#5 - Of Mice and Men on the Outbreak Tour 11/07/11
Primarily I was excited to go to this show to see one of my favorite bands, I See Stars, but I was also interested in seeing Of Mice and Men for the first time. Heard a lot about them, so naturally seeing them as well was a bonus! Out of all the shows that I've been to, this was probably the most intense. Each band got the crowd going, and with each new band taking the stage, the crowd got rowdier and rowdier. By the time Of Mice and Men took the stage, the crowd had gone nuts. There was a lot of pushin', shovin', dancin', and people on each other. Honestly this would have ranked higher, but unfortunately I See Stars weren't able to play their full set due to technical difficulties. A minor setback, but Of Mice and Men made up for it especially because the vocalist, Shayley, claimed to not been able to hear himself - he still rocked it though! Aside from the performance, it was awesome catching up with an ol' pal, Billy, who was working the OMM merch! Hadn't seen this fella since The Dangerous Summer show from last semester (which didn't make top ten, boooo). I know some people aren't fans of the hardcore/scream scene, so I'm gonna post a cover that Of Mice and Men did for a Punk Goes Pop album:
"Blame It" covered by: Of Mice and Men
#4 - Breathe Carolina on the Scream It Like You Mean It tour 07/28/11
Another intense show snags a spot in the top five! The tour name suggests what it says: bands that scream and make audiences scream. Four of the five bands that played that tour were all relatively from the same genre except for one. The odd one out at the show was MODSUN who was more of a hip hop act. I had heard about MODSUN before but never seen him or heard his music, and if you see him for the first time, you would probably be shocked like me because MODSUN is a messy white guy rapping and jumping around the stage like a monkey. Don't get me wrong, the music was good, but it was just weird to see this hip hop act intermixed with hardcore/screamo bands. This show made a big impression on me simply because 1. all the bands did a superb job, 2. I See Stars performed on this tour, and 3. it was my first time seeing Breathe Carolina ever. Every single band got me jumping off the ground and pumping my fist in the air - which I don't normally do - so they deserve props for that. I See Stars, of course, was amazing as always, but the most impressive performance was Breathe Carolina. Their latest album Hell Is What You Make It had dropped fairly recently before the show, so they played a mix between their new songs and their old ones. Their performance was the epitome of a massive dance party. I really like the combination of electronic and screamo in Breathe Carolina's sound, and it was awesome to see live. I hope I can see them again. Here's the first Breathe Carolina song I ever heard (from the iPhone Tap Tap game) and got me hooked:
"Hello Fascination" by: Breathe Carolina
#3 - All Time Low on the Dirty Work tour 04/09/11
It's expected that these guys would make it onto my top ten although in the future they might not be because I never get the chance to see them anymore! To promote their upcoming album release for Dirty Work, All Time Low set off to tour around the States (and the rest of the world as well). They had a good group of bands to tour with which included The Summer Set, Hey Monday, and Yellowcard. That's right: Yellowcard. These guys had been MIA for awhile, but they came back and rocked the stage! They're definitely back in action. All Time Low's set consisted of their new songs along with their old stuff, and it was a great time. In all honesty, I think All Time Low is one of those bands that never disappoints their audiences. They're awesome live, they act like raunchy idiots onstage, and they're actual sweethearts offstage - you can feel the love they have for their fans. They appeal to both female and male audiences, which I think is a great thing because most bands are only popular with female audiences. Hate to admit this but All Time Low is probably one of the only bands that I will truly fangirl over. I have my moments when I squeal like a starstruck teenage girl, but to me, that just shows how much I love them. In honor of the holidays I'm going to post All Time Low's original Christmas single:
"Merry Christmas, Kiss My Ass" by: All Time Low
#2 - Tyler Ward on his self-titled tour 10/09/11
I never thought I would ever be a fan of Tyler Ward. My sister talked lots and lots about him and his YouTube prestige, and quite honestly, I didn't think he was anything special simply because there are a lot talented people on YouTube. Boy did he prove me wrong. When I heard he was going to be in Texas, I was genuinely curious to see how if he was good live, so I went on an adventure to San Antonio to see him. As said in my post, him and all of his band are talented people, and their passion for music and performing really shines through. Along with his original songs, he also played covers of popular songs on mainstream radio, and I have to say that I probably like them better than the originals. The entire ensemble's performance engages you immediately, and you can't take your eyes off of them. Before you know it, the show's over, and you're left wanting more. Another amazing thing about Tyler is that he's becoming a more avid music producer, and literally everything he touches (aka every person he works with) turns to gold. He has a keen eye for talent, and without a doubt he'll make them famous. Maybe I should look into that? My favorite to date is his collaboration with Christina Grimmie on "How To Love" by: Lil Wayne:
"How to Love" covered by: Tyler Ward and Christina Grimmie
And the #1 spot goes to...
Panic! At the Disco on their fall tour 10/19/11
Yup! Panic! strikes again! It's been a good year for them especially after their split. The line-up was really good to begin with: Foxy Shazam, Patrick Stump (formerly of Fall Out Boy), and Panic! All three performances were utterly amazing and constatnly full of energy. La Zona Rosa was pretty filled inside and even outside in the chill area. Panic! played new songs and old songs and even a couple of covers, which were fantastic by the way. If you ever go to one of their shows, you will want to dance and never want to stop. Ever. Also, Brendon Urie is my muse - his voice has become more incredibly phenomenal than it was already. I especially loved when he sang a lot in his falsetto, that was kind of awesome. Altogether, the entire band fits the perfect description of performers because you're constantly entertained watching them live onstage. I think it's safe to say that I will go see them anytime they're back in Texas in a heartbeat. They're definitely worth it. (I realize this description is shorter than the others, but I don't wanna repeat myself from my regular post.) Here's one of the covers they played - just watch how they perform:
Well guys those are my top ten shows of 2011. 2012 is just around the corner, and there are a few shows planned already! Let's see what the new year will bring! Happy Holidays!
#3 and #1 WERE great concerts :)
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