Here It Goes

That was absolutely the best concert I've been to! I even went back in to make friends with the security personnel so that I might be able to meet the band, but, alas, they did not linger long. Jim Adkins even said that we were the best crowd on the tour so far! It wasn't fanfare, I know the difference. He even laughed at our enthusiasm at one point and said that he'd like to play for us all night, but that they had to get to Utah for the show that's tonight. And I wanted very much to go to that one too, but Mondays are Mondays...and a Monday crushes all my hopes for happy happenstances.

Paramore also played, as well as an opening band called Dear and the Headlights (also from Mesa, AZ). I was excited to find that Paramore had a female lead singer, as I often bring up the topic of naming good bands with a female lead and can't think of many. Most that come to mind for me happen to only be single artists, and not the lead to an excellent band. So, if anyone has a decent list, I do need some more female vocalists in my collection. Paramore was pretty cool, but I didn't recognize any of their songs, and I noticed that the fanbase was mostly throngs of teenage girls. However, it was the girl-power sort of throng, rather than the swooning over the lead singer type (which in this case would be disturbing rather than annoying/humorous).

Speaking of swooning over the lead singer, I came pretty close to that myself. I loved watching Jim sing and play live, and I rarely took my eyes off of him. I guess from just seeing videos of their live shows, I became pretty familiar with what to expect. I immediately recognized that Jim was wearing his black button-up concert shirt. It's the only shirt I've seen him wear in concert, and I think it's cool that he keeps up the tradition, especially since this shirt invariably becomes absolutely drenched in sweat after each show. And yes, it was very entertaining to watch him transform from being completely dry to completely wet.

Set (as well as memory serves):

Big Casino- Obvious choice for the opener. It's their new hit single, and it has a lot of energy. I think the chorus is really catchy.
Sweetness- One of their biggest hits ever. Everyone has heard this one. It was great to jumpstart the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Work- I like this one, and I gave a good shout for the Futures album.
Crush- I was a little surprised by this choice, but was glad to hear a lesser known song from a lesser known album.
Dizzy- This is my favorite song off of the new album, and I loved seeing it live. They had this green misty light on the whole time which gave off a Great Gatsby vibe. Definitely a highlight to the show.
Just Tonight...- They seemed to downplay the usual intensity of this song. It was kinda a shame, but it was still cool. I love the guitar solo on this one!
A Praise Chorus- Josie likes this song a lot. I think it's fun.
Polaris- This is another of my favorite slower songs of theirs. I was glad that they played it, and gave it a good cheer.
Always Be- This is a pretty catchy track off the new album.
Your New Aesthetic- The only real rocker on Clarity. I like it better than Bleed American.
Let It Happen- That's the first time I've heard the crowd laugh along to a song. This is one of my favorites from the new album.
Pain- High-energy crowd pleaser. A nice rocker from Futures.
Blister- I always skip this track on Clarity because the beginning always startles me with Tom's voice shouting from the start. Ewwh. It's a pretty good song other than that beginning. It's likely that they play this at every show to give Tom a chance to shine, and Jim some time to rest from singing.
Here It Goes- This is such a good dance song. It's got a good message to be yourself and have fun.
Get It Faster- I like the loud and soft transitions on this one a lot. It was at this point that I heard the people around me beginning to comment on how soaked in sweat Jim's shirt was, and I thought it was funny.
Futures- Always cool. I like the lyrics.
Bleed American- The classic rocker. I was getting a little sweaty myself at this point.

Encore:
The Middle- It's certainly a crowd pleaser. I was a little out of energy to fully appreciate it.
Hear You Me- Nice way to end. This is the only song I didn't sing along/lip sync with. I just peacefully enjoyed it. I was surprised at how many people still wave lighters around instead of cell phones. I like lighters. There's something very rock-and-roll about the old-fashioned flames in the air.

Lousy commentary, I know, but I wanted to remember the set, so I typed it up. It was an excellent show!

I also enjoyed getting to see Josie and her family, of course. I saw a potato cellar for the first time, and it reminded me of Scrooge McDuck's vault of coins off of Duck Tales. I'm sure her dad doesn't dive in and take a swim in the potatoes, but...I can't say I didn't imagine it :)