We Interrupt This Study Week With Switchfoot

(I haven't finished putting up house party photos, but I figured I'd stick these up for now because this was last night!)

Karen, Marie, Lluvia and I waited in line outside The Liquid Room last night.  Apparently, some little band called Switchfoot was playing...

It was a small venue, which meant dark, crowded, and a little crazy at times.  But we survived.

 What happens when you use a long shutter speed and swish the camera around to take a picture of two people in a room lit with blue lights?  This happens!

 The opening band was called In Case of Fire, from Northern Ireland.  They were probably quite good... but it was a little hard to tell because the bass was so loud you could hear very little else.  I would like to point out that those people who originally teased me for wearing ear plugs were envious very soon after these guys started playing.  With ear plugs in, I could listen without feeling like my ear drums might explode at any moment.  Always bring ear plugs to a concert.  You will hear it very well and you will also be able to hear other things afterwards!  It's a win-win.

 We were quite close to the front, but there was always that one tall person in front of me... Why am I so short? 

No, why are they so tall?!  It's rude.

 And finally, the guys we all came to hear...

 No, really, they're coming...

 Any minute now...

 This is about when people started chanting, as if that would make them come any faster.  But if it gives people the illusion of having control over the situation, more power to them, I guess.

 Since the Switchfoot guys are, in fact, bestest friends with Karen, she knew exactly when they'd come out.  She predicted it down to the minute, actually.

 Heeeerrreeee theeeeyyyy cooooommmmmeeeee!

 And from here on out, my shots are pretty much a blur of excitement.  Hi, Jon!
 

 We clapped.  We jumped.  We were shoved around by other clappers and jumpers...

 It's "tchfoot!!!"

 Great rock 'n roll pose here...

 And then he started beating the drums really, really hard. 

 I really appreciate it when band members get interactive with the crowd.  It makes things more fun and I feel like they are actually enjoying us as much as we are enjoying them.  The groups that just play always seem like they're doing it because they have to, or they're so into their own awesomeness, the audience is just there as surround sound.

 Singing his heart out.  They performed a lot of the old favorites that we won't ever get tired of, plus lots of new ones from the new album Vice Verses.

 The best moment was when he suddenly just disappeared off the stage while singing and then reappeared up on the balcony.  He puts on an Elmo hat and starts leaning over the edge (his two bodyguard dudes frantically hanging onto him to keep him from plunging into the crowd), still singing.  It was pretty awesome.

 For a second, I seriously thought he was going to jump and expected us to catch him.  That was not going to happen...

 Why weren't we on the balcony???  The people around him looked so stunned and thrilled, like they didn't know what to do with themselves.

 See the serious looking guy in the black shirt on the right behind him?  He was one of the guys trying to keep Jon alive.

And now for a series of jamming photos... that probably all look the same... but they are all pretty decent shots... so I posted all of them.  Deal.

 Epic guitar is epic!

 Once people started waving their arms and jumping, I pretty much lost sight of the stage.  I'm wearing stilts next time.  And body armour.  And I'm shoving back.

 One of the better shots I managed to get... except for that hand right in front of the guitar that I can't crop out.  Silly enthusiastic concert-goer!

 Yep, we were at the "witchfoot" concert.  Notice my bright orange ear plugs.  I didn't take them out until we escaped into the outdoors.  It was still really loud after the concert.

We were walking down to hang out at a pub after the concert and we went through the "Narnia Lamp Post Courtyard" as I have dubbed it.  This was a perfect photo moment.


All in all, it was an amazing night.  I should have been writing a paper.  I should have been learning primary and secondary Gaidhlig verb forms.  I should have been doing all sorts of productive things.


But when would I ever get another chance like this one, anyway?


Besides, my supervisors told me that I need to make sure I have fun while I'm here.  So I have permission.