A Little Trip Down Memory Lane

These were the days.

I miss 2004. My nostalgia has been building all year, as seemingly half of the bands I listened to in high school—Jimmy Eat World, Say Anything, Mae, Relient K, and the list goes on—announce tour dates celebrating the tenth anniversary of particularly spectacular albums. Every time another one of these shows goes on sale, I find myself both marveling at how fast the time has passed, and feeling like I should go curl up in bed because I am obviously an ancient old woman at this point.

Two days ago, I purchased tickets for Motion City Soundtrack’s anniversary tour for Commit This to Memory. I distinctly remember listening to that album in my eleventh grade history class. (Dear God, has it been almost ten years since high school already? These tour dates might be sending me into an existential crisis.)

Anyway, my point is that after I bought the MCS tickets, I swung over to Wikipedia to see what other bands put out albums in 2004—and wow, what a fabulous year for my iTunes library it was. These days, I can go for months between albums that I’m truly excited about. But back then, there was apparently new music to be thrilled about every couple of weeks.

Naturally, I had to make a playlist to really complement the reminiscing process. (I allowed a few favorites from early 2005 to sneak in too, because we’re practically there at this point.) The funny thing is, my taste in music has barely changed in the last decade. Sure, there are a few songs on this list that are just a little too emo for my “mature” (read: old and crippled) tastes now. But mostly, these are bands became my favorite when I was an angsty teen, and have stayed with me throughout my life.

So whether or not all these bands decide to do special tours for these records, I’m going to celebrate them on my own. Here’s the playlist, in case you want to get a feel for what how rockin' I was in high school:


PS: They were only on Now 16 in 2004! Ah, it was a simpler time.

A love letter to Incubus

I remember standing in the record store with my precious babysitting money clasped tightly in one hand, and a copy of Morning View in the other. I was pretty sure I would like the album, but at 14 years old, I was just barely starting to develop a taste in music other than the Backstreet Boys, and to be honest, I was a bit concerned that I wouldn’t like the album enough to justify spending the only cash in my possession. Little did I know that almost ten years later, I would still consider the album one of my top five favorites of all-time. That’s more than I can say for Millenium, anyway.

I was lucky enough to attend two Incubus concerts recently – September 3rd at Jones Beach in NY, and September 9th in Mansfield, MA. These shows were incredible. Both were outdoors on comfortably cool evenings. The wind was weaving through my hair, as I sang along with hundreds and hundreds of other fans. One of my favorite parts was in Mansfield, during “Drive,” when Brandon stepped back from the mic and the band stopped playing to listen to the crowd shout back the lyrics. I never get tired of those moments, when everyone is connected by a single song. That’s my kind of religious experience. These were the type of shows that reminded me not just why I love Incubus, but why I love music in general.

Someone else's surprisingly good quality video of "Drive" from the Mansfield show

When I first started writing this post, it was just supposed to be a review of those shows. But as I put words onto paper (yes, I handwrote a rough draft because I’m old school like that), I quickly realized that a brief summary was not enough to describe how emotional of an experience seeing Incubus is for me. In fact, there are a lot of artists that I love dearly, but none have changed my life the way Incubus has. I actually realized I’d like to go into journalism after reading an article about the band many years ago. I was so jealous of the reporter who got to talk with the band, and then it dawned on me that I could interview brilliant and fascinating people some day too.

It was actually this issue of YM, which wasn’t exactly the high standard of journalism I’m shooting for, but hey, at least it gave me the idea.

Aside from setting me on my actual career path, Incubus is entwined throughout hundreds of my memories from the last decade. Important memories, like the second concert I ever went to. It was at the Worcester Centrum, and I went with my friend Sammi. To this day, when I hear the opening riff to “A Certain Shade of Green,” I am instantly 15 again, shuddering and thinking “OH MY GOD I’M GOING TO DIE” as a bunch of bros break out moshing all around us. For the record, we did get crushed, the crowd broke down the barricade a few minutes into the set, and as I recall, Sammi lost her shoe for a while, but we ultimately had the time of our lives.

Then there are the less vital memories that make up my every day life, like the high school German exchange student presenting me with her Incubus poster because it wouldn’t fit in her suitcase home. She promised me if I didn’t take care of Brandon’s picture, she’d “come back and kick my ass.” (Don’t worry Minh, it still hangs on my wall even now, and it is in great condition. Although I have occasionally considered taping a picture of Ben Kenney over Dirk Lance). I remember sitting in my friend Veronika's basement, not caring about the dude in Final Destination 2 trapped in his burning apartment because “Vitamin” was playing in the background. (If you have to die like that, at least be glad you’re dying while good music is playing, amirite?) I remember listening to Light Grenades over and over during my first year of college. The list goes on for pages. And now I can look back on the past couple nights spent with my pal Ali, obsessing over the music and eventually suffering through the inevitable post-show depression together. These songs are my souvenirs of amazing times with friends and hours spent screaming myself hoarse at concerts. I realize now that I grew up with Incubus, and as a result, when I look back on my life thus far, I see the band at every step.

"Wish You Were Here" live is just perfection.

I don’t know that I will ever be able to fully express how much this one band means to me in words. I hope some day I can thank the members in person. Until that day, this little love letter will have to do. Thanks for some great shows, guys. Now hurry up and come back soon before I waste away from withdrawal.

A Fine Frenzy plays a free outdoor show on the waterfront (AKA the best night ever)

This past weekend, I logged on to Twitter and to my delight, found this message waiting on my timeline:

A Fine Frenzy is one of my absolute favorite live acts, and an outdoor show on a wharf is the perfect setting for this music. Also, full disclosure: I pretty much want Alison Sudol to be my best friend forever and ever. So I might have done a little happy dance when I read this tweet.

And that's the story of how on Wednesday night, I ended up seated on a brick patio at the Fairmont Battery Wharf, while Alison rocked the socks off a large group of fans. There was not a ton of room, but lots of fans managed to find a place to plop down anyway. The weather was gorgeous - it was late enough in the day that the sun was out and it was still warm, but the cool breeze kept everyone comfortable. The epitome of a perfect summer evening.

Welcome back to Beantown, guuurl

As usual, Alison and friends (Omar Velasco, guitar and Ryan Carman, drums) put on a fantastic show. The set was only scheduled to be an hour, but they had enough time to play a few songs off of each of her two albums, along with a new song ("Redbird Calling") and a cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire." In addition, Alison and Omar played a song from their own side project (unfortunately, I couldn't catch the name of it, but here's a video). And as if all that wasn't enough, she also announced that her third album should be coming out in January or February. (Hurrah!!)





Honestly, Alison is so charming and adorable that I would probably go see her perform even if I did not care for the actual songs, but thankfully, it hasn't come to that. She won the crowd over the second she stepped onto the riser with her cute little dimples and enthusiastic grin lighting up her face. And she held that audience captive, whether she was cracking jokes about pirates and fish, or getting a little teary when everyone sang along with her first hit, "Almost Lover." When she messed up the lyrics during "Blow Away," everyone just cheered twice as loud while she made a goofy little face and danced her way through the mistake. She's the only person I've seen who can look giddy with happiness while playing heartbreakingly sad music.

Alison Sudol and Omar Velasco

After the show, I had the honor of meeting her, and I thanked her for her music, because it has helped me through some emotional turmoil in my past. She listened appreciatively, and after I finished, simply said to me, "You get a hug for that!" Truly, this woman is lovely in every way.

Best friends 4evaaaaa! (Okay, not the best picture of me but I have to show it off anyway).

Thank you to A Fine Frenzy, the Fairmont Battery Wharf Hotel and everyone else involved in putting on such a memorable evening.

More photos & videos from last night // www.afinefrenzy.com

Florence and the Machine, Bank of America Pavilion, 6/23/11

Florence Welch is one of today's rare artists who actually deserves all her fame. Although to be honest, she probably deserves to be even bigger than she is, but that's besides the point. I was fortunate enough to see her perform in Boston a few days ago, and even though I've seen her before, I was still completely blown away by her voice. I don't think I'll ever get over how talented this woman is.

She came out on stage, twirling in a flowy yellow gown, looking like a fairy queen from a Disney cartoon. She took her place behind a microphone stand covered in flowers, and the twinkling set lights enhanced the mystical atmosphere. The crowd hung onto her every note, chanting and clapping along as she reigned like a queen over her kingdom.

Photo by John Shearer, courtesy of the Boston Herald

According to Florence herself, Thursday night's show at the Bank of America Pavilion was the largest show the band had played to date. (What?? Isn't she playing giant venues yet?) She played the usuals off her debut album, Lungs, and treated us to several new songs and even a short rendition of the intro to Lady Gaga's "Judas." (Personally, I am so sick of Lady Gaga that I want to rip my ears off every time I hear her mentioned, but thanks to Florence, I actually enjoyed this version of the song. Seriously, I'm not kidding - she is magical).

For anyone who wants to relive the experience (or to find out what you missed out on), here's someone else's video of "You've Got The Love." Obviously the sound quality cannot totally capture the power of Florence's ridiculous vocals, but this will have to do.




For more of my undying love and devotion for Florence and the Machine, check out the post about my previous Florence and the Machine experience.

The set list (courtesy of setlist.fm):
1. My Boy Builds Coffins
2. Between Two Lungs
3. Drumming Song
4. Strangeness and Charm
5. Howl
6. I'm Not Calling You A Liar
7. Hurricane Drunk
8. What the Water Gave Me
9. Cosmic Love
10. Blinding
11. You've Got the Love
12. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

Encore:
13. Bedroom Hymns
14. Dog Days Are Over

Finally, I'm pretty sure Florence and Adele need to go on tour together. It could be the "Invasion of British Ladies with Crazy-Awesome Voices" tour. Yes? Let's make it happen.

The Airborne Toxic Event at the Somerville Theatre, 9/8/10

Photo courtesy of WFNX.com

Ah, The Airborne Toxic Event. I have been fortunate enough to see them live five times now in the last two years or so. They only have one album, so this means I've heard the same songs over and over but TATE are such a great live band, I still haven't gotten tired of them.

TATE is quite possibly better live than recorded. I really liked them before I ever saw them perform - then I saw them open for Franz Ferdinand and fell head over heels in love. And every time that I've seen them since, they continue to amaze me.

Anyway, on to Wednesday night's show. The venue was the Somerville Theatre, which is an actual movie theater. I hope people weren't seriously trying to watch movies in there during the show, because the band blew the roof off that place. I actually liked being in the theater though, because it felt classy in a strange way AND you could eat popcorn during the performance. There was no opening band to sit through; the show just got right to the point. But the fanciest aspect of the night award goes to the Calder Quartet, which joined the band onstage to complement TATE's Anna Bulbrook and her viola (her brother is actually a member of the quartet). The added instrumentation sounded gorgeous, making the music sound fuller.

Check out TATE with the Calder Quartet in this clip from the band's upcoming live DVD:


The band played two "sets" with an intermission between (yeah, that's right. An intermission. I told you this joint was classy). The first set consisted of calmer songs like "Wishing Well," and the standard cover of "The Book of Love" originally by the Magnetic Fields. After the fifteen minute break, TATE came back out ready to rock though, and quickly had the crowd up on their feet dancing to gems like "Happiness is Overrated," "Gasoline" and "Papillon."

Personally, my favorite thing about TATE shows is just watching the band members, because they genuinely seem to love performing. Lead singer Mikel Jollett is one of the most personable frontmen I've ever seen; as soon as he walks on stage, he starts cracking jokes and chatting with the audience between each song. I wrote more about this back in April when I last saw them. At one point during Wednesday's show, he even made the comment that all the songs he writes are so angry and sad but then the band performs onstage and it all just feels like a celebration. True dat.

Watch him joke around with the audience (and eventually play "Happiness is Overrated") in someone else's video from the Somerville show:



My only complaint about the show is that it went by way too fast. They played for about 80 minutes (ish) but it felt like 40 instead (I blame the intermission). But otherwise, it was an amazing performance by an extremely talented group of musicians. I just adore this band.

TATE's live CD/DVD will be coming out on September 28, and they just finished recording a new album. www.theairbornetoxicevent.com

New Green Day song!

Green Day is apparently recording their concerts on the current 21st Century Breakdown world tour, and plan on releasing a live album after it wraps.

Here's a new song, "Cigarettes and Valentines," that some lucky fans in Denver got to here on August 28.

Green Day with AFI, Comcast Center, 8/16/10

OK, it’s been a week now since this show and I NEED to write about it. To be honest, before I even arrived at the venue, I knew I would be writing a stellar review of this concert. I’d seen both bands before, so I already knew Green Day is hands down the best live band I’ve ever seen, and opener AFI is quite exceptional as well. (Plus these are two of my favorite bands, and two of the groups most responsible for making me fall in love with rock ‘n roll back in the day). Needless to say, I was psyched for the show. I actually got butterflies in my stomach on the way to the Comcast Center.

Not a stupendous picture, but here's Davey Havok.

AFI is well known in today’s alternative music scene, but many of Green Day’s fans these days are more mainstream listeners, so AFI actually had to work to win them over. The band has been playing headlining shows almost exclusively for the last decade, so it must be a challenge for them to adjust to opening again. AFI is my second favorite band of ALL TIME and lead singer Davey Havok is pretty much my hero, so it was even difficult for me to handle the fact that not everyone around me loved them immediately. Nevertheless, all four members gave the set as much enthusiasm as they do to a headlining performance, and soon the crowd of both devoted AFI fans and new recruits was whooping it up at the end of every song. It's no wonder Spin Magazine named them one of the “25 Greatest Live Bands Now” back in 2006. (Green Day was on the list too, in case you were wondering).

After a traditional appearance from the Drunken Bunny (a costumed member of the crew who entertains before the set), “Song of the Century” began to blare over the speakers, and the crowd sang along among cheers and shouts of excitement. The three members of Green Day ran onstage and immediately launched into “21st Century Breakdown.” They ended up playing a ridiculous 34-song set that lasted for three hours (!!) The songs included singles, plenty of tracks off of American Idiot and 21st Century Breakdown, along with a few old gems, such as “Scattered,” “One For the Razorbacks” and “2000 Light Years Away.” For the full set list, go here.

If you’ve never been to a Green Day show, you don’t know what you’re missing. I don’t care whether you like their music or not. I don’t care if you only go to tiny indie shows. I don’t care if you won’t listen to anything they recorded after Dookie (actually I do care, because that makes you an idiot, but that’s besides the point). The point is, you absolutely need to see them someday. Even my boyfriend’s mother (who, according to the CDs in her car, listens to Celtic Woman and not much else) couldn’t stop raving about the show, even though she did not know a single word of a single song.

Again, not the best picture I've ever taken, but I'm just proud of how close I was.

A large portion of Green Day’s greatness has to do with front man Billie Joe Armstrong, who has more energy than any other lead singer I’ve ever seen. He sprints around stage so much that after just a few songs, he is literally dripping with sweat; after he laid down on stage mid-set, several crew members had to come wipe the sweat off the floor. He screams at the audience, whipping them into a frenzy. He pulls kids onstage to sing, dance and stage dive (and even gives out a free guitar to a lucky fan). He sprays the pit with squirt guns, and even blasts t-shirts into the audience with a t-shirt gun. Green Day has been around for 22 years now, but Armstrong still seems to have an absolute blast at every show.

Let me just take a minute here to brag. I worked my way up to the front row, right in the center. This means I got to witness Armstrong’s drooling while singing throughout the entire show, and I had basically the best view in the house when he mooned the audience. Yeah I know, you guys are jealous.

Let’s not forget about the rest of the band though, because drummer Tre Cool and bassist Mike Dirnt are crucial to the performance as well. Between their crazy faces and musical skills, they kept the crowd both laughing and rocking, often at the same time. Cool, Dirnt and backing musician Jason Freese even took turns singing during the cover of the Isley Brothers’ “Shout.”

Photo courtesy of GreenDay.com

As if the exceptional music and goofy stage banter weren’t enough, explosions and fireworks also lit up the stage over and over throughout the night. This means I literally had my face melted off, because I could feel the heat from the flames. During the double encore, confetti rained down on the audience and got plastered to sticky, sweaty bodies in the pit. (It sounds gross but it was beautiful in person). The perfect end to a fabulous evening. Green Day has perfected the perfect live show, transforming it into a masterpiece. It’s the kind of show that reminds me why I love music and why I spend so much money on concert tickets.

Now, I have done the best I can to convey just how incredible Green Day is live, but there’s just no way to do it justice completely through writing. Do yourself a favor and the next time Green Day (or AFI!) comes through your city, buy yourself a ticket. I can promise you won’t regret it.

The Airborne Toxic Event, 4/7/10

On Wednesday night, I saw the Airborne Toxic Event for free at the Royale (which used to be the Roxy, which used to be Epic). Oh man, what a fantastic evening.  The last time ATE played Boston, it was at the House of Blues, which is a much larger venue. But I’m always so impressed with the band’s ability to make any venue seem intimate, no matter what size it is.

Lead singer Mikel Jollett is easily one of my favorite front men to watch. He’s always cracking jokes and interacting with the crowd.  Too often, great live bands put on an amazing performance but don’t say anything to the audience other than to announce the band’s name and to say thank you at the end of the night.  They burn through the setlist and then everyone goes home.  But Jollett is better than that.  Between every song, he’d make fans laugh, by doing things like teasing the girls drinking off by the bar (“Yeah, we’re just the lounge band. Don’t mind us.”) or poking fun at his own music (“This is a song about my aunt.”) In fact, he talked so much at one point that the rest of the band actually signaled to him to shut up and let them play the next song.

But Jollett’s chattiness is precisely why ATE can make even the biggest venues seem intimate. Even as ATE gains momentum and popularity, all five members continue to interact with fans.  Jollett even announced what bar they’d be at afterwards (Ames Hotel, second floor bar) and invited everyone to show up.  Unfortunately, I had to rely on the subway, which closes at 12:30 a.m. Bummer.

Oh, and did I mention how good they sound live?  Here’s someone else’s video from a different show, because I didn’t have my camera.  But you can still get a good sense of their show and stage presence. (And whoa, they have practically a whole orchestra at this one. Anna usually has to play the viola by herself).



And now, to wrap up, I’ll leave you with one of my personal favorite moments of the show.  Obviously, I’m going by memory so the dialogue is not 100 percent accurate, but you can get the main idea.

Jollett, joking: “I always try to write songs about political figures, but then I just end up writing about some dumb girl.”
Girl in the front row: “Alexander Hamilton!”
Jollett, laughing: “Alexander Hamilton? How about James Monroe? Only in Boston would you get an answer like that.  In L.A., they’d be like ‘Jersey Shore!’  Do you guys know who Alexander Hamilton dueled with?”
Guy in the crowd: “Aaron Burr!”
Jollett: “See, the guy with the beard knows! In L.A., they’d yell ‘The Situation?!?’ But not here in Boston.”

Damn right.  Mad props to Jack Daniels for sponsoring such an awesome show.

http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent

A Fine Frenzy gives the Paradise a good time

I've been busy this week. My review of AFI's new album, "Crash Love," is up on AmpedReviews.net. Check out the site, and if you still haven't heard the album, what are you waiting for? It's easily one of my favorite albums of 2009.

On Monday night, I saw one of my favorite people in the entire world: Alison Sudol. She's a singer-songwriter-pianist who performs under the name A Fine Frenzy. Honestly, she is one of the sweetest, most genuine people in the music business today. I wrote a review praising the show for Blast Magazine. (I know, I've just been writing a storm this week).

This is someone else's video of one of my favorite moments of the show:

Anyway, I just wanted to post some of my new material, and this video. Isn't she adorable?

Someday soon I will have more original content for the blog, I promise.

Top 10 Most Memorable Shows

I saw AFI again last night at the House of Blues. It was definitely one of the best shows I'd been to in a long, long time (excluding AFI at Hampton Beach a week ago, of course). I got to hold Davey Havok up while he walked on the crowd. He also did a flip into the audience and I helped catch him then too. Now my left arm is sore, but I can't think of a better reason to be in pain.

In honor of these two absolutely incredible shows, here's a list of my top 10 most memorable concerts, in no particular order. (NOTE: None of the videos belong to me, except for the Sugarcult one).

1. Third Eye Blind (Babson College, 4/21/07 AND Bamboozle 2009). Honestly, I have seen this band so many times that it's hard to narrow it down to one show. But Babson was the first time I was in the front row, and the first time I met the band afterwards. (It was completely accidental too. We were lost and managed to end up right behind the guys in some parking lot). And Bamboozle was just plain awesome.

(Not the best quality, and possibly one of the band's worst songs, but this video really captures the fun of Bamboozle



2. AFI (Hampton Beach, 10/17/09 and House of Blues Boston, 10/25/09). See my last entry and the paragraph above. AFI is seriously one of the best live bands around.



3. A Fine Frenzy (The Paradise, March 2008). I adore Alison Sudol, the voice and mastermind behind A Fine Frenzy. She is one of the sweetest, most talented individuals in music today. She is so grateful and appreciative of her fans. She's on tour right now, so go see her if you get a chance. (www.afinefrenzy.com)

4. The Airborne Toxic Event (The Paradise, 3/7/09). Well first of all, during the encore, they threw out cheap tamborines into the audience. I got to go up onstage with my tamborine and a handful of other fans to dance around during "Missy." This band is so tight live, and they sound awesome every time I see them. It's also refreshing to see a group of musicians who can play so many instruments well. This isn't just a bunch of guys who decided they wanted to be rockstars so they picked up guitars. Rather, The Airborne Toxic Event are trained many instruments including the viola and the cello. Another must-see live band.



5. Good Charlotte with Something Corporate and Mest, (UMass Amherst, October 10, 2003) Yes, this was my first concert. I went with one of my best friends, Veronika, and we had an absolute ball. At the time, I was completely obsessed with Good Charlotte (and even now, I will defend them, so don't mess with me!). I counted down to this concert for months. It feels like a dream now, it was so long ago, but I was always treasure the memories from this show.

6. Sugarcult (Framingham, MA Community Center, sometime in winter or spring of 2008, I think). This was the most punk-rock show I have ever been to. I know, SUGARCULT?!? Punk rock? They were label-less and playing at this deserted community center full of local high school kids. The atmosphere was so laidback and intimate though. Sugarcult interacts with the crowd anyway, but at a show that size, lead singer Tim Pagnotta spent half his time joking with fans. Then, at 11 pm, the cops showed up and said it was curfew time. Sugarcult was not even half way done their set, and they refused to stop. They kept playing until the sound was cut off, and afterwards, they hung out in the lobby to talk to fans and apologize for the short set.




7. Green Day (Verizon Wireless Arena in Manchester, NH. Spring 2004). Green Day is without a doubt the greatest live band I have ever seen. It's not a "show," it's a masterpiece. There is no way to put into words just how mindblowing a Green Day show is. I know several people who don't even care about the band's new songs, but will still go to see them just for the epic performance. So seriously, drop what you're doing and go see them right now.

(This video is from their Bullet in a Bible DVD, not my show. But it really captures how completely awesome Green Day is live).


8. Blaqk Audio (The Roxy, 9/10/07) The first time I got to see and meet my idol, Davey Havok. He and fellow AFI member Jade Puget were on tour promoting their side project. I shook Davey's hand after the show and was in shock for the next week.

9. Jimmy Eat World (The Orpheum, October 2007, I think). Yet another one of the best live bands I've ever seen. The music is even more perfect and beautiful live. And the fans are pretty chill and normal, so it's nice not to have to deal with screaming teenyboppers all night.

10. Fiona Apple (Bank of America Pavilion, July 21, 2006). Fiona is a little kooky to begin with, and when you put her on stage, she becomes even more insane. She flails around like she's possessed, but boy, has she got some pipes. Her music sounds amazing live. 'Nuff said.

So there are my top 10 concerts. What are yours? What bands do I need to see still?

Through our bleeding, we are one.

Last night I saw AFI at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in NH. They have been one of my absolute favorite bands since I was in middle school, yet I have never been fortunate enough to see them live. (I know, I suck. I don't want to talk about it).

The show was absolutely phenomenal, completely worth the 7 year wait. From the opening strains of "Torch Song" to the mind blowing encore performance of "Silver and Cold," it was all perfect. True, they only played for an hour and 15 minutes, and there's no excuse for that when you have 8 studio albums. And yes, they only played songs from the latest three (with just one exception). But the band sounded so tight, so epic and so badass. It's no wonder Spin Magazine named them one of the 25 Greatest Live Bands Now.

Afterwards, I had the honor of meeting three of the four band members. Jade, you escaped me this time, but I'll be hunting you down in Boston. I can hardly wait for this next week to go by so I can see them again.

8 rules of thumb for concert-goers

I have been going to concerts for many many years, and one of the best parts of a show is rocking out right up front. But there’s nothing more frustrating than being surrounded by inexperienced show-goers who have no common sense or courtesy on how to behave. So here’s a list of a few points every music fan should know before entering the general admission section.

1. Dress appropriately. I’m not talking about whether or not you should wear the headlining band’s tee. Proper footwear is much more important. If you plan on standing in the back of the room, sandals or flip-flops are fine, but not if you’re going into the crowd. Everyone will be squished together, and someone will inevitably step on your toes. Or, if you crowd surf, you can say goodbye to any loose accessories. (I’ve actually seen an angry man at Warped Tour purposefully yanking the shoes off of crowd surfers and flinging them far away). On top of footwear, be sure to tie back long hair. There are few things in a crowd that annoy me more more than the pogoing girl right in front of me with huge, poofy hair that keeps getting into my mouth during the set.

2. If you’re tall, be polite. Of course, tall fans deserve a good spot just as much as short fans. But I have lost track of how many times a 6-foot tall guy will shove his way in front of my 5’3” friend, leaving her to stare at his back. The problem with standing room only means someone won’t be able to see very well at any point in time, but there are ways to make the situation less awkward. Be friendly to those around you, offer to let extremely “height-challenged” fans move in front of you, and ease the tension in any way possible. Because believe me, they’re whispering and glaring at you behind your back. And be aware of your actions and body—not that you can’t rock out, but don’t leave your arms in the air the entire set, or take off your hat. A nice tall person who looks out for those around him (and protects them from crowd surfers falling from the sky) will fare much better than the inconsiderate jerk who shoves his way in front by using his height.

3. Along those same lines, if you can’t see at first, just hold on a minute. Crowds are constantly shifting—people are moving, leaving the crowd, pushing their way up front. The view you have when you first arrive will undoubtedly change multiple times over the course of the night, so don’t panic. Try to shift to the side, or just wait it out. You’ll be able to see soon enough.

4. Make friends with the people around you (unless those people happen to be idiots). One of the best parts of a live show is interaction, both with the music and with fellow fans. Maybe you won’t become best friends for life with the chick in the local band T-shirt next to you, but striking up a conversation with her will help kill time between set changes, and having a friendly relationship with those around you can only make the night more enjoyable. It’s always good to have each others’ backs whenever a crowd surfer or pushy teenybopper appears. Plus, who knows. Maybe you will make a new friend.

5. Don’t be a drunken moron. If shelling out $9 for a beer is worth it to you, that’s cool, but there’s no need to get trashed. It’s better to remain sober and remember every epic moment of the performance. You can drink too many Budweisers at home for free. But if you insist on getting wasted, stay out of the way of the fans who just want to appreciate the music. Don’t throw your cup into the crowd, don’t scream obnoxiously, and be as considerate as an intoxicated fan at a rock show can be. Just because you’re drunk doesn’t mean it’s ok to ruin the show for everyone else.

6. The same thing goes for you too, sober folks. Be a decent human being and refrain from ruining the show for everyone else. It’s ok to dance, rock out, and sing along, but be considerate. Sing, don’t scream along—it’s great that you know the words, we all do. But we came to hear the band, not you. Plus when you mess up the words, it only makes you look foolish. And if you don’t know the song, listen or talk quietly (or as quietly as possible in such a loud atmosphere). Like I said, we came to hear the band, not your conversation with your friend about the great rager you went to last weekend. Enjoy the show, and let those around you do the same.

7. One of the most important things to understand about the crowd at a rock show: people WILL push. Don’t become outraged about every nudge from the person behind you. It’s perfectly fine to block someone from pushing past you, or to feel irritated that the guy behind you insists on forcing his way to the front row when there’s clearly no room. But don’t whine about it to your friends the whole night. It only makes you look inexperienced, like you’ve never been to a concert before. Just deal with the pushing, or get out of the crowd.

8. Finally, if no one’s moving, don’t try to crowd surf. They’re not expecting you, and it’s dangerous to fling a heavy body on top of many people’s unsuspecting heads. At least if there is some moshing or jumping going on in the center, the fans will be better prepared to catch the crowd surfer. But if everyone is standing still, don’t bother. You’ll end up being dropped on your head or hurting an innocent bystander.

So there’s my list so far. I’ll add it to it if I think of anything else!