Concerts.

I love concerts. There's simply nothing like the energy of a crowd as the main act gets ready to play. I love the pulse of the music, the bright lights, and simply the sound of live music. Everyone is there for one purpose: to witness something great.

My favorite show has some great quotes about concerts:
"...It's like when you go and see a really great band, live for the first time and, you know, and nobody's saying it, but everybody's thinking it, we have something to believe in again."

"Every song has a CODA, a final movement, whether it fades out or crashes away. Every song ends, is that any reason not to enjoy the music?"

Over the weekend I bought 2 tickets to see Coldplay in concert July 2012. Even though it's over a half-year away, I find myself excited already. It got me reminiscing about all the concerts I've been to and the great memories I've accumulated from each one. I decided to compile my most memorable moments from each concert I've been to. I'm sure I'm missing a few but as I think of more, I'll add to the list (or you can remind me of one we went to together in the comments!).

Nsync. This was my first concert ever. I was 13. It was 2000. Nsync was going on tour. I had to go! There's no denying I was fully immersed in the boy band craze (and, if I'm being honest with myself, haven't quite grown out of it as of today...). This was their No Strings Attached tour and me and a friend, Anna, were die-hard Nsync fans. We got our nose bleed tickets for the July 21st show at the (then) First Union Spectrum (now Wells Fargo Center). It didn't matter that once we got there all we could see were little tiny dots on the stage. All that mattered to us was that we were breathing the same air as Justin Timberlake! Oh. My. God! I do remember my Dad dropping us off and picking us up for that concert. At the time I remember wanting him to drop us off around the corner so no one saw, now I'm surprised he let me go to a concert without parental supervision at 13. My funniest memory of the concert (although at the time was the single most appropriate response to the situation) was hysterically crying when JT came out and sang "This I Promise You." There was no question, of course he was singing it to me.

Default. This was my first concert with my Dad. I can't remember the exact year but I believe it was around the same time or year of the Nsync concert. The difference here: not only was I not embarrassed to be going to a concert with my Dad, I felt cool because I knew my Dad had the "inside scoop" to rock music. My Dad was a musician in his 20s and is a wizz on the guitar. I knew this was my Dad's realm, and I loved it. I remember feeling very protected at this concert. Both by my Dad and by the music. I think this was when I truly fell in love with live music (sorry Nsync). It was at the Theatre of Living Arts in Philadelphia and, if you've ever been there, you know how intimate the place is. I felt like I was a part of the band, a part of their process. Default has since come and gone, but I'll never forget this concert.

Y100 FEASTival. This was one kick-ass concert! It was 2003 in Camden, NJ and my friend from high school, Stephanie, and I went with her Mom. One poignant memory from our drive there stands out. We were driving there, in traffic, late, and Stephanie and I had to pee really bad. All we had were some water bottles so we took the opportunity to learn how to pee in a small necked water bottle without spilling. I gotta say, I did pretty good. The concert featured 311, The Offspring, Dashboard Confessional, The Used, Smile Empty Soul and Jet. I remember The Offspring kicking some serious ass. I know I crowd surfed quite a few times during their set, particularly during the song "The Kids Aren't Alright." (Listening to that song now and totally picturing a mosh pit that I want to be in...). I remember jumping up and down a LOT and flailing all about with the rest of the crowd. We had seated tickets, but that didn't stop us from making our way to the pit once the lights went down. 311 also put on a really great set and I've been a fan of theirs ever since.

All American Rejects. This was also at the Theatre of Living Arts on April 1, 2003 (and yes, if you must know, I'm using Google to help me find the dates and years). I went with Stephanie and we waited outside for a while before the concert started, fully prepared with our punk clothing attire and Converse sneakers. This was another intimate affair, but much more intimate than Default. I remember feeling so smushed at one point that I could hardly breathe. Then again, we were at the very front of the venue right up against the metal fence that separated us from running up on stage. Two things happened at this concert: 1. The main singer Tyson Ritter sweat right on my head. Literally. He was so close that the sweat dripped from his smoothly singing face right onto my forehead. I thought it was the best thing in the world. 2. One of the band mates threw their water bottle out into the crowd and I caught it. I brought it home with me and my Dad unintentionally threw it out the next day.

Jessica Simpson. This was in 2004 at the outdoor Hershey Park Pavilion. It was July 2nd and a blistering hot day. There were chairs but since it was outdoors, I remember running to the front to snap a few up-close photos of JSimps. I remember thinking She's so beautiful and I do know that she sung live, so that's always good. I did get quite a few good photos from this concert but, unfortunately, digital cameras weren't popular yet and I only have them in good old fashioned print so you'll have to just take my word for it.

Finch. This band was my absolute favorite through most of high school. I used to listen to their What It Is to Burn CD every day on the bus ride to and from school with my Discman. I had every lyric memorized. Finch played at the Theater of Living Arts and I went with my best friend Tori and another good friend, Mason. I definitely lost my voice at this concert because I was singing along to every song, every line, every word. I was engrossed in the moment and didn't care that my throat was screaming at me. After they left the stage, I was not satisfied with leaving. Tori, Mason and I asked a bouncer outside if he knew when Finch would be out and he directed us around the back of the venue. We just walked inside a door, up some stairs and hey! there's Finch sitting in their dressing room. I took off my Converse sneaker and threw it to the lead singer, Nate, asking him to sign it. He did, threw it back, and told us we couldn't be up here and needed to leave. We left with no fuss but not before I yelled how much their music had changed me.

Saosin. I trekked once again to the Theater of Living Arts on November 3, 2007 to see Saosin with a dear friend Charlene. This concert was so full of energy and hard-core moshing. One of my all-time favorite songs by them "Voices" was also one of my favorite moments at this concert. Charlene and I had listened to the CD on the way to the concert and I remember hearing the CD version of this song and just itching to hear it live. When that moment came and they played the first few riffs I just went to a place of euphoria. I remember looking up at the ceiling, closing my eyes, and just letting the lyrics and sound wash over me. That was one moment I will never forget. The feeling I had, knowing that music, or even a single song, can define how I'm feeling. Charlene was such a fun concert buddy and we danced, moshed and scream-sang the night away from start to finish.

Panic at the Disco. This one I also went to with Charlene and it was March 2008 in Philadelphia. It was pure entertainment from start to finish. The set looked like a circus and the costumes and dancers were outrageous. Panic! put on a great set and had me up and out of my seat the entire time. The one rather regrettable memory I have of this concert is accidentally punching Charlene in the face in the midst of my jumping and screaming. Quite the sport, she laughed it off and kept dancing with me. Sorry Char!

Glee. June 8, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Center. I went with my friend Sarah and boy did the actors and actresses from Glee put on a show! They did a set of songs from the show and reenacted some scenes as well. There were lights, costumes, awesome dancing. Oh yeah, and this A Capella group called The Warblers. Needless to say, my and Sarah's fan girl reactions arose full surface on this fine date in Philly. I do know that the concert felt short for the amount of money we paid for our tickets, but it was still a great time and I'm an even bigger fan of the show now. The Glee LIVE concert movie showed in theaters (yes, I saw that too) and is now out on DVD if you'd like to experience what I experienced in a less awesome fashion. And that's what you missed on GLEE!

Britney. There's a reason this woman has been entertaining for over a decade. She knows how to entertain! My sister Jes graciously went to this concert with me even though she's not exactly a fan (though she did know a lot of the words - go Jes!). On August 5, 2011 I finally saw Britney in concert after being a fan since 1998's "Baby One More Time." This was her Femme Fatale tour and it was quite the spectacle! There were trapeze artists, fireworks, crazy props, and real live singing from Brit Brit herself! Nicki Minaj opened for Britney and she was a mini-concert herself. She sang almost all her songs from Pink Friday and was good enough that I'd pay to see her individually! My favorites from this concert were Britney singing "Til the World Ends" as her encore, seeing her first come out on the stage singing "Hold it Against Me," and witnessing her infamous dance moves in person.

So those are my highlights of concerts I will always remember and cherish. I am looking forward to adding Coldplay to this list!

A Birthday to be Remembered

June 3, 2011 was a great day. I'm writing this to share my joy in that day, but also to preserve the memories that I never want to forget.

Phil and I have been using each birthday's as an opportunity to surprise each other with something special. For Phil's 23rd birthday I took him to Longwood Gardens. For my 23rd Phil rented us a boat and we laid out on the water for hours in a beautiful park. On Phil's 24th birthday I got us tickets to see Cirque du Soleil in Philly. And for my 24th, well, Phil made me feel just downright special and loved :)

The morning of June 3rd Phil drove us to Nockamixon State Park about 45 minutes away. He had planned out a trail route for us and packed a picnic lunch with sandwiches, salads, and fruit. It was a gorgeous day, high of 75F, sunny and clear blue skies. We got to the park around 11:30 and started off on our hiking adventure! We missed the trail a few times but it was fun to spend time together outdoors and see all the beautiful wildlife. Phil is not usually the outdoorsy type so it was nice of him to think of something he knew I'd enjoy but wouldn't necessarily choose for himself.


After hiking for about an hour, we ended up at this beautiful spot right near the river. We ended up stopping here and had our picnic lunch. Phil had bought a cooler so everything stayed cold. I'll tell ya, this guy can really plan every little detail! After we had finished lunch, we hiked back to the car. We took a different trail back and ended up trekking through some high grass, but it just added more to our whole adventure!


Once we got back to the car, Phil said he had our next stop planned nearby. About 10 minutes later, we arrived at a cute little creamery, OWowCow. They make their own ice cream, toppings, and whipped cream! It was oh so delish! We got a hot
fudge sundae with lemon ginger ice cream. YUM!
We stuffed our faces full of ice cream and then headed back home.

When we got home, Phil told me that I probably wanted to shower before my next surprise. Sure I was muddy from our hiking adventures, but wasn't in the mood to shower again. Phil pushed it enough though that I finally decided that he probably had a reason to be so adamant...

Around 4:30 we headed out again and Phil dropped me off at Sedona Salon & Spa! He told me I was set up for a 90 minute Swedish Massage. Does my husband know me or what? (I was also thankful that I had showered, thanks Phil!) I asked Phil what he would do while I was getting my massage but he simply said, "Don't worry about it." So I didn't.

An hour and a half later, I was relaxed and mellow. Phil picked me up and took us to our next stop: The Cheesecake Factory for dinner! I had Crusted Romano Chicken and Phil got the pulled pork sandwich. Boy oh boy is their food good... Phil even told them it was my birthday so they came over and sung to me with a piece of cake! Not that either of us had room for cake, but we managed a few bites before we boxed everything up and drove home! Full of food, love, and gratitude for my wonderful husband, I wasn't quite sure what else Phil could possibly have planned but he said it wasn't over yet!

We got home around 9:00 and after dropping off my things in the closet, I looked up to see a beautiful assortment of roses in a vase waiting for me on the living room table (turns out this was what Phil was doing while I was getting my massage!). I walked over and opened the breathtakingly beautiful birthday card that Phil had gotten me with the roses. With tears brimming over, I read on the card that there was still one more present! Phil told me to wait here and ran upstairs. He came down with a box. I opened it, teary-eyed, and found a brand new Amazon Kindle inside! I love to read so this was a very well thought out gift. The night ended with two exhausted, full, and happy people!

I hope I expressed enough to Phil just how much today meant to me. The intricate planning and time spent to make this a special day for me shone through in the excitement he had throughout the whole day. I am blown away by how kind hearted and thoughtful my husband is and can't thank God enough for sending him to me. Here's to another wonderful year in which I hope to share that same love and appreciation back to my husband everyday.

You Gotta Go There To Come Back

One Tree Hill. This show has been a staple in my life since its pilot aired on September 23, 2003. I know that probably sounds very worldly and media-centered, but there's just something about this show that just cuts straight to my heart. I've been a dedicated watcher since day 1 and have been wanting to visit where they film ever since. I was never able to go in high school since I couldn't drive yet and I didn't have the money to go in college. After hearing that the current season, 8, is most likely my beloved shows last season, I knew I had to go now. Phil, being the supportive husband that he is, agreed to come along and, although he is not as big of a fan as I, he was excited as well.

I started planning, planning, and more planning. I got a list of all the locations they've filmed, mapped them out, and set us up with places to visit each day while we were down there. I joined forums to exchange info with other fans so we could help each other out with filming information while in town. I researched the cast's favorite hangouts in Wilmington, NC. And then, finally, the day arrived!

February 18, 2011:
Having hardly been able to sleep the night before, Phil and I set out on our 9 1/2 hour drive to Wilmington, NC. We drove south through Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, D.C. Virginia, and into North Carolina. Ten and a half hours and some aggravating traffic later, we were there. The minute we entered Wilmington, NC I could hardly focus on anything except how cute the town is and "Do you recognize that? What's that building called? Do you see any cast members??" Phil was very patient with my fanaticism and started snapping pictures left and right. After checking into our hotel, we set out to see downtown and get some dinner. We ended up at The Reel Cafe, an incredibly delicious restaurant that has the added benefit of being both a former filming location and a popular hangout for many of the actors. I wasted no time in searching for any bits of info I could and asked the waitress if anyone from One Tree Hill had been in tonight. She said no one had but had no problem gushing about the show and each actor's favorite meal to order at the Reel Cafe. I was alert throughout my whole meal and probably scared some people that entered the resto, but all we left with that night was a full belly.

February 19, 2011:

Very busy day ahead of us! After getting ready for the day, we stopped at where they filmed Keith's Auto Shop, Lucas and Karen's house, Haley James' house, and Peyton's house. We then headed to the Screen Gems studio for their tour at noon! This was such an awesome experience since seeing the sets that you watch every week is so much different to see in person. We were showed Nathan and Haley's second house, Brooke and Julian's house, and Red Bedroom Records. One fun fact is that the stairs in any of the houses lead nowhere, they just drop off. So whenever a character is shown coming down the stairs, it's really just the actor standing there and then walking down the few stairs they've built for the set. Pretty crazy how things are so much different than how we picture them on TV.

After the tour, we continued on our ventures to more filming locations. We went to visit where they film the outside of Nathan and Haley's house and then set off to Airlie's Gardens. Wow, was that beautiful. With its arrangements of flowers, sculptures, trees, and paths along the water, it was definitely one place I was glad we visited. One Tree Hill has filmed here multiple times and it was fun recognizing the sites as we made our way around the gardens. My favorite part of this place (aside from the filming locations, of course) was the bottle sculpture building. If you're ever in Wilmington, NC or around the area, I definitely recommend visiting Airlie's Gardens!

The last stop of today was the Indepedence Mall. Yet another filming location but also a way for us to just unwind after a busy day by just walking around and browsing. Well, that didn't last long since the business of the day quickly caught up with us and we were exhausted by 9pm. Don't think excitement can't drain you, because it definitely can. So, tonight was an early night for us.

February 20, 2011:

Back to filming location scouting!! Most of the places that they film are all downtown, so we were able to cover most of the places I had mapped easily and quickly today. The places we saw today were: Lucas and Lindsay's wedding church, the bridge from the intro, Tree Hill High, Clothes over Bros/Karen's Cafe, Keith and Jules' wedding church, Lucas and Brooke's first date (Blue Post Billiards), CD Alley, lingerie store that Brooke set up on Naley's scavenger date, Dixie Grill, Hell's Kitchen (where Taylor worked), spot where Lucas and Keith crashed, police station, courthouse, Tric, rivercourt (my favorite!!), and the riverwalk. Along our fun journey, we ran into two other One Tree Hill fans, Heather and Amanda, at Nathan and Haley's first "date" table when Haley starts tutoring him. After talking for a bit, we ended up exchanging information so we could help each other out if we spot anything!

Later that night, we met up with two other fans for dinner, Carina and Julia, who had traveled all the way from Germany! I had met Carina on Twitter and found out that we were both coming to Wilmington the same week! It's always fun meeting other fans :) We ended up at the Reel Cafe again. Another one of my recommendations if you're in the area.

Finally, the four of us set out to walk around downtown and, on our way, we ran into Lauren and Heather again! We grouped together and began our search for cast members. All the bouncers knew our names by the end of the night and were very helpful in sharing any information they had. We got to see this cute town at night, get to know our new friends rather well, and try out a few of the locals bars. It was a very fun night! Finally, about 1am, we decided to split ways for the night and headed back to our hotel.

February 21, 2011:

For breakfast, we made our way to the Dixie Grill, a place we had heard rave reviews about and, oh, it just happens to also be a season 6 & 7 filming location :) The hype was right, it was a very cute diner with fun decor and killer food! As we were waiting for our breakfast, Phil spotted a familiar face walk in. Mark Schwahn! Who is he you ask? He, my friend, is the creator, the mastermind, the genius behind this show called One Tree Hill. I quickly approached him and exclaimed, "Mark Schwahn! I love your show!" After an autograph and a picture, I managed to hold it together enough to get filming locations for the following day; what luck!

After our successfully delicious brunch, Phil and I went to visit where they filmed Jamie's school, Dan Scott Motors, Brooke Davis' house in high school, Felix & Anna's house, the house they used in "I Will Dare", and the Scott house. We also drove by the cemetery they use for any grave scenes. Later, we visited Wrightsville Beach since it was a nice day and, you guessed it, they've also filmed there. The weather turned against us and the wind drove us back to our hotel to get changed and relax for a bit, before dinner.

We met up with our four new friends again for dinner at...the Reel Cafe!! I was ready to try something new, but Heather and Amanda hadn't been yet, so we enjoyed yet another delicious dinner here. After dinner, the six of us headed to Wilmington's International Airport. Carina had worked her magic in finding out which flight Sophia (Brooke), Austin (Julian), and Rob (Clay) would have to be taking back to Wilmington in order to make it in time for filming the following morning. So yeah, we waited at the airport for them... I like to think that I went there to see it since they've filmed airport scenes here, but I know the fan in me was really hoping to see the three of them get off that flight. By 10:45pm, everyone had deplaned and no celebs had shown up. We left, disappointed, and were then even more crushed when I found out the following morning that other fans had waited longer and saw them show up at 11:00pm! I would be more devastated if the next day hadn't gone the way it had...

February 22, 2011:

Since we had gotten the list of filming locations from Mark yesterday, we all planned to meet at Sea Path Yacht Club near Wrightsville Beach where they were supposed to be filming the majority of the day. When we got there, we saw makeup trailers, equipment trucks, and vans they use to transport the cast. It was such an awesome experience to see everything happening in action. I am so used to seeing the final product in every episode, but here I was seeing it happen from the beginning! James Lafferty was filming here today and we actually got to catch some of the filming! We heard "cutting" "rolling" "play back" and saw all the hard work that goes into filming just one scene. It sure does give you some appreciation for the filming industry. After a few hours, we got comfortable and grabbed our blankets and peanut butter sandwiches. James had told us earlier that he would come out once he'd wrapped filming, so no way were we planning on leaving until then. While we were all sitting there waiting, chatting, and trying to keep warm in the 30 degree weather, we hear someone say "They're taking pictures over there!" In one big leap, we grabbed our stuff and ran to the source, only to see the one and only, Sophia Bush!! She had come outside to greet all the fans waiting. She was very sweet and patient enough to take pictures with everyone there. My first words to her were "Hi, you're so pretty." Yeah, I tend to babble when I'm excited and nervous. I also asked if she remembered me from some exchanges we'd had on Twitter and Crowdrise, and she did! It was very very cool meeting her :)

After that, we continued to wait for filming to wrap. Finally, James came out and kept his word! He came and said hello to everyone, took pictures, and signed autographs. I couldn't believe I was talking to Nathan Scott!! :)

Afterwards, Julia and Carina had to catch their flight that night since they were off to NYC before heading home to Germany. We all had dinner together one more time, this time at the Front Street Brewery, and then said goodbye to our two new friends!

Heather, Amanda, Phil and I then went to Blue Post Billiards to enjoy a game of pool! We had asked the crew earlier today where filming would be tomorrow, so we were set.

February 23, 2011

Today was all about finding and watching filming. We knew they were filming at the airport, Tric, and a hospital. We made it to Tric before filming had started and saw Austin Nichols drive up in their infamous white vans shortly after we arrived. He was kind enough to come over after I screamed "Austin!" ;) I chatted with him briefly and got a photo and an autograph. Score. After Austin left, Jana Kramer arrived! She also responded to my shout out and came over to greet us. Talk about an awesome start to our day! Later, we saw Michael May and Stephen Colletti show up since they were filming at Tric. Once we found out that Stephen would be filming all day and wouldn't come out until he'd wrapped, the four of us set out to grab some lunch (Papa John's) and then went to visit the high school where they'd filmed the Tree Hill High gym. Emsley A Laney High School is also where Michael Jordan graduated and his jersey number just happened to be 23 (Nathan in the show is also number 23). We were admitted as visitors and got to look around the whole school. The gym looked quite different than it does in seasons 1-4 since the crew probably brought most of their own props to showcase the Ravens. It was still cool to see though :)

After, we headed back to Tric where we waited another two hours before filming finally wrapped. Stephen did come over and we got to meet our third cast member of the day!

After Tric, we quickly drove to where they film hospital scenes (at Cape Fear Community College-they bring their own props to make it look hospital-like). We got to see Sophia and Austion (Brooke and Julian) film a scene for Julian's documentary in season 8. It was a very brief scene and after it wrapped, we made our way over to the River Room on Front St. for a wonderful charity event!!

Sophia had told us about it Tuesday afternoon when we met her, and had invited everyone to be a part of the charity for a crew member, Amy, who needs a transplant. Of course we went. It. Was. Awesome. When we got there, we saw James Lafferty, Robert Buckley, Stephen Colletti, Michael May, Sophia Bush, and Austin Nichols. We were able to grab pictures with both Robert and Michael since we hadn't met them yet. Everyone aside from Sophia and Austin left shortly after group photos, but boy was it something to be in the same room with all these people from my favorite show! I had to keep reminding myself that, yes, this was actually happening. The night ended around 9:30-10pm, and we had gotten to chat with both Sophia and Austin. The actual charity event was a huge success, raising over $10,000.00 for Amy! The top prize was a private tour offered by Sophia and Austin that went to two different groups for $1200 each.

The four of us left the River Room in a daze, not quite believing that we had just partied with the cast of OTH! All of us left the following morning, so we took one last long walk around downtown Wilmington. While stopping at one of the last few spot we'd wanted to take photos of, we landed in front of Deluxe Restaurant. Someone came outside and asked us how we ended up in Wilmington. After we explained, she told us "You didn't hear this from me, but the cast of A Cinderella Story 3 is eating inside." I had heard they were filming here and knew that Lucy Hale is starring! She is in another show that I watch, Pretty Little Liars. We made our way inside and I was able to meet her and grab a pic. I was the only one who cared since Heather and Amanda don't watch the show, but it was very cool to meet her!

Finally, we had to say our sad goodbyes to Heather and Amanda and then head back to the hotel to pack.

February 24, 2011:

Time to go home. Much to my dismay, we packed up our car and headed on our long journey back to reality. I could definitely live in Wilmington, NC someday. It's beautiful, peaceful, cute, and full of such nice people! It took us 11 hours to get home and we hit a lot of traffic. But, this trip was one that we will not soon forget.