Hello everyone!
It's late Monday night and I have to work tomorrow but I can't sleep! So, I couldn't think of anything better to do than to write my Tuesday post. Are ya ready kids?
Obviously, this week is one of those write-whatever-you-want weeks. Fortunately, I have done something especially nerdfighterly this week, meaning you are spared more of my poetry! (Be happy!) I went to see some DFTBA musicians in concert in Boulder today (Monday), which was really cool and fun. This is going to be a long post...so sorry about that. Keep in mind that half the reason I'm writing this is so that I can remember it later.
My friend Sarah and I drove up to Boulder, which is about an hour north of where I live. (I should mention, it's a very lovely drive, especially at this time of year). I was wearing my home-made DFTBA shirt, because it seemed appropriate. I also had with me a little blank scrapbook, so that I could have the artists sign it and I could send it to Caitlin.
There was apparently some confusion on the Facebook invitation as to the time the concert started, so we ended up getting there an hour early. Sarah and I walked through the Boulder library to the theater in the back. On the way, we passed Jason Munday. It was very surreal. I waved; he said "Hello."
The merchandise table had already been set up, just outside the theater entrance. The area was surprisingly empty, as only a few people had shown up this early. Alex Carpenter and Mike Lombardo were sitting behind the table, talking casually with some nearby nerdfighters. I'm a huge fan of Mike's (of all the artists there he's my favorite) so it was really cool to just walk up and be that close to him. Of course, I was way too nervous to actually approach him, but I got my chance later.
Luke Conard came out a little later, and he was the first person I asked for an autograph. Then Jason Munday, when he came back, and finally Alex Carpenter. The pen ran out of ink while he was writing his name, which was sad. You'll see when you get it, Caitlin. He tried the pen a couple more times and then handed it back apologetically, shrugging.
I have never met any kind of famous YouTuber before. In fact, having never been to any kind of pop concert before, I'd also never seen in real life any musicians I follow regularly. It was both awesome and strange. Especially strange, I think, because I see these people's faces and hear their voices so often, I already felt like I knew them.
Anyway, Sarah and I realized, as the crowd began to grow, that we'd inadvertently placed ourselves in the front of the line. When the door opened, I was the first person in the theater. (Yay me!) We hurried down to the front and got seats in the front row, just to the left of the center, which put us near the piano (and therefore, Mike).
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| His shirt said "Moony & Wormtail & Padfoot & Prongs" |
The artists moved around on stage, feet away from us, getting their instruments and equipment ready. At one point, Alex Carpenter sat on the edge of the stage right in front of me. Creeper that I am, I snapped his picture with my phone. He didn't notice.
Eventually, Jason Munday took the stage, introduced himself, and proceeded to rock out. He's very entertaining to watch, and despite the speakers being really REALLY loud, his set was a lot of fun. I sang along, especially when he did a duet with Mike Lombardo called "I'll See Her There." That was the first song I'd ever heard from any of the artists, ever, which was cool. Here's a picture, of course!
After Jason, it was Mike's turn. He did a few songs, all of which were great. He's such a good pianist; I'm jealous. At one point, Alex, who was playing bass, put down his instrument and requested "the song that makes me cry."
Laugh if you will, but that song made me cry the first time I heard it, too. It's called "
You Should Know" and you should listen to it. I think he said he wrote it for Hanko de Mayo one year.
After Mike finished, Luke Conard took up the guitar and did a few songs. He was supposed to be performing with ALL CAPS, but the other half of his "band" couldn't be there for some reason, so he sang by himself. He forgot his own lyrics a couple of times, but this was forgotten once he started running through the crowd giving high-fives.
Alex Carpenter sang last. I'm not a huge fan of his music (or even Luke's, really), but like the rest of them, he was very fun to watch. He'd also stuck a Pokemon card (Charmander, to be specific) in his guitar, which made him cool.
Once the show was done, everyone shuffled out of the theater to buy some merchandise. I have never owned a poster before (I know, there's something wrong with me, right?), so Sarah bought me a Contour poster. It has X-wings and the TARDIS on it, and I have every intention of putting it up in my dorm room next month. It's the first of what will hopefully be a large collection. (Thank you, Sarah!)
Of course, I had to get the poster signed, so I had to hang around for a while until I got a chance to approach each musician again. I did eventually get to Mike, right at the end. He was by far and away the friendliest of all of them, and when I told him I wanted his autograph for a friend, even asked what her name was so he could write it properly (Caitlin!!). He also signed the poster, gave me a hug, and let Sarah take my picture with him. He's awesome.
The thing that most struck me about the whole experience was the fact that this ridiculously niche community was able to organize itself and make a concert like this possible. The internet is an incredible thing, my friends, in the way that it brings people together. These guys get to travel around the country singing songs about Harry Potter, Doctor Who, and YouTube, and they have an
audience. It may be a relatively small one, but it's there nonetheless, and that audience, a part of nerdfighteria, is in itself a community. I think that's a really cool thing.
And this post is wayyyyy longer than it should have been, but I had fun writing it. Hope you all have a good week, and I look forward to reading what you all write!
DFTBA,
Emily
