In Which Bea and Homer Adopt Some Emo Kids and Everyone Rocks Out

So, how was your day yesterday? Good? Oh, that's nice. Mine? Oh, nothing special...I JUST WENT TO SEE MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE. NO BIG DEAL OR ANYTHING. Ahem. Sorry.

It was a GREAT show! We stood in a HUGE line with tons of black-eye-makeup-and -homemade-t-shirt-wearing teenagers and their parents. Heh. I talked to Mame on the phone and we called each other names for awhile, which is par for the course, really. (She's a total bitch. SHE KNOWS WHY.) Then we went into the venue! I got a t-shirt! Sadly, I did not get the "Mikey Fuckin Way" one, which I did kind of want because, dude, that's hilarious. But where would I wear it? Well, I COULD sleep in it and wear it to drive my grandmother crazy. Oh well. Maybe next time.

Then the show started! The opening band, Drive By, was really good. It's guitar-heavy alternative rock, sort of like Switchfoot or Lifehouse. Maybe a little heavier. Good stuff, not as punky or dramatic as My Chemical Romance. They were sort of amusing in that the lead singer announced their name between every song and felt the need to assure the audience that MCR was COMING UP NEXT. I PROMISE, OK? Maybe he was getting threats from the skinny kids in the front row, I don't know. But it made me giggle.

THEN. The lights go down and a band comes out, wearing creepy masks. Ugh. I HATE creepy masks. I nearly went into hysterics watching the preview for The Strangers. Luckily, the band whips them off and throws them into the crowd. Um. Ok, I may not be an expert, but I'm pretty sure that is NOT My Chemical Romance. I spend the first three songs in utter confusion, until I turn to ask the girl behind me who is SINGING THE LYRICS who the HELL is on the stage. She looks at me in surprise, "Oh, It's Taking Back Sunday!" Oh. Ok. That's great, an extra performance! A surprise! Awesome! Except. I um, really don't like Taking Back Sunday. Sorry! They gave a good show and were clearly having a great time and it was a really cool thing but, yeah.

FINALLY, My Chemical Romance come out onstage and the crowd. Goes. Insane. Heh. I was expecting this of course, but seeing it was something else. (Also, I had a really good view. I'm a lousy judge of distances, but I could see facial expressions!) You guys? It's like they had a MEETING to discuss How Best to Provide a Good Concert Experience for Bea. They played all my favorite songs! Gerard, the lead singer, was hilarious and insane. And MAN, does he swear a lot. Heh. They are totally hot in person! You know, from 100 feet away. There were shout-outs to New Jersey!

The opening song? "Give 'Em Hell, Kid." I really like that song! I have a thing about the opening song for concerts. It sets the whole tone of the show! I always try to guess it and I'm almost always wrong. (Hey Lilith, remember when we took bets on the opening song for that Tori Amos concert we went to? You guessed "Jackie's Strength and I guessed "Spark" and she BLEW OUR MINDS with "Precious Things?" AWESOME. God, I am such a dork. I really love concerts!) They were just awesome! They played "My Way Home Is Through You," which is a b-side that I've never heard all the way through! They played "Famous Last Words" and "Thank You For The Venom," which are my very favorites! They played "Teenagers," which Homer likes! They finished with "Helena!"

There were three teenagers in front of me who were HILARIOUS. They sang and danced and jumped, threw pointy little elbows (one of which hit me in the chest) and ACTED OUT THE VIDEOS. I thought they were going to pass out at one point! Overall, the crowd was really fun and everyone seemed to have a great time. (Except for you, tall music snob guys who wedged yourselves in front of me. Fuck you.)

So, this morning, I'm a little scratchy. I can't get all of this eyeliner off. I have unexplained bruises and my back is reminding me that I am not 16 years old and would like a little advance notice for the next time I am going to spend five hours dancing, thrashing and bouncing.

I would go see them again in a heartbeat.

P.S. JOSIE! I wish you could have come with me! I MISS YOU.

P.S.2 Mame. Oh, my dear Mame. THESE CHOCOLATE PRETZELS ARE DELICIOUS. No matter how you try to fuck up my shit, I STILL WIN. Because of the pretzels. Bwa ha ha ha.