unfamiliar territory.

the building was familiar.
some of the faces were familiar.
even my outfit was comfy and familiar.

i finally got to see paper route.

sounds like this was probably the most boring show ever, eh?  here's the kicker though, there were so many unfamiliar things and that made the whole experience so different. and so wonderful.

first unfamiliar: i wasn't expected to do anything. i wasn't working the show or associated with it in any way so i just went and got to soak up all the goodness without having to worry about having enough change at the merch table or having enough food in the green room or make sure all the bands have the correct equipment to do their job.
second unfamiliar: the building was a familiar one but it had been revamped since i had been there last...a higher stage, an extended bar, a different box office, a security guard patting everyone down outside the club making sure no one brought in contraband. it was weird.
third unfamiliar: in case you missed that one key sentence; I GOT TO SEE PAPER ROUTE. i have never seen them before...what? i tried to see them in nashville over a year ago but for whatever reason they didn't play and i was heartbroken. then they went out on tour with switchfoot and it wasn't coming to my city and i was, again, heartbroken. i seriously contemplated driving multiple states away to see it. then they went out with anberlin and that tour wasn't coming to minneapolis. you can practically hear my heart breaking at this point. but wait! they added more tour dates as the first leg of the tour de vital wrapped up and good ol' mpls was on the list for the second leg!
seeing a band live for the first time always makes me a little apprehensive, especially if i really enjoy their album. what if they suck live? what if they aren't captivating? what if i can't get over the fact that the lead singer is wearing a  hideous tie-dyed t-shirt? so many what-ifs!
there was no need for worry, the paper route boys were phenomenal. gavin mcdonald (drummer) was so into it he was standing behind his kit half of the time instead of sitting. chad howart (keys, bgv) did his thing and killed it on the hyper auto-tuned parts. jt daly (lead vocals) could best be described as "mad-scientist" on stage. he had such a unique presence, he kind of walked/pranced/danced all over the stage and then would hover over the synth creating otherworldly sounds and then would climb behind a spare trapset and play drums for a bit. maybe it was the bow tie that really gave him the scientist vibe but whatever it was, i enjoyed it. a lot. the entire 40 minute experience felt like you were watching something a little bit magical.
to avoid ruining the evening by letting my mouth take over i made sure to grab my merch when the PR boys weren't at the table. they escaped the evening unscathed.

xo

covers.

imagine you're in a dingy bar watching a band you don't know and have never seen before. you're there because your roommate thinks the bassist is cute and you're a good friend. you're a wee bit bored because, while the band is good, it's always harder to get into a show when you know zero songs that are being sung.
then it happens. the band strikes a chord and instantly you know the song and are completely engaged, it's time for a cover song. immediately you become simon cowell and mentally pick apart the cover compared to the original (and by "mentally" i mean you share every thought with your friend that drug you there in the first place.)

covers are tricky. the general feelings toward covers:

i want the band to keep the same melody so i can sing along but they have to change it up a bit so they don't sound like they're doing bad karaoke and let's be honest they are never going to live up to the original but if they can change it without changing it, really make it their own but keep the heart of the song...well i guess it will be okay then. if it bombs somewhere it's gonna be the vocals, the lead singer of the bar band just never quite measures up (at least in my humble opinion) to the lead singer of the band that won a grammy and a people's choice award for that same song but he's pretty good. at least the band got that one run almost perfect.

despite all of this, i love cover songs. i like hearing new renditions of old favorites, i like the new twists and musical surprises, and sometimes they are just great because they really highlight the talent of the band that put the song out in the first place. there are a lot, we're talking upwards of 30 here, of covers that i love (and watch/listen to regularly with the help of youtube) but i thought i would post just a few that require at least two listens through every time.

matthew mayfield, "fix you" by coldplay
the rocket summer, "blackbird" by the beatles
anthem lights, "we are never getting back together" by taylor swift

xo