For the past year or so I have probably listened to The Front Bottoms' self-titled album more than anything else, to a staggering degree. At times I even felt bad about neglecting the new cds of my favorite bands in favor of that one. One of my favorite memories of last summer was sitting in the parking lot of the Block with Bigs on 4th of July, watching fireworks and both of us singing along to it. I haven't connected to an album like that in a very long time, and I love every single song on it. So, I kept watching their facebook, tumblr, twitter, and Instagram, impatiently waiting for them to come back around so we could see them again. A couple of months ago a new album was announced, and among the new tour dates was a stop right here at the Constellation Room! It would be an understatement to say that I flipped out. This was even better than I could have hoped - a teeny, tiny venue in Orange County! Who could ask for anything more?
As the day of the concert approached, I started to get nervous. It hadn't sold out, which was discouraging, because as I said, it is a very small room. I started to imagine that there would be 10 of us there and B and I would be the only ones who knew any of their songs, and felt awful at the idea. Finally, the day of the show, it was announced as sold out. Thank goodness!
Frustratingly, I lost the tickets (I never get actual tickets anymore, and they arrived in a plain white envelope exactly the same size as the tickets, so they must have been tossed out with the junk mail) but I was able to get them to hold new tickets for us at will call. When we went up to the window, the kids in front of us were BEGGING for tickets in spite of the sold out status. "Is there ANYTHING we can do to get in?" the little hipster girl pleaded. We raised our eyebrows at each other, wondering what she meant by that, but then she yelped in excitement when her friend pointed out that their names were right there on the guest list! Apparently they had emailed the Front Bottoms and asked if they could get in earlier that day. Later I saw them say hello to the lead singer of one of the opening bands, so I guess they had some kind of hook ups. Anyway, we finally got in and made our way as close as we could to the stage. I wasn't about to stand in the back for this show! I was goin old school on this one, and was very curious as to how things would play out.
As I had expected, we were the oldest ones there, so I was slightly uncomfortable at first, but no one was even giving us a second glance so I relaxed. The first of the two openers was called Our Native Language, and consisted of three very young looking kids, nervously playing songs with lyrics farrrrr beyond their age or experience ("Someone's been listening to too much Tom Waits," Brandon whispered after the third mention of drinking whiskey to forget troubles with his "gal"). The female backup singer/tambourinist/guitarist/trumpeter attempted to toot her horn onehandedly several times, and by the grimace and smirk on the lead singer's face, it would appear that they need a bit more practice. She took it all in stride, though, self deprecatingly giggling at herself and admirably powering through when her guitar strap broke in the middle of one songs. The guy behind me was deeeeply (but politely) in love with her ("Wow, she is very attractive. She is extremely charming. She is making me feel dizzy.") and I could see why.
Next up was a band from San Diego called Weatherbox. Many in the audience seemed to know them, and they were pretty enjoyable. They looked like a 90s pop rock band, but sang some really intense lyrics (example: Yours is the only cancer I accept/ Because it's you in my lungs/ and I cough you up for days). I thought the guitarist looked like Ryan Gosling with Jordan Catalano's hair, so of course he gave me some good eye candy to pass the time. However, you could tell everyone was getting a bit impatient, knowing that The Front Bottoms would be on soon.
Finally! The boys took the stage and everyone went berserk. I had hoped people would be enthusiastic, but I honestly didn't expect the mayhem that ensued. Everyone pushed forward and from the side, a pit emerging immediately, turning the room into a jumping, dancing, screaming, crowd surfing, stage diving, twisting mess. I was in heaven. My fears of no one knowing who they were quickly subsided when I realized that every single person in the crowd was singing along to every single word of every single song, even the ones from the new album that had just come out a couple weeks prior. It was complete bliss, and the boys seemed pretty overwhelmed at the response. They were even more confident than they were the first time we saw them, this time joined onstage by two really great musicians handling bass, electric guitar, horns, and keys. These guys were the perfect road addition to the duo, complementing them perfectly but not upstaging the two stars at all.
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Lead singer Brian Sella looked every bit the seasoned front man, attacking his acoustic guitar energetically and singing every song with a huge smile on his face. Brandon commented afterwards that he seemed to close his eyes a lot, though, which I didn't notice at all because I SWEAR he made eye contact with me at least twice. Um, I mean, he seemed really focused to me! Although I had difficulty seeing tiny powerhouse drummer Matt Uychich from my spot in the roiling crowd, every time I caught a glimpse of him he was basically just a blur, just the way I expected him to be. The boys seemed quite proud of their new staging, including a lovely banner and one of those crazy air dancer guys. They really are moving up in the world!
Because we attend a lot of concerts, we have repeatedly encountered what I consider the worst possible concert-goers: the ones who sit/stand there and just chat loudly with each other the whole time, completely uninterested in the magic that is happening right in front of them. This show brought me back to a happier place where the fans are actually there for the music and the experience. Not one person in that room cared about anything but the band. We were all singing and dancing and smiling at each other, strangers becoming a community based on a shared passion. I miss going to shows like that, so this was a really special and much-needed experience.
By the end of the night, they had played every song from the new album and a bunch from the first, leaving us exhausted but satisfied. The tiniest twinge of disappointment I felt from them not playing my favorite song was completely overshadowed by the pure happiness from seeing them live again and in such a wonderful way.
Someone posted a video of them performing the last song, their current single, Twin Sized Mattress
From what I have been reading as they work their way through the rest of the tour, it's been like this every night. That thrills me to no end, and I am so excited that they are having so much success. They really do deserve it.
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