• The acoustics at Rock Auditorium are terrible. Terrible.
  • We skipped literally half the auditorium. From the second last row on the left side, to smack in the middle of the middle row, right behind the light and sound guys. Meaning we got pretty good breathing space, and a clear view. Security was herding everyone back to their seats like sheep after the opening acts, but I convinced Lou that we might as well try to get a better seat. We planted ourselves on a couple of empty seats and I started praying that the occupiers wouldn’t show up and demand for their seats back. Okay, and we lied. “Are these your seats?” Why, yes they are.
  • When Jon Foreman waded into the audience? Uhm, you’ve never seen a five foot three girl hurdle over five rows of seats that fast. Security was pretty annoyed, and escorted me back after the song ended.
  • But he stayed there for the next song! Security was patrolling the seats now. I waited til their backs were turned, and half jumped, half dived over the seats in the three seconds where their backs were turned. Everyone behind me just stared, and in Lou’s words, “wished they had the balls.” In Iowa’s words, “You’ve gotta watch out for them Australians.” But when Jon Foreman is right there, sometimes… well, you just gotta dare to move. But let me tell you (especially the males) now, those seats do a number on your groin area. Um, ouch. I got caught on the seat climbing back, and nearly yanked the light cable out with my foot. Security had to help me back over (The guy looked pretty amused at this point. I’m glad he had a sense of humour.).

  • This is Iowa (and my sweaty, stinky self). Or rather, he’s from there. I struck up a conversation with him during the break after the opening acts. Kidded around and asked for his All Access pass. Didn’t get it, of course. But I did get to play with the fog effects he was testing. It looked just like a set of car keys (the controls, that is).
  • Right before Switchfoot came on, there was a slight commotion near us, and we realized that the setlist was on Iowa’s light switchboard. Everyone around us was trying to get a picture of it, and I was sinking into depression because I realized that the setlist for this leg of the tour was different from the setlist for Australia’s shows, and that THEY TOOK ‘YET’ OFF THE SETLIST.
  • After recovering slightly, I told Lou that I wasn’t going to stand around and try to sneak pictures of the setlist. (Iowa saw everyone looking and turned the setlist the other way around.) Everyone within three feet of us trying to get a picture of the setlist watched as I went up to Iowa and asked for the setlist. He said he’d give it to me after the show, and I was a happy girl. And everyone just looked astonished because… clearly it never occurred to anyone that they could’ve just asked for it.
  • And so right after Dare You To Move, I nudged him and pointed at the setlist. He folded it up, and passed it right over. And then I had people coming up to me and asking if they could get a picture of it. Sure!
And so I guess although I attracted a bucketful of stares for my antics (quite embarrassing, actually having people nudge and point at you post-show), and people literally pointing and gaping at the crazy girl hurdling over seats, I had fun. Maroon 5 did a better show, and I was slightly let down by the omission of Yet, and the acoustics that just made music sound partly like noise. I’ll be doing a detailed recap sometime later, but  in the grand scheme of things, it was a pretty cool night. The things you can get away with when you… well, dare to move. ;)
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