Concert Season Part 2

Here's part 2! I have never been to so many concerts in one year, and have also never been so exhausted. But man has it been so much fun! So earlier this year when we started buying tickets for the concerts, we saw that some of the concerts were back to back. We shrugged it off and said we would handle it like champs. And we did, but that didn't mean we didn't pay for it the following days after. But we survived and have stories to tell of all the fun. So let's dive in:


Daughtry:

My second concert of a million up at good ole Usana. I know how to get there in my sleep now, as well as how early we really need to leave to make it on time. So there's that.

Daughtry was actually amazing, Chris' voice was spot on, whether the videos portray that or not. For some reason my phone would pick up the sound great at times and not so great at other times. But believe me when I say that he and his band sounded terrific. Being on the grass was so nice too. This time it wasn't cram packed, and we could actually sit and listen to the music and not feel like sardines. It's kind of one of my favorite ways to go to a concert. Nothing super eventful happened during the concert, other than some great music, and Jordan learning she loves them. Which means it was a success.


Goo Goo Dolls:

 

The Goo Goo Dolls brought their A-game and rocked it. We got to hear all their hits sans one in particular which left us really sad. Why couldn't they just play Give a Little Bit??  I'm not one for covers usually, but they did an amazing job and it rivals Supertramp's. I would have loved to have heard it live. Aside from that the concert really was great, they sounded perfect, and the night was just the right kind of cool.

 

Steve Miller Band:

The very next night after The Goo Goo Dolls we were back for more fun. And I just have to give a shout out to Jordan's dad, because he is awesome. He got the best seats for this concert, and we had an absolute blast. Steve Miller was so much fun, and his backup vocal dude was so damn fun to watch. He quickly became our favorite person. You will see him on the right in the videos, he was dancing all over the place and we loved it. Steve played all of the songs you'd hope to hear, even Serenade for Jordan. This being my first time seeing him live, I was so excited, and he didn't disappoint at all. And the night was only half way through!


Journey:

It's no secret that I don't like it when a band replaces their lead singer with someone and then tries to sell it as "he sounds just like blank blank, we promise!" This band (and one other) I hold dear to my heart and have had the hardest time coming to terms with not having the original lead singer. If you've been reading my blog since the beginning, or know me in person, you'll know that Steve Perry's Oh Sherrie is my all-time favorite song. Yes I realize it's not Journey that sings it, but Steve Perry solo. But still Steve Perry to me is and always will be the heart and soul of Journey, and his voice can never be replaced. This being said, new dude held his own. Looking back at the videos I recorded, he really does sound pretty good. Not spot on like some have said, but really close. And for that I have to eat a little crow. This was probably the funnest concert we've been to yet. I knew just about every song they played, and we danced and sang our little hearts out and I regret nothing. It was worth the hoarse voice the next morning and the very sore hips and feet. Totally worth it.


Don Felder (Formerly of The Eagles):

When we heard the Eagles were coming, we immediately looked at getting tickets and about died at the prices. We had to realize that we weren't going to be able to go, and it made us really sad. It's a goal to see them, and one day it'll happen, just not this time around. Well I feel like this concert made up for that a little. Don Felder was so good! He sang quite a few Eagles songs, and it made us really happy. He sounded great, and although he wasn't the original lead on the songs, he did his best, and I couldn't care less at the time. One Eagle is better than nothing. The other bonus for this concert was that we got seats for it, and they weren't half bad. Especially for buying the tickets through Groupon. We got a deal. Three great bands for $15. Can't complain there.


Foreigner:

So I learned after Foreigner was done playing that they too didn't have their original lead singer. I'm glad I found out after the concert. I don't know how much it would have changed my opinion or not, but I do know they were awesome. They rocked, and even brought out a local school choir for "I Wanna Know What Love Is" which was really neat. They played all the songs we hoped they would, and we had some serious fun. This was my first time seeing Foreigner and I was way too excited. I'm so glad I got the chance!

Styx:

 

So if you've read my past posts, you'll know how much heartache I've had over Styx in the past I believe 12 years. Styx is one of my all-time favorite bands, they're actually third in line after The Beatles and Travis. So with the fact that they don't have Dennis DeYoung anymore, I've had a hard time wanting to see them live. And honestly I wasn't thrilled to see them this time, and mainly went for Foreigner. So I was happy when I found myself enjoying them, and singing to all of the songs, and downright having a great time. I tried to ignore that Dennis wasn't there, and that new dude (whom I haven't bothered to learn his name) didn't sound like him at all, and instead just enjoy myself and the music of the band I really do love. We even wore old Styx concert shirts of mine to help with the fun. Honestly it was a good time, and they did great. They even played a couple songs I haven't heard live before, so that alone made me ecstatic.  

 

The Wallflowers:

 

 

 

 

 

I have loved The Wallflowers since their first album came out. And it didn't hurt that Jakob Dylan was not only cute, but had a sexy voice to boot. It helped even more that his dad is Bob Dylan, but not much more. He can hold his own. So when I heard they were coming and not only coming, but the concert was free, I was down. I didn't know it was a goal to see them until I could. We decided to ride the train down so we didn't have to deal with parking, and conveniently it takes us right to where we need to be. We found what they called "Beer Garden" and got into the elite fenced off area to drink our beers (only in Utah would you find this), and settled in for a fun night. They sounded great and Jakob's voice was still as sexy as ever. It wasn't too packed at first in the Beer Garden, or anywhere else really, but toward the end of their playing it started to really fill in, and I started to get a little anxious. I don't do big crowds very well when I feel like I'm trapped. But regardless, it was still a lot of fun.

 

Train:

 

 

 

 

 

Train was the second half of the free concert, and by this time it was packed! I got the lucky opportunity to have obnoxious people next to me banging into me as they danced, and even making out while leaning on me. Not cool people. Have some respect while having your fun. Anyway, Train did great, they played all their hits, and toward the end we decided to leave Beer Garden and find Port-a-Potty Lane. It was a lot less crowded back there, so we finished out the concert in the back where we could actually move and dance a bit. It was really nice. I love that we were able to see two great bands for free, such a cool idea. We finished our night by walking several blocks to get pizza, missing the last trax pickup to the train, renting bikes to ride to the train, and nearly missing the train, but making it with two minutes to spare. Did I mention I did this all while in a dress? I love adventures like this, especially when they're unplanned.

 

 

 

 

Stay tuned for Part 3! Because we are not done yet. Here's what's left to see:

 

Boston

Doobie Brothers

Paul McCartney

Mury

Hawthorne Heights (maybe)