~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~it's all about the love~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Saturday, April 6, 2013

Way To Your Heart post #2 - Concert crazy



Less Than Three Press is turning four years old! To commemorate the anniversary, we're having a bloghop called "The Way to Your Heart" from April 1-14.  Each blogger's "assignment" is to talk about the things that mean the most to them, things that make their hearts soar or even soar, in a good way of course.

The masterpost with all the awesome participants is HERE IT IS AT LT3  and many are offering shiny giveaways. So sit back and read what makes my heart do little flip-flops then go check out all the others. 


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This is my second post for the anniversary. I'll be giving away one $20 gift certificate to All Romance Ebooks, plus ebooks from my backlist. If I do three posts that would mean I give away the gift certificate plus 2 books, four posts would be the gift certificate plus 3 books - you get the idea. Every time you comment on a post, your name will go in the overall bucket so comment on two posts = two chances, three posts = three chances - again, I think you get the picture. Now on to the good bits. (beware - you will have to view a couple old pictures of me :P)


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I was able to indulge in one of the things that makes me very happy this week. I went to a Bon Jovi concert - yays! Bon Jovi makes me exceptionally happy but it's the concert experience I want to talk about. I'm the sort of person who likes to be alone - I'm a content hermit in that way. I raised a family, did a ton of volunteering, sporting events, and other activities. I've done the dutiful wife thing at parties where I was uncomfortable as f*** and just wanted to crawl into a corner and die because I really had nothing to contribute to any of the conversations, and frankly didn't care. 

So because of those things I decided I deserved my hermitism. My day is spent by myself (and my cats) with evenings having my husband or son kicking around some of the time. I go for coffee occasionally and the odd movie I think I can sit through because of my claustrophobia, dislike of crowds, and my attention span for not being able to do only one thing at a time - not a good scene. 

Other than that (and the quiet corner of a cruise ship or traveling Europe on one), home is where I like to be, EXCEPT - I can stand in the middle of a moshpit of rocker wannabes, hanging onto the barricade at the front of the stage and be in perfect comfort and complete bliss.

Concerts. That's what I'm talking about. Whether I go alone or with someone I know or meet people from across North America to hook up with there - it's always an awesome experience for me. My iTunes is a smorgasbord of diverse music from my fave 80's hairbands to Christian Kane (country) to punk, pop, rock, metal - you name it it's on there - even some classical. So obviously music is a very important part of my life and live music is one of those things that completely brings me out of my head and into the moment - into THAT moment.

I've gone to some extremes for the music and bands I love. I followed 30 Seconds to Mars around Canada and the U.S. for somewhere in the range of 14 gigs - planes, trains and automobiles, hotels, no sleep, eating at 2 in the morning only to have to get on a plane at 8 am for the next show, paying extra to meet and have pictures with the band. I even traveled to Hollywood to take part in the Summit where none of us had a clue what we were doing until Jared came on stage and said we were becoming part of their recording process and there we were with Jared F*cking Leto teaching us how to sing back up for 30 Seconds to Mars album This Is War. 2000/10 was awesome. And I have 200 album covers with my face on them to prove it. ;)

I've traveled for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bon Jovi and Seether. I've stood in the pouring rain for the Goo Goo Dolls, Great Big Sea, Hedley, and Three Days Grace, been sunburned for all those ones too I imagine, and more. Over the past year I've been to almost 10 gigs, crutches be damned. Lol.

There's just something about hearing a band you love tuning up and getting ready to roll out on stage. Whether it's a small venue or bar or the damn 20,000 seat Calgary Saddledome, it's magical in my eyes and head. 

I can be the most nervous, uncomfortable person in social situations (but I have a great game face so generally nobody even knows it) but put me in a crowded space with people screaming and swooning and dancing, and I'm in a world I never want to leave.

It's about the excitement in the air, the anticipation, the noise, the guitars, the drums, the keyboards, the acoustic solos, the belting out and crooning of voices. 

It's about half-naked men strutting around on stage (if you're lucky), jumping, spinning, bobbing and weaving, laughing through lyrics, screaming on the loud parts and whispering on the soft ones. 

It's about being in the presence of great music whether it's in tune or exactly the same as the recorded version or not. It's about losing yourself in the experience, being a part it - making your own experiences and memories that will last a lifetime.


It's about not caring how you look or sound while you're singing your heart out, pumping your arms and dancing to your own beat (even with crutches).

It's about meeting people who are just as dumbass-crazy as you because you both are so in love with where you are, who you're with, what you're hearing, what you're seeing, and what you're feeling in that moment.


It's about buying the t-shirts and merch so you can take home a even a small part of the experience you just sweated your ass off, sang your heart out and smiled until your face wanted to crack.



It's about being in a moment - or many moments - you never want to end.





All pics are mine which is why this post is so 30 Seconds to Mars heavy 
with a touch of Goo Goo Dolls, Seether, and Street Drum Corps. 
Please excuse the pics of me - some are faves that I just happen to be in :)



11 comments:

  1. I'm definitely a concert fanatic, too! I don't get to go as often as I'd like, but I've been known to travel for my favorite bands (Redd Kross a few months ago--awesome!), and I definitely have a few pictures where I look insane standing next to my favorite boys. (I always turn into a blithering idiot around the Sloan guys, especially Chris Murphy, so it's probably better for me that they don't come to California as often as I'd like.) Still kicking myself over missing Christian Kane in San Jose a couple of years ago, and I think I need to check out 30 Seconds To Mars, given the raging love you and LA Witt have for them. Must be a good sign!

    Trix, vitajex(at)aol(dot)com

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  2. I'm a bit jealous. I've never been to any concert. I don't do so well in crowds and I'm too much of a homebody to want to leave home. Your pictures and your enthusiasm makes it seem like a lot of fun though.

    humhumbum AT yahoo DOT com

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  3. I'm the same as H.B. Those pics are freaking awesome! You look so happy in them. Thanks for sharing them with us.

    shayla.mist@gmail.com

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  4. I'm envious of all the concerts & the lovely men to whom you were exposed!! The pics look as if everyone was having fun :-)

    Tame

    tameadams@yahoo.com

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  5. Holy Cow!! How much fun have you had?? My first concert was to see Kid Rock...I've seen him four times since. He's so good live. He's probably my favorite...and with my eclectic music tastes, my second would be Neil Diamond...he really is a blast.

    morris.crissy@gmail.com

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  6. I'm always a little bit afraid of going to concerts because I don't want to take the chance that I'll lose any and all respect for a singer or a band. For example, Taylor Swift is a good songwriter, which I used to at least respect her for. Then I saw her sing live and I realized that she's 90% tone deaf and should never be on the stage. The last thing I want is to go see a band I really like and have that happen!

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  7. Wow, 200 albums with your face on them. Glad that you are having so much fun with the concerts and following them. Great pictures too.

    strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com

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  8. Rock on! What an awesome post! Your enthusiasm for the things you love is just wonderful to behold. Plus, you give us pics of hot rockers. Bonus! I love that you've found a place where you can be free and let go. That's a gift.

    I love going to concerts (though I don't go as often as I'd like to). I can't think of any that I've had a bad time at because of the energy in the crowd and the people I'm seeing. My most memorable ones are the Green Day concerts. I was pregnant 17 years ago when we went with friends who didn't know yet. I was invited to mosh. Needless to say, I declined. Fast forward 15 years, another Green Day concert where I was once again blown away by their talent. My favorite line was when Billy Joe shouted to the crowd, "Get off your fucking asses, this isn't TV!" He's got that right.

    Thanks so much for sharing your joy with all of us.

    caroaz [at] ymail [dot] com

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  9. Awww. It all looks like so much fun. I've never been to a concert before, which is strange because I'm always aware when one is going on. I've never attended the ones organized by Nigerian stars or foreign singers in the country. Reading your post has filled me with a yearning though, so I think I'm going to work hard at attending one as soon as possible. Hopefully, I will get to meet Rihanna some day soon. #hopefulgrin.

    siteno.ebulu@gmail.com

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  10. Wow! You look like you've definitely had great concert experiences. :) I think the last time I attended a concert was when I was a teenager (almost 2 decades ago), then life got too busy. You've made me want to see a concert soon!

    freifallen at yahoo dot com

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