two lane turned into a one lane, but then signalling to make the turn immediately after. Keep in mind, country road, 2 AM, no traffic, new set up for the lanes... He gave us a warning, I'm sure he just wanted to make sure we weren't drunk. I get it, it's his job. But holy cow you guys.

We thought this was the end of the bad stuff, but then we went to Florida.

I can safely say that I have never ever ever been so happy to have an August in all my life. Thank goodness for 'fall'.

Have you ever seen a band that you've loved for a long time live? What was it like?

Have you ever done something like this as a family?

Have you ever had an especially bad year? How did you get past it?

All for now.

XO,

Alexandra

Snapshots of One Republic & The Script // August 2014

When One Republic's song 'Counting Stars' came out, I was obsessed... I kept thinking, I just want to hear this live. So when we heard that they were coming to KC, we decided to buy tickets and try our hand at another pop concert. And I am surprisingly glad that we did.

The show was at Starlight Theater, a venue that we haven't visited for a normal concert, or at all in quite a while. It is a really nice outdoor venue. There are plenty of seats, the atmosphere is wonderful and it is a beautiful location.

The show was on a weeknight, so we weren't really able to make it to see American Authors.... but we did catch all of The Script's set before One Republic went on.

I don't know a lot of The Script's music, but I do like what I know. I especially love their song 'For the First Time'-- possibly because it was so relate-able during my college time. I just feel like I can really connect to the message of working your hardest through life, even when it seems impossible. And how you need your loved ones most during those times. So, hearing this live was also really cool for me. In general, they put on a really good show, I wish it would have been dark when they went on, but it's summer in Kansas... or Missouri I guess. :) The lead singer kept running through the crowd which was fun, because it was a huge place, and he wasn't just weaving through the front section. At one point he asked for people who had been hurt by an ex to volunteer their phones for the next song. He took a phone from a girl in the front and called her ex and sang 'Nothing' to him through the phone. It was unexpected and a crowd pleaser. I bet that her ex wasn't expecting that! :)

Before The Script left the stage they really praised One Republic, saying they were 'true musicians'. At first I thought, 'ok, that's nice they like the band they are touring with.' 'Everyone, sort of does that...' But once One Republic started performing, I realized that they were beyond sincere about what they had said. These guys really can sing, play and perform. I was honestly amazed by the talent up on that stage!

One Republic went on after it got a bit darker, they started with a screen down in front of the stage, which left the audience with a silhouette effect, with strategic moving light bursts. It was possibly the coolest concert intro I've ever seen.

After that the show continued with many songs I've heard and haven't heard. But the whole time I was amazed at how evident it was that these men had serious vocal and instrumental talent. It wasn't full of autotuning, lip syncing, or low effort performing... this was the real deal. Now I have a handful of new songs to add to my iTunes library as well.

There was one point in the show when they played 'Come Home' and showed images of Kansas City on their screen. It was really emotional (not even being a KC resident), and also just really neat to see the sky line, the plaza fountains and the shuttlecocks up on screen. :)

They also did an incredible mashup of M83's 'Midnight City' with their own 'Good Life'. Which I know does sound like it would work, but it does. 

Aside from the incredibly tall, incredibly high people in front of us's crazy swaying and groping... it was a really great show, and a really great night! I really look forward to listening to more music from both bands, and I think I would even go see them live again! --and that's high praise, especially for an impulse-buy kind of show!

It should also be noted that this is the first time we have seen people we know at a concert or heard they were there and didn't know it ahead of time. Fun. :)

Have you ever seen The Script or One Republic live?

What is your favorite song?

Thanks for Reading,

Alexandra