I like buying printed tickets to concerts. I guess you could call it a weird quirk that I have and I keep all of them in an old box in my closet. They are the scrapbook that I am too lazy to ever craft. They tell my life's story in music, perhaps the best way to retell my life. Like a photo album I will often go through them and remember who I was with, favorite songs that were played, why that was the band I absolutely had to see at that moment in that concert.
Before there are memories made or set lists written, I keep my future tickets on my refrigerator, tucked safely behind a magnetic photo of my childhood. The stack is growing thick and I am filled with excitement every time I walk by or grab a snack.
Highlights this fall so far include:
ACL (obviously) (@aclfestival): I promise to write slightly drunken (or not so slightly) haiku's of all the acts that I see and as we get closer I will probably post the many drafts of the tentative schedule that I will probably only slightly follow because sometimes you just have to move with the spirit of a festival. That being said, I will not be seeing Kanye.
Adele (@officialadele): I once went to a concert with a friend who cried through the entire show in her excitement and love for the curly locks and sweet dance moves of Justin Timberlake. I didn't understand crying at a concert for love artist or love of music. JT is no Adele and thank goodness Adele is no JT, but after her recent performance at the VMA's, I can't help but think I will be a bit glossy eyed in the crowd. She is unreal amazing. I could be a concert cryer.
Friendly Fires: A favorite out of SXSW, I have enjoyed their new album, Pala, and will enjoy letting loose and dancing at their show.
Portugal. The Man (@portugaltheman): I don't have really strong opinions on this band. The one's I do have are generally positive, but I had a kick ass time seeing him at SX and when I saw he was coming through again I figured that was a concert I wanted to be at. Also, a friend recently compared them to Oasis. Maybe it wasn't Oasis but it was a random comparison and I liked it and it further confirmed that I'd like to see him in concert again.
Utopia Fest (@utopiafest): Camping? Intimate concert setting in a Texas town that is actually called, Utopia? I'm in! Also, I'm excited to find Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes, who I met randomly last year at ACL. I had no idea who he was, but Chris Chu, of Morning Benders (who I also randomly met) introduced me and told me his band was pretty awesome. I got a picture with the both of them and when I got home I felt bad that I had no idea who this Dawes guy was, but was proudly bragging on facebook that I'd met him, so I looked up his music and you know what? Damn good! I plan on telling him that entire story. I am also excited for The Wheeler Brothers, among a number of other great acts that are listed.
Moe. (moeperiod): I love Moe. They are fun, upbeat, birkenstock music (which is what I call anything that reminds me of the northeast), that will be a perfect reprieve from Indie music. They'll jam, I'll dance (maybe while wearing birkenstocks), and it will be all kinds of fabulous. Get your tickets now. I promise you will love them.
There will be so many more as the fall progresses. What are you excited for?
