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Everyone has been to a New Years Eve party. You know the kind...you get drunk, hook up with a guy or girl you think is SO hot, then wake up the next morning to find out you were wrong, and you'd rather chew your own arm off than have them wake up to see you leave.
Well that was not what my New Years Eve 2001 was like. To finish off 2001 I went to the most amazing concert ever. I went to Deep Ellum Live in Dallas, Texas to watch Flickerstick rock us into 2002. Here's the story...
Around early November my two friends, Jackie and Taylor, and I started thinking about what we wanted to do for New Years Eve. We thought about going to see a really great band, Bowling for Soup, play in Deep Ellum, but allas, the show was 21 and up, so we are kind of bummed. Then I get the folowing e-mail from Taylor:
"Guess who's going to be at Deep Ellum Live on Dec.
31...........
FLICKERSTICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!
102.1 THE EDGE WELCOMES
F L I C K E R S T I C K
PRODUCED BY 462 CONCERTS
DEEP ELLUM LIVE
2727 CANTON ST @ CROWDUS
MON DEC 31 2001 DRS 8:00PM
$35.00 ALL AGES
I got that from ticketmaster. What do you think? We
should go!
fare thee well,
taylor"
So our minds were made up. The day tickets went on sale we bought them online. We were SO excited. I mean, we even had a countdown going. The Sunday before the concert Jackie and I drove to Eastland to meet Taylor. We listened to Flickerstick and Chomsky(one of the openers) the whole way there.
When our alarms went off Monday morning we were SO stoked. We got ready, packed our bags, picked up Jackie and we were off to Dallas. We found the Days Inn Hotel and checked in. We left to get refreshments then headed back to the hotel to prepare for the concert.
When 6:00 rolled around we were ready to go. We headed down to meet the shuttle to the show at about 6:30. We got to Deep Ellum Live and a line was formed, but not a very long one. We waited in line and met a few people. Two of the people we met were Heather and Jenny. They were two sweet girls that were SO excited to see the show. We all stood in line and waited for about an hour for the doors to open.
The doors finally opened (10 minutes late) and we all rushed in. We were SO excited to get places RIGHT up front. We were in the center with only one person in front of each of us. Taylor and I saved spots for Jackie, Heather and Jenny while they went to the bathroom. While waiting I met some other girls up front with us. They were cool.
Not long after we got in the first band took the stage. This was Kissinger. I had seen them before and liked their show so I was eager to see them again. They were a great way to start the show. They rocked with lot's of high energy songs and finished up with "Rock 'n' Roll Asshole". The next band to take the stage was Lucy Loves Schroeder. They were good. Not great, but hey, we weren't there to see them anyways.
The next band to grace the stage was Chomsky. I was looking forward to seeing them. They are from Dallas and have some GREAT songs. They didn't play my favorite song, which is "Man Of The Hour", but they did play "Road" which is great. They rocked. They were all over the place. Lots of engery. It was great. Then they were done...it was time to get ready for FLICKERSTICK.
They began to get the stage ready, they pulled down a big white sheet and covered the speakers with white sheets. I thought this was odd..but they did it for a reason. Finally, the lights dim and everyone screams and the word "LIFE" appears on the white sheet...stays there for 2 minutes and is followed by, "SERENITY" then "LOVE" and "BELIEF", and finally "EXECUTION".
After a few moments we hear a guitar begin to play. Everyone is screaming. Then we hear the amazing voice of Brandin begining, "congure uuuuup what you really find...". And we go WILD. But the sheet is still up, so we hear Brandin and see this ghostly silohette from behind the sheet. We all start to sing, just waiting for the sheet to drop. Finally, in the middle of the song, "Execution by Christmas Lights", the sheets drops. There stands Brandin with his guitar, dressed all in white, everything on the stage is white, white lights behind him. It was amazing. We all sing along, totally moved by the beauty of it.
After that song ends the rest of the band joins Brandin on stage, all in white. Brandin goes to explain that they spent our ticket money on this white idea and Rex chimes in "yeah do you know how expensive white pants are". Then it is time to rock. They start playing "Choloroform", one of their best. We are all over the place singing with excitement watching the band play. The next song they go in to is "Sorry, Wrong Tragectory", "You're so Hollywood", "Talk Show Host", then "Got a Feeling". (the order might be wrong)
As they get into the chorus of Got a Feeling, the sound goes out. Everyone is miffed, but it starts up again and they try the song again. At about the same point it happens again. By then it is time for the New Years countdown. We all countdown and tons of people join Flickerstick from backstage. Their closest friends, family, and groupies. New Years hits and we all cheer. Brandin comes up and offers his bottle of champainge to someone and I point to Jackie and he hands her the bottle. She passes it around and we all drink from the same bottle the band did. And to top that off...Brandin threw the bandana he was wearing on his wrist into the crowd and who caught it? Taylor did...lucky girl :) What a way to start the New Year.
As the commotion dies down Flickerstick takes the stage again and is ready to sing "Smile", however, into the song the power goes out in the whole club. Everyone is yelling and talking and some girls I'm standing with and I start to sing Beautiful. As more people start to join Brandin comes out on stage and attempts to quiet the crowd down to tell us that the entire Deep Ellum district is out of power.
However, the show must go on. Brandin came on stage with his guitar and announced that we are all going to sing "Coke". He starts to play and we hold our lighters up and sing "Coke" with Brandin. Since we were right up front it was really great because we could hear Brandin and see him.
After "Coke" finished, me and the girls started to sing "Beautiful", Brandin tried to get the crowd quiet again, but Cory heard us singing and started singing with us, then everyone started. As we sang, the rest of the band came onstage and everyone was singing.
After "Beautiful" (which took a few tries because people kept mixing up the verses) we did a rousing rendition of "Smile". Brandin led us all and motioned when the pitch changed. It was fun. After "Smile" they decided to do covers since they weren't sure as to the capability of everyone to know the right words to the other songs. They decided on "Champiagne Supernova", by Oasis. Brandin got it started and we were all singing in no time. It was great.
After that song, the manager came out to announce that the band was going to do one more song then the show was over. Some guy in the audience didn't like that and threw a beer. At that the manager said "that's it, you're all out of here, its over". But Brandin wasn't having that. He grabbed the manager's arm and said "Fuck you man, we're singing one more". You see, Flickerstick always closes with "Direct Line To The Telapathic". Brandin wasn't about to let this punk manager tell him he couldn't. Brandin wouldn't even let the fire department stop a show before "Direct Line" was played this summer in Austin.
And so it began. We started to sing..."hey...look at me...I'm causing a catastprophie...". And that was it. We all sang as one. When the song ended Cory smashed a guitar and the crowd began to disperse. That ended what was the most amazing concerts I have ever been to.
Some people might not understand why this show was so great. I mean, we paid $40 for the tickets and the band we wanted to see only played 5 songs. Well here's why it was so great. We got to experience a closeness with the band that not everyone got to enjoy. The people in the back didn't get to be close to Brandin when he kept the show going even though he didn't have to. The people in the back didn't get to shake the hands of the band. The people in the back didn't get to experience the feeling of happiness when Cory heard us singing and joined in with us.
This concert turned from a great rock show, to a personal rock show. It was like we were part of the show too, not just the audience. Some people might look on the show as being a failure. I'm sure the band isn't too happy with what happened. But in the long run, Flickerstick didn't let the show end. They kept rocking. They didn't have to, but they did. They love what they do. You can see it when they play. They put every ounce of energy into their music, and just when you think they are out, they give more.
This was the best New Years Eve I've ever had. The parties at the hotel after were great too...but I can't talk about those on here :)
Check out the pictures from the show. Hope you enjoy and had a great New Years Eve yourself. |
