One day I’ll get back on track on actually blogging things on time, and not months later…here is another update from this past summer.
It had been four months since the last time I had seen Scars on 45, but after impatiently torturous waiting, it was time for a little road trip to see my favorite Brits.
The first show was in Reno, Nevada. Seeing as it was a 5 hour drive and in the middle of the week, I took a few days off of work. I picked up Tracy 2 hours into my drive, which made the last 3 hour trek go by quickly.
We arrived in Reno a little before the rest of the crew (they still had to work) and it was happy hour, so we took advantage of the cheap vodka and had a drink to pass the time. We chatted up our bartender until Dawn L and Tara arrived, and my other lovely friend Elyse was there with a friend to see the headliner, so we all hung out until doors opened.
There weren’t too many people at the show, but honestly that’s the way I like them. Small and intimate. Xenia from Season 1 of The Voice opened. She is the tiniest thing ever. I was so tired though, I have to admit I couldn’t really get into her music as she played. But, she did have this highly amusing sign onstage, that we quoted for the rest of the night to one another.
When Scars came out to set up before their set, Danny said hi to us and joked around that we were mental for being in Nevada. We may or may not have made a group name to call ourselves based on that comment. (#WCM!!!)
The set was pretty long for an opening slot. We were singing along loudly like always, and at one point, Aimee even encouraged us by putting her hand behind her ear and saying, “Where are my back up singers?” Yeah. I love them.
After their set we headed out to the merch table to say hi while Dia Frampton played. Much love and appreciation was given from the band. Each one kept coming back to finish talking to us between signing stuff for people who would approach and ask. I was telling Danny how it was only my tenth time seeing them, but already in my fifth state. He kept just shaking is head and hugging me. They are all huge on hugs, really. I lost track of how many hugs I received that night. Might I add I don’t know what scent those Brits wear, but they smell amazing, and my sweater still smelled like cologne the following morning, haha!
They asked us when they’d be seeing us next, and the looks of awe on their faces when we said, “Oh in two days. Napa. Then a few days later in San Diego. Then San Francisco.” (Can I just hitch a ride in the tour van, yet?)
After the show I followed Tara home and crashed on her couch. It was a 2.5 hour drive and we caffeinated and talked on the phone the entire way back to keep one another awake.
Poor Tara had to go to work early the next morning. She lives outside Sacramento, and I stopped in the city for a few hours to see my old friend Jonah Matranga play a show in the park in the middle of the afternoon (in 100 degree weather, holy sunburn!) before heading the 3 hours back home.
The next morning I went to work early, only to work a half day, and then head BACK 2 hours north to Dawn L and Tracy’s house. Wait, why even go home, you ask?
Scars had added the Napa show the day before the Reno show, because they had a few days off, and apparently get bored. HA. I would have just stayed up north for the night and asked for a third day off if I had known, trust me. I changed out of my work outfit when I got to their place, and then we drove the 40 minutes to Napa and met up with Tara and Megan at the venue.
The venue was a winery. You know what this means.
We had a few hours to wine and dine before the show portion was starting, so we were up to crazy shenanigans before we knew it.
Stu came over to say hi to us (really I think he came over to ask where I got my beer from. Everyone had wine in hand and I was a classy lady drinking beer from a can) and introduce us to one of the guys who worked for them, who told us, “I’ve heard all about you girls!” (Good things, I hope.) We chatted it up for awhile, and then we got the best news ever. Megan had mentioned how the two of us kept pimping them out and were trying to convince Sixthman to get them on The Rock Boat the next year.
“Sixthman? That cruise in February? Oh yeah. We just accepted. But its not announced officially for awhile so you can’t tell anyone quite yet.”
You don’t even understand how much I wanted to grab anyone in my line of site and hug them. Its been a few months months now and I still grin like a fangirl when I think of how amazing it’s going to be. February come quick, please!
But now let’s talk about how much of an idiot I am, and how I never bought a ticket to San Diego because I didn’t think it’d sell out, and then what happened? It sold out. Idiot. Dawn L and Tracy had been trying to convince me to just ask if they could possibly guest list me. This took me back to the Matt and Kelly show in Indio, and my whole, “I’ll never ask for anything!” rule.
Stu had mentioned something about us going to San Diego in a few days, and Dawn L straight up said, “Well, Joslyn actually can’t make San Diego any longer because she didn’t buy a ticket and now it’s sold out.” I made a sad face and Stu gave me a look.
“Oh, shut up! Joslyn if you want to go still, we’ll guest list you. I bet you were just too afraid to ask, weren’t you?” Pretty sure I sheepishly said, “Yes..” I then got lectured on how I am always welcomed and not allowed to be hesitate asking. Ha. Stu is my homeboy.
Let’s just say that by the time the band hit the stage, we all had knocked back a few drinks. Which means we were louder than normal.
Here’s a not so secret about me. When I find things extremely funny I snort laugh. And of course right after the band took the stage, and before they started playing their first song one of the girls must have said something I found amusing (OK fine, I was real tipsy, everything was amusing) and I snort laughed. Sure, whatever. But it was one of those awkward moments where the room is noisy so you’re talking loud, and then the music suddenly stops abruptly and you say something that everyone hears and it’s a little embarrassing. YEAH…the crowd silenced and the snort almost echoed. Oh. My God.
Aimee busts out laughing onstage. Danny is tuning his guitar and says, “Was that Joslyn?” NO NO NO. I automatically cover my face with both hands and want to die. Everyone is laughing, including me, but I was still so embarrassed!
So after my great start of the set, we are graced with the acoustic side of Scars. None of us had seen them play acoustically before, so I’m glad this show happened.
Afterwards we drink more, get into more shenanigans, tell the band drunk things, scream ROCK BOAT at all of them, and practically get shooed out by the owner because we’re lingering too long and probably beyond super obnoxious. Ooops, sorry. Dawn L drives our drunk asses to Denny’s for a sobering up meal, (thanks for being the DD!) and then we headed back to her place to crash.
The next morning we hung out and fed my caffeine addiction, before I had to head back home.
Five days later, Dawn L and Tracy drove down to my place after I worked and Zumba’d. The following morning we got up early to drive down to San Diego.
The drive to San Diego…let’s not even talk about that. Or actually, lets. Lets talk about how a 7 hour drive got turned in 11 due to traffic. Lets talk about how we were all going crazy. Lets talk about how I stuck my head out the back window at one part and yelled because being in the car for that long was messing with my mind. Lets talk about how I was supposed to meet up with my best friend who lives in San Diego before the show for dinner but had to cancel because we arrived so damn late. Oh em GEEEE. Worst travel day ever?!
When we finally checked into our hotel, we got ready super quick, and then walked straight to House of Blues a few blocks away because doors were already opened and the show was starting in a half hour. Thanks, SoCal traffic.
The first thing we saw while crossing the street to the venue was Stu and Chris. They waved and hugged us hello. “Did you find a ticket?” Stu asked me. “Wait, what?” I said. “I’m just kidding! You’re on the guestlist!” Not. Funny. They asked us how we were, we kinda groaned because we weren’t recovered from the drive from hell, and then we were off to find Will Call t pick up my ticket and head in.
Dawn L and I decided we needed a drink, pronto. Vodka Pineapple to the rescue! It definitely calmed us down and let us enjoy the show more. The show was the same line up as Reno. Xenia, Scars, Dia Frampton.
After Scars set, we headed to the back of the venue for another drink and to chat it up with our Brits again. I wore my awesome “geek glasses” to the show, and lets just say I was given a lot of shit for them. I do wear prescription glasses at work, but these are just plastic lenses and for fun. Nova kept asking why I’d wear “fake” glasses. I know it was all in good humor, but he couldn’t let it go. Ha. Speaking of Nova, he never really left our side for the rest of the night. He talked our ears off for over an hour and a half. We had SO much fun with him! He even fed the fire by buying us a THIRD drink, which hit me really hard and I got, um, really wasted. The snort laughs were out of control. Stu jokingly called me “little miss piggy” (that should sound mean, but its all in love.)
Chris was asking us where we were staying and if we’d be OK getting back there. I told him we were staying at the Holiday Inn down the street so we were fine. Then I sang Pitbull to him. “We at the hotel, motel, Holiday Innnnnn!” Oh my mouth. I need to tape it shut. I’m totally a fun drunk though. At one point Chris was just laughing and told me, “You are my favorite.” Winner…or he was just as drunk as I.
At the end of the night a photo shoot with Nova happened. He wanted the crazy photos, so don’t blame me.
After we said our goodbyes to the band, we headed to Subway since it was the only thing open at that hour, and we missed dinner due to traffic. After, we headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep. I giggled excessively until I fell asleep and the next morning I remember waking up and saying, “oh my GOD. Did I really say all these things to the band I THINK I said?!” Yes. Yes I did.
We drove back to Monterey (no traffic, hooray.) and Dawn L and Tracy continued their drive back north. I was passed out before 10pm because the next morning I had to wake up at 4:30am.
It’s still dark at 4:30am. I showered and packed a lunch and then headed into San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for the last Scars show.
They were playing Alice Radio’s annual Summerthing show, alongside Boys Like Girls and Adam Lambert (who I really, really cannot stand.) We actually talked about Adam Lambert with the band in Reno, and they said they had played a show with him a year or so ago and did not respect him because he was a huge diva and took over an hour to soundcheck, leaving all the other bands on the bill to not have time for one. Rude. So when I told them I pretty much was hoping to leave before he even started playing because I cannot stand his voice, they were happy. Ha.
Tara and I got there around 8am. Dawn L and Tracy unfortunately couldn’t make it last minute, which was sad. It was early, but there were already a few dozen Adam fans buzzing around. Chris came over to say hi when Scars arrived, and he told us that we got there before the band was even awake. Haha. We watched soundcheck and then waited for the show to start, which couldn’t come fast enough. Adam Lambert fans are WEIRD.
After Scars’ set, we headed to the back of the crowd to get iced coffees and to say hi at the merch table before we headed home.
“Where are your glasses?” Stu asked right before we took the photo. I had them in my bag so I put them on and everyone cheered and I was called Lois Lane. Haha.
Oh how I have a huge crush on the entire band.
Complimentary Breakfast 