13.4.06

All American Rejects & Fall Out Boy






So I wasnt going to write about these concerts because I had forgotten to take a camera with me therefore got no pictures of my own but...I had so much to talk about after Kelly and my trip to Tacoma that I couldn't possibly get away with not writing about it. So here's the confusing deal, I went to see AAR and FOB twice that weekend, first in Tacoma, Washington with Kelly on the Saturday night and then again in Vancouver with Tara Sunday night. Why? Well not because I am that in love with these bands. The reasoning is complicated but basically both of my friends wanted to go, Kelly couldnt Sunday night thus Tacoma, Tara couldnt Saturday night thus Vancouver or something like that. Anyway, lets start with the Tacoma concert.

Kelly and I headed down to the states mid afternoon Saturday. The states is such a funny place. Immediately you are bombarded by Ads bigger than your house all along the highway. These ads are so high up in the sky that you can see them from miles away. Commercial concentration is interesting to say the least. After sitting in crazy traffic through Seattle we made it Tacoma.

First stop-Liquor store, or in the United States any store that sells any kind of food or beverage. Kelly and I were immediately disappointed by the alcohol content in drinks down to the south, 2-4% less than north of the border. Nevertheless we picked up some girly drinks and headed to the cash register where we found Usher. Ya that's right, Usher. well at least that's what he said his Homedawgs called him. Usher was a scrawny chinese kid who had clearly recently gotten into Mom's highlighting kit. He told us he could show us where to go in Seattle if we were looking to party later..........ummmmmmm.........

Next Stop- Hotel, and not just any slummed out Motel 6, no, we were staying in a highend hotel with a pool and everything. We got into our room and ran around getting ready to get to the concert while slamming back none other than American Quality flavoured beer, alcohol content? you guessed it 3.5% Basically, we drank juice then went to the concert.

Tacoma Dome- Ok so I dont know how many of you have been to the Tacoma Dome for a concert but here is my advice to you, DONT. Now, dont get me wrong, the concert itself was great, AAR and FOB put on a good show. The issue was with the people. I could not get over the fact that we were at a rock show and everyone around me was SITTING!??! What is that all about??? Granted we were in the very back of the stadium, in stands I might add, not seats, but I've been to many shows in Vancouver where I've sat in the back of the stadium and still jumped around and danced like an idiot enjoying every second of my $40-$100 concert. In Tacoma, there was a girl beside me, she knew every word to every song that AAR and FOB sang yet did nothing but sit there and barely nodded her head. Well I was having none of this, whether Kelly liked it or not, we were standing and partying throughout this concert like real Canadians do.



After Party- Now in keeping to true Canadian style, the party was not over when the last song finished. Kelly and I headed to 'the Loft', a local club in Tacoma. Immediately, it was a very different atmosphere than clubs in Vancouver. People were standing around, there was no where to sit (although we later learned that there was a martini lounge upstairs where you could do nothing but sit for as long as you wanted). These two guys came up to Kelly and I, Brock and Paul I believe their names were. Paul wastes no time in asking us if we have Boyfriends, apologising (like a true canadian) and saying that yes I do but my friend doesnt, he promply moved over to Kelly. Unfortunately his friend Brock hadn't been there for that part of the conversation and I had to find another time to tell him, after he bought me a beer of course. These guys were nice enough but as soon as they found out that we were Canadian, oh god. It wasnt that they were stereotyping us all night or cracking jokes, it was that Brock was half Canadian and in order to prove his nationality sprouted off Cdn fact after Cdn fact. Hearing hockey player after hockey player, and where cities are situated in BC, it got old. More happened but I fear this is getting too long so its off to the next location.

Morning After/Hot Topic-So Kelly and I hit the road around noon the following day. We stopped at Starbucks where I purchased a ridiculously large drink, assuming sizes would be the same and forgetting that in the US of A it's go big or go home. When we got to Bellingham Kelly and I wanted to do some shopping (obviously!!) and so stopped off at the mall to go to Hot Topic and Holister (which we never made it to). Anyway, in Hot Topic Kelly found an Awesome tank top that had Edward Scissor Hands on it. We were standing in line to buy the tank top when a young woman came in with her young daughter. The mom was completely punked out with an orange and yellow mohawk, the daughter had to be between 3-5, quite young. The two of them come up and start talking to the man ahead of us in the line. We think nothing of it obviously. Then, the mom says to her daughter, "ok, now give Uncle Steve the Jackass goodbye" and then the little girl, who is around 3 remember, fingers her uncle, and they all laugh. Kelly and I did not know what to say or do. I'm pretty sure we've never seen anything so terrible in our lives.

And that, in not so much of a nutshell is our trip to Tacoma.

Now, back in Vancouver I was once again gearing up for the AAR and FOB concert take two. I was not disappointed, the concert was amazing, everyone in the building was on their feet and we partied like real people do, on their feet with hands in the air dancing and jumping around like fools. Go Canada!

You have got to love a weekend that does nothing but make you very pround to be Canadian

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