Many many thanks to all the good folks that we met at the sold out Middle East show last night. We may have won you over with our good-natured power-pop and our sexy robot dances, but believe me - it was you, little ones, who won over our cold, bleak hearts. So thank you, thank you and thank YOU. Some highlights:
- I know how y'all like the Hollywood gossip, so I did my best to antagonize a good story out of Juliette Lewis, but she turned out to be very chill. I tried to psyche her out after her soundcheck by saying, "Is that all you got, Juliette Lewis? That shit may fly in Hollywood, but this is Boston. You're following local rock heroes Scamper." She was nonplussed and even gave us a super-sweet shout-out from the stage during her set. Sorry - no diva action or crazy stories or gossip. Just a cool chick with a good sense of humor.
- Good line of the night: we were talking to the OK Go! tour manager about backstage riders (demands the band puts in the contract, like 250 green M&M's) and Keith says, "We have a very strict rider - we insist that we only get a 90 second sound check. And I'm happy to say that tonight the Middle East came through on that promise."
- Like with most good shows, the actual on stage part goes by in a blur. But it was a nice big crowd of mostly people who were seeing us for the first time and it seemed to go over pretty well. Opening band slots sometimes have like 5 people and the sound guy watching you, so it was great to look out to a full house. Very fun, energetic crowd - you guys make us better. So thank you.
- There are definite advantages and disadvantages to being the opening act for a big national touring act like OK Go! On the upside, you get the opportunity to perform for a lot of new people who may actually like you. On the other hand, the pecking order is very clear - management made sure that we were rushed off stage and literally out of the building the second we got done with our set. So instead of basking in the usual post-show glory and booty spoils, I'm shivering out back in my sweat-covered shirt, lugging amps up the stairs and getting yelled at for misplacing Mike's cymbal bag. Rock and roll!
- We met a lot of new fans after the show, which was cool. Most of them were young(ish) girls there to see OK Go!, so they were almost all very shy and sweet. But universally, whenever I'd tell them to go online and vote for us to open for Hanson (the voting is over, by the way), I'd get this confused look and a "Why do you want to open for Hanson?" Not to nitpick here, but you're OK Go! fans. Don't get me wrong - they're an amazing band, but they wear suits and have synchronized dance routines. I mean, is there some colossal difference between OK Go! and Hanson that I'm missing here? Hell, is there a huge difference between Scamper and Hanson, besides the fact that our drummer is cuter?
Overall, it was a great night with two great bands and a great crowd. Everything was frickin' great.
Speaking of great, happy birthday to Sean, the greatest big brother in the world.
- I know how y'all like the Hollywood gossip, so I did my best to antagonize a good story out of Juliette Lewis, but she turned out to be very chill. I tried to psyche her out after her soundcheck by saying, "Is that all you got, Juliette Lewis? That shit may fly in Hollywood, but this is Boston. You're following local rock heroes Scamper." She was nonplussed and even gave us a super-sweet shout-out from the stage during her set. Sorry - no diva action or crazy stories or gossip. Just a cool chick with a good sense of humor.
- Good line of the night: we were talking to the OK Go! tour manager about backstage riders (demands the band puts in the contract, like 250 green M&M's) and Keith says, "We have a very strict rider - we insist that we only get a 90 second sound check. And I'm happy to say that tonight the Middle East came through on that promise."
- Like with most good shows, the actual on stage part goes by in a blur. But it was a nice big crowd of mostly people who were seeing us for the first time and it seemed to go over pretty well. Opening band slots sometimes have like 5 people and the sound guy watching you, so it was great to look out to a full house. Very fun, energetic crowd - you guys make us better. So thank you.
- There are definite advantages and disadvantages to being the opening act for a big national touring act like OK Go! On the upside, you get the opportunity to perform for a lot of new people who may actually like you. On the other hand, the pecking order is very clear - management made sure that we were rushed off stage and literally out of the building the second we got done with our set. So instead of basking in the usual post-show glory and booty spoils, I'm shivering out back in my sweat-covered shirt, lugging amps up the stairs and getting yelled at for misplacing Mike's cymbal bag. Rock and roll!
- We met a lot of new fans after the show, which was cool. Most of them were young(ish) girls there to see OK Go!, so they were almost all very shy and sweet. But universally, whenever I'd tell them to go online and vote for us to open for Hanson (the voting is over, by the way), I'd get this confused look and a "Why do you want to open for Hanson?" Not to nitpick here, but you're OK Go! fans. Don't get me wrong - they're an amazing band, but they wear suits and have synchronized dance routines. I mean, is there some colossal difference between OK Go! and Hanson that I'm missing here? Hell, is there a huge difference between Scamper and Hanson, besides the fact that our drummer is cuter?
Overall, it was a great night with two great bands and a great crowd. Everything was frickin' great.
Speaking of great, happy birthday to Sean, the greatest big brother in the world.
11 Comments:
Some more notes from last night:
- The OK Go! boys were also incredibly chill and fun to hang with. Nate and I spent a good half hour with Dan (the drummer, happily opting out of the band's crosstown radio interview) shooting the shit about touring and our friend Joe Welsh (Fooled By April) who auditioned earlier this year for the open guitarist slot in OK Go! We all agreed that it would be a blast to see Joe doing the A Million Ways dance. Dan also said that the boys loved Joe's "very well-written" blog posts about his audition experience. But, in the end, it turns out that only people named Andy can fill that role...
- Juliette is awesome. She happily put up with Brendan's jokes and Mike's incessant quoting of "Christmas Vacation". By the end of the night she was calling him "Rusty". (Not really.) She gave us several excellent reasons why she wouldn't give up her falafel sandwich even though we were much hungrier than her, and was just a sweet, normal, down-to-earth rock star with a skin-tight bodysuit and boots that should inspire us with great fashion ideas for future Scamper shows.
- Ok Go! Damian was extremely sick (again) last night and blamed his symptoms on the fact that he had to pass through "diseased, gangrenous" New York to get to Boston. He may have been exaggerating the cause, but he was damn sick, and his vocal preparation techniques before the show were impressive. They worked, too, and you couldn't tell a lick during their show. Pro-fessional.
- THANKS to our crew last night -- TomTom on sound, Jordan on lights, Jen behind the merch table (setting a record for sales). You people are amazing.
Geez, write a novel, Keith.
Get your own journal, douchebag.
There's little left to say, but I'll add my Odd Moment of the Night: Coming backstage with two shots of Jameson for the ailing Damian and fiding him with his pants around his ankles.
Ooh! The voting is over? When do you get the results?
Great show.
First time. Won't be the last.
Rock on.
Thanks, Jesse.
We're hoping to hear this weekend sometime, but they may not tell us until the morning of or some shit like that.
We'll be ready, though.
do you at least have a backup plan in case you don't hear until like 4pm on the 4th? You should rent a flatbed trailer stones style and if you don't get the gig just pull up in front of avalon that night and play 3 hours worth of weird al covers or some such.
easy high point that was missed:
killer back rub session.
elbows, sir.
nuff said.
Hahaha, wow, that was a great entry to read. I was one of the girls who was there to see OK Go, but I did really enjoy you guys, so much that I bought your album! (And then I left it on the table as I ran out!!! I'm so upset!!!)
But what's amusing is that I used to be a HUGE Hanson fan when I was younger, they were my favourite group for the longest time! And now OK Go is my fave. I guess it's just interesting to see how my tastes have and haven't changed over time. I wouldn't say that OK Go and Hanson have the same sound, but obviously it's one that appeals to the same group of people. :D
I hope you get to open for Hanson if you guys don't have the results already! Like, I said you were awesome enough to convince me to get the album, and since I left it behind, I will now have to order another one!
diggity, please elaborate on this pantsless Damian business.
SmileySweetie2642 - please email me with your address. We'll send you a new CD, gratis.
brendan@scamper.net
Thanks so much, Brendan! I've sent you an email with the addy. You guys are officially uber-cool in my book!!!
And I agree with kay: diggity, please elaborate on the pantlessness. ;)
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